No First Class on Southeastern

First Class will be removed from all Southeastern services from December 11.

The move, which will release as many as 60 seats on each 12-car train back to Standard Class per day - will be accompanied by timetable changes designed to “reflect the way travel has changed post-pandemic”.

According to the operator, the new ‘standard hour’ timetable will mean a more consistent service throughout the day, with most trains leaving stations at “broadly the same time” each hour, and additional trains at peak times.

The timetable changes include new all-day services from Maidstone East to Charing Cross and a reinstated peak-time service from Beckenham Junction to London Blackfriars. There will also be more morning peak services on the Ashford line.

However, passengers from Greenwich will now need to change at London Bridge to reach Cannon Street.

All trains on the Hayes line will terminate at Charing Cross, and all trains on the Woolwich line will terminate at Cannon Street.

Southeastern says the changes will reduce congestion at busy junctions and improve punctuality.