Extra car parking help for essential train travellers

Rail travellers worried about missing their trains because of the time it takes to park their cars at stations are now being given extra help.

Station car parks with automatic number plate recognition now allow motorists in Horsham to pay online up to 24 hours later.

The service is available on Great Northern, Southern and Thameslink lines. As well as Horsham and Three Bridges, among stations offering the late-pay service are Billingshurst, Pulborough, Brighton, East Grinstead, Haywards Heath and Lewes.

A spokesman for Govia Thameslink said: “The latest Government advice is to stay at home or stay local to help tackle the spread of Covid-19, but for anyone whose travel is essential, the latest upgrade to parking facilities will be a real time-saver.”

‘LatePay’ is offered by APCOA, which has taken over the management of the train station car parks for Govia Thameslink Railway.

It works in 61 of the firm’s 149 car parks that use automatic number plate recognition - ANPR - to automatically check who’s parked where and when.

Govia Thameslink commercial director David Gornall said: “LatePay is a valuable improvement we think passengers will welcome right now, if they have no choice but to travel, and in the future when the pandemic is behind us and people come back to the railway in greater numbers.”

Passengers can also pay by bank or credit card using the payment machines at car parks but cash payments are not being accepted at the moment to help limit the spread of Covid-19.

GTR offers free parking at most of its stations for disabled motorists who hold a Blue Badge permit.