A BELOVED UK seaside town is set to get a new, faster train to London – slashing journey times by 15 minutes.
Visitors and commuters travelling to and from the coastal area will soon be able to make it to London in just over an hour.
The new rail service will connect the capital with the East Sussex town of Hastings and its set to launch in December of this year.
Hastings boasts a charming shingle and pebble beach and plenty of pubs, cafes and restaurants.
Journeys from London to the quaint seaside town can currently take as long as 1 hour and 47 minutes.
The new Southeastern Railway service will connect the two locations with a train that takes just 1 hour and 18 minutes to get to London Bridge.
The new service will depart from London’s Charing Cross before calling at Waterloo East, London Bridge, Tunbridge Wells, Battle, St Leonards Warrior Square before arriving in Hastings.
The new transport project has been described as being in a “pilot” phase – and demand for the service will have to be shown for it to be made permanent.
It comes as part of an upcoming timetable shakeup that aims to better connect South East London, Kent and East Sussex.
The new service will run to London once in the morning, with a further return journey scheduled in the evening.
The morning train is set to depart Hastings at 8:05am and arrive at Charing Cross at 09:33am.
The evening train journey will set off from Charing Cross at 4:11pm and arrive in Hastings at 5:42pm.
Speaking about the introduction of the speedier service, Helena Dollimore, MP for Hastings, Rye and the villages, said: “Securing a faster train service for our town has been one of my top priorities as our local MP. When we are almost the same distance from London as Brighton, why should our train take twice as long?”
Highlighting the importance of the trains that serve both commuters and tourists, she added: “This new service is great news for commuters and for our local shops, hotels, pubs, and restaurants that rely on tourists coming down to visit us.
“This new fast train will be a pilot service. If we want it to stay, we all must use it to show the demand.”