New train breaks down

Four Electrostar 377 trains picked up their first paying passengers on the Seaford-Portsmouth line on Tuesday.

But rail bosses' worst nightmares became a reality when one of the new sleek green and yellow trains refused to leave Seaford Station because of a power supply fault.

Evening rush hour services between Seaford and Brighton were thrown into turmoil as it emerged it would have to be taken to Brighton for repairs.

Delays worsened when there was a points failure at Newhaven Harbour station. Travellers, who had already waited up to 30 minutes for a train at Lewes were forced to disembark at Newhaven to be bussed the final stretch of their journey to Seaford.

Success

A South Central spokeswoman said: 'There was a technical fault with the power supply to the train. It was very unfortunate, but we were running three other new trains throughout the network that were working successfully.'

She added that the train had travelled 1,500 miles fault-free during tests.

South Central plans to add two new trains per week to its fleet on the coastal line until all the old-style slam door carriages are replaced.

The trains, which are similar to Thameslink rolling stock used on the Brighton-London line, are air conditioned, with airplane-style seating and fitted with CCTV surveillance cameras for increased passenger security. Govia, parent company of South Central, has ordered 700 carriages, the equivalent of 182 new trains, at a cost of 856 million.