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Reading Councillor says lack of south coast rail access is 'scandalous' (https://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/crossrail-reading-councillor-tony-page-24041631)

Hardly a "scandal"? I wonder if there is demand - and potential demand - for a direct service from Reading to east of Southampton- which I take it to be the councillor's wish? And Tony Page still seems to think that people will want to travel the length of Crossrail (an illusion I have criticised in the Crossrail thread).

I agree with Marlburian - I think it will generate more traffic to provide better links to the north-east (restoring the XC Newcastle trains which give direct services to Derby, Sheffield, Doncaster, York and Durham too, and a single change of train to central Scotland without having to hack across the Underground in London, and providing some services from or via Reading on the East West link for Milton Keynes, Bedford, Cambridge, Norwich and Ipswich when it opens would be good, together opening or re-opening many more destinations for convenient rail travel).

There's already hourly trains to Gatwick, and the coach to Heathrow (or one change of train to the latter). If there was any south-easterly service I'd like to see as a priority it would be direct continental services from the Thames Valley and beyond - Bristol, South Wales or the West Midlands - but something to Ashford International, and some Eurostars stopping there to connect would be nice in the meantime!

While it's not quick, you can do Portsmouth with one change at Southampton or Guildford, or Brighton changing at Redhill. I expect that serves most of the likely demand.

I remember doing Reading-Brighton by direct train when we had those in the 90s. I don't remember why - probably "because it's there", a bit like Graham on Monday (except that was "because it's not there any more"). Certainly it wasn't for speed: the direct train took over two and a half hours, while changing at Gatwick was less than two.

You can also change at Basingstoke for the Portsmouth Harbour train. My problem was, until the newly restored timetable, was coming back via BSK when the Reading Flyer was an hourly service, and I would inevitably end up spending 50 minutes at BSK.

Getting to Eastbourne can be more challenging with the ongoing improvements at Gatwick.