NEW trains, new destinations, new tickets and a money-back guarantee if trains are more than two minutes late are on the way for rail passengers as part of a huge investment programme by c2c.

Train operator c2c has pledged a raft of improvements to its award-winning service between Shoebury and London after it got the green light to run the service until 2029.

An extra 438 services will run in and out of London from December 2015, with capacity up by more than a third during the peak morning services.

From 2019, 68 newcarriages will provide 4,500 more seats each day.

Aquarter of weekend trains will call at Stratford for access to Westfield shopping centre and on to Liverpool Street, offering new connections.

Smart tickets, similar to the Oyster Card system in London, will be introduced from this November, and passengers will be able to use the card across the capital.

Other benefits include:

  • A trial of flexi-monthly season tickets, which mean money can be claimed back if journeys are made outside of peak times, or if the ticket isn’t used on some days
  • A scheme allowing bookings of ten return journeys to provide a flexible travel option for passengers
  • Compensation if trains are more than twomintues late under a new “personal performance promise” or they are not sold the cheapest possible ticket ! Staffing stations from the first to the last train
  • A £33million overhaul of stations, including a £1.7million revamp of Fenchurch Street.

Dean Finch, chief executive of c2c’s parent company the National Express Group, said: “We have listened to our customers and local stakeholders and we have challenged ourselves to be at the forefront of innovation. We have identified where to invest to enable c2c to be truly tailored to meet customers’ needs and to pioneer new levels of service not seen in UK rail.

“We believe our ambitious plans will transform the franchise again. We will introduce more services, new trains and a ground-breaking ‘personal performance promise’.”

The firm, owned by National Express, is in talks with local authorities to allow the smart tickets to be used on buses, and passengers will be able to use contactless debit and credit cards instead by 2017.

Senior citizens, students and those booking in advance have also been promised they will get discounts.