London-Southend in under 45 minutes on new fast c2c weekend trains

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c2c is to introduce nearly new 50 fast trains each weekend, which will take people between London and Southend in as little as 44 minutes and to Shoeburyness in 55 minutes.

The hourly weekend trains will run from June, and call at all stations between Shoeburyness and Benfleet, before running fast to West Ham and Fenchurch Street only. They will be on top of c2c’s existing services, providing a 50% increase in direct c2c trains between London and Southend each hour on Sundays, and a 25% increase to service levels on Saturdays.

At the same time, c2c will also be extending its weekend trains via Ockendon to and from Shoeburyness, instead of Southend Central. This will increase the number of trains into Southend town centre for residents using Southend East, Thorpe Bay and Shoeburyness stations from four to seven trains an hour. They will also benefit from direct weekend services to Lakeside shopping centre for the first time.

Trenitalia c2c will also be maintaining its popular direct weekend trains to Stratford and Liverpool Street, which will now run semi-fast on Saturdays and no longer call at Pitsea or West Horndon.

c2c Managing Director Julian Drury said: “We know how important it is to provide fast trains between London and Southend, helping people to get out and about at weekends. These new extra fast trains will slash the journey time between London and Southend, while our extra trains from Shoeburyness will help local residents get into the town centre by public transport. This is good news for our customers, and good news for Southend’s economy. ”

Rochford and Southend East MP James Duddridge said: ““It is fantastic news that c2c are putting on an extra fast train from Shoebury to London every hour at weekends from June. The journey time will be 55 minutes, much faster than normal. I have been working with c2c to make more trains “Shoebury to London in 59 minutes”. c2c is a pipeline of money, jobs and prosperity linking Southend with central London.”

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