Rail passengers are being advised to plan carefully ahead of the introduction of new timetables next month.

The new timetable will mean more trains will run across the Southern Rail since the further easing of coronavirus restrictions and the summer period, however some routes will see a reduction on weekends.

From next Monday (September 6) one train per hour will run between Clapham Junction and Milton Keynes throughout the day.

However services after 6.30pm will run between Clapham Junction and Watford Junction only.

The rail operator said that at busy times, some services will be extended to and from Selhurst.

The Southern Railway has said that the changes are designed to provide a service that best fits the requirement of customers while it continues to see the impact of coronavirus to their work force.

Steve White, chief operating officers at GRT said: “Like many other businesses our staffing levels continue to be affected by the pandemic but the new timetable has been planned to make better use of the drivers we have available, providing more trains, more reliably.

“The Covid third wave this summer has been the most challenging throughout the pandemic to balance the availability of our resources with the needs of our customers. We apologise if you have been affected.

“These changes will ensure we provide you with an increase in trains and provide a more reliable service as we steadily work to overcome the legacy of the pandemic.

“As people come back to using the railway, we will continue to adapt our services to match demand.”

For more information visit the journey planner here.