A morning rush-hour train from Brighton to London is being axed in a timetable shake-up.

Passengers will also lose all direct services from Sussex to Rugby.

It is the first time rail firms Thameslink and South Central, both owned by Govia, have announced joint timetable changes.

The new summer timetable will come into effect on Sunday, June 2, and includes several changes to morning rush-hour trains. There are minor changes to evening rush-hour and off-peak services.

The 8.18am semi-fast South Central service from Brighton to Victoria, popular with people who work in London, is being axed.

Commuters will also lose the 7.25am South Central Brighton-to-London Bridge train, which will be replaced by a new Thameslink service leaving Brighton at 7.28am for Bedford via London Bridge.

Out goes the direct route from Brighton to Rugby. This will only go as far as Watford Junction.

Commuters were surprised by the axing of the 8.18am service.

Shelley Atlas, chairwoman of Brighton Line Commuters, said: "I am surprised and concerned. It is a popular service and passengers wanting to go from Brighton to Victoria will have to change at Preston Park or use the Thameslink service and change again. We will have a look at all these changes very carefully.

"These morning timetable changes will affect a lot of commuters. People will be more worried about these than the axing of the services to Rugby. Few people made the journey all the way from Brighton to Rugby."

South Central said passengers already had the 8.14am Brighton Thameslink service to Bedford via London Bridge or the Littlehampton to Victoria service which stopped at Preston Park at 8.15am but avoided Brighton.

There will be a new 8.42am South Central Brighton to Victoria service, which replaces the 8.44am Brighton Thameslink train to Bedford, which used to stop at London Bridge.

Brighton will lose the 5.49am South Central stopping train to Victoria but gain a new Thameslink service to London Bridge and Bedford starting from Brighton at 5.51am.

Out goes the 6.04am South Central service from Brighton to Victoria, to be replaced by a Thameslink service leaving at 6.10am and arriving at London Bridge at 7.15am.

A spokesman for South Central said: "We are concentrating the services to provide a more reliable timetable. Where we have a Thameslink and a South Central service leaving within minutes of each other we are adopting a more sensible timetabling approach."

There is good news for commuters from Eastbourne and Hastings. A new fast South Central train will leave Eastbourne at 5.08am, arriving at Victoria at 6.33am.

The 5.09am from Hastings to Haywards Heath will continue on to London Bridge, arriving at 7.14am. The 7.20am train from Hastings to West Worthing will now go to London Victoria via Lewes instead, arriving at 9.31am.