Eight daily train services are to be axed for two weeks by Sussex's main operator while workshops are revamped. They will be cut from Monday to June 20.

The maintenance depots are working at half capacity as the building programme continues, with a knock-on effect on carriage repairs.

Charles Horton, managing director of South Central, said the situation was unlikely to improve until 2005, when the depot improvement programme is due to finish.

South Central will announce which of its rush-hour services will be affected in the next 48 hours.

It is not thought the Brighton-London line will be badly affected by the cuts to the summer timetable, which only came into full operation this week.

Services to Eastbourne, East Grinstead and Littlehampton will be hit.

Mr Horton said: "We operate 1,800 services a day and cancelling eight to ensure other services run is just a small fraction.

"We are in the middle of a multi-million pound refurbishment of our depots to ensure our new Electrostar units can be maintained to the high standard travellers require.

"I know it is frustrating for passengers on crowded trains to see trains outside depots waiting to put into use but we are doing the best in the circumstances and in the end passengers will reap the benefits.

"Passengers will not face a summer of disruption but there will be frustrating times ahead until we have full operating capacity at all our depots."