Battle lines are drawn

Rival train companies are promising huge improvements if they can run railways in Sussex over the next 15 or 20 years.

Connex SouthCentral, the current franchise holder, says it will spend £1.4 billion. Govia, which owns Thameslink, will top that by spending £1.5 billion.

In this railway beauty contest, the promises are surprisingly similar - an upgraded Brighton to London line, revitalised stations and improve-ments to the Arun Valley line.

What regular passengers and the Strategic Rail Authority will also look at is the performance of these two rail giants so far.

Generally Thameslink comes off slightly better than Connex but only because its current lines are easier

to manage than the sprawling commuter network run by Connex.

There's little to choose between the two experienced rail operators

or the bids they have made, laden with goodies, for travelling customers.

But hard-pressed commuters can look forward to better times ahead whichever company is chosen.

Rail passenger numbers are soaring despite today's uncertainties and the companies are confident enough to promise big investment.

They are able to do this because of the vital decision to offer a long franchise rather than one lasting only seven years which prevented operators from committing themselves fully.

Fine progress

At last courts in East Sussex are doing something to reduce the scandalously high total of unpaid fines.

The total has been reduced from

£4 million to £3.6 million after blitzes centred on Eastbourne and Hastings.

Soon it may be possible to ban non-payers from driving under new powers being tried out elsewhere in the country.

These measures may sound tough but they are needed. There's no point in imposing fines if they are going to be ignored, as has happened too often in East Sussex.

Soft option

Don't be surprised if you see a stranger collecting fluff from washing machines and dryers at Kim's Laundrette in Brighton's Kemp Town.

It's only Brighton University theatre student Sally Kettle collecting material as part of her final year degree project.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.