The government and London mayor Boris Johnson have unveiled plans for a significant expansion of rail services in London and the south-east, including new rail lines.
Plans disclosed by Mr Johnson and transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin include adding new lines in areas that are currently poorly served, with this helping to support the development of new housing and the creation of jobs.
As well as whole new lines, the capacity of stations and the network will be increased under the plan, with larger and more frequent trains.
The south of the city, Kent and Surrey could benefit from the creation of a 'suburban metro' system involving more trains, with a service arriving every 15 minutes at up to 80 per cent of stations.
Rail plans for south London already include Crossrail 2, which if it proceeds will run from Surrey to Hertfordshire, with a tunnel running from Wimbledon under inner London and re-emerging in the northern suburbs.
