London C2C

c2c has been awarded the Essex Thameside franchise, and in turn has announced an ambitious overhaul of services. Among the £130 million measures, it's committed to automatic compensation for passengers if trains are delayed by more than 2 minutes, plus:

• 17 new trains, with 4,800 new seats
• more than 25,000 extra seats every week during morning peak
• wifi at stations and on trains
• £30m station improvements, including Fenchurch Street and Barking
• 200 new car parking spaces, with £457,000 invested in improving cycling facilities and accessibility

c2c passengers will get automatic compensation if their trains are more than two minutes late, as part of measures announced by the rail company today.

It's committed to hitting new punctuality targets, which means more than 90% of services will be required to reach their destination within one minute of the timetable by 2018.

Rail company c2c has announced major investment in the Thameside Essex line after being awarded a new franchise, running out of Fenchurch Street. It's announced £160m spending in the service, which will include rolling out a new fleet of trains on lines through east London.

Police have found no evidence of criminal activity after a pensioner in a wheelchair fell onto railway tracks in at Southend Central station.

A railway worker was suspended after helping rescue the disabled woman. The member of station staff along with three other people hauled the wheelchair-bound woman, in her 70s to safety.

A c2c company spokesman has said a railway worker's immediate duty was to stop trains, rather than going to the aid of passengers. It comes after a hearing, which reinstated the employee. He'd been suspended after jumping onto the tracks to save a disabled woman who'd fallen.

A railway worker has thanked the public for their support after he was suspended for jumping onto the tracks to rescue a disabled pensioner. He was helped by three members of the public after the 71-year-old woman fell. The member of staff was reinstated today.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said after the hearing:

A railway worker suspended after helping to rescue a wheelchair-bound pensioner who fell onto tracks has been reinstated. The Rail Maritime and Transport union said the customer services assistant working for c2c at Southend will now return to work.

He faced a disciplinary hearing after suggestions he hadn't followed correct health and safety procedures.

There's been a mixed reaction on Twitter to the suspension of a rail worker in Southend who intervened to rescue a disabled woman who fell onto the tracks.

A mechanic working close to Southend Central station accused some companies of being too worried about being sued, which meant they were reluctant to intervene.