Commuters have been given a boost after the Mayor of London agreed to secure the future of two under-threat branches.

The Catherham and Tattenham Corner branches of the Southern Metro had appeared to be overlooked by London Mayor Sadiq Khan and the Department for Transport in future plans.

Purley Oaks and South Croydon were also not included in the proposed takeover of the Metro network But the Mayor confirmed that the branches would be included in any upcoming plans if they are dropped by Thameslink.

London Assembly Member for Croydon and Sutton, Steve O’Connell, said: “This is important and welcome news for the people who use these services every single day.

“These residents deserve to benefit from improvements to our transport infrastructure, either under Thameslink or London Overground, as the Mayor has proposed.

“Good train links are vital to the local economy and campaigners were rightly concerned about the future of these branches.

“I’m delighted I was able to get a positive answer from the Mayor. Whoever now takes over these services in future, it is the passengers who will benefit.”

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