A new deal has been finalised between the government and Southeastern rail network, however a number of targets must be met to ensure rail passengers see a noticeable difference to their journeys. 

Southeastern has been awarded an extension on its contract and will continue to operate between London, Kent and parts of east Sussex. 

The company shall continue its focus on making improvements to the customer service, passenger satisfaction and train punctuality across the network. 

The Go-Ahead group is the parent company to Southeastern and it, along with the Department for Transport (DfT), has welcomed the news. 

The group will continue to run the Southeastern franchise until June 2018. 

Rail minister Claire Perry said: "The decision has been taken after careful work by the Department for Transport with Go-Ahead Plc, to ensure the franchise can genuinely improve its services against a challenging backdrop of vital improvements to the tracks and stations on which their trains operate."

 The new contract will deliver a promise of extra seats, new services between key destinations and a commitment to roll out the Oyster card to additional London stations.