A new company is about to take over the troubled south central rail franchise from Connex which has been criticised by both commuters and leisure travellers.

Govia, the parent company of Thameslink, is forming what it calls the New Southern Railway to run most services in Sussex.

It takes over when railways are at a low ebb following the Hatfield disaster and unprecedented disruption caused by the autumn and winter floods.

Passengers are only slowly returning to the railways following this long period of cancellations and delays. Rail companies nationally are planning a £3 million advertising campaign to boost confidence.

Govia, with a longer franchise than Connex, must provide smart new rolling stock to replace the ageing carriages on most lines.

However, some matters are out of the company's hands. Among them are the lines which are operated by Railtrack.

There is a stark contrast between the condition of Britain's railways and those operated in many Continental countries such as France where modern high speed trains run largely to time.

But these countries have had a huge public investment in railways which has been denied to the network in this country since the Second World War.

Govia will do its best but the success of its operation, and that of other rail companies, is largely reliant on whether the Government is prepared to invest billions in taxpayers' money on creating a network fit for the 21st Century.