Commuters may not have noticed but the troubled French-owned rail operator Connex ran its last train in East Sussex at the weekend.

The Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) - which oversees the UK's railways - took over the franchise seven weeks early at 2am yesterday.

Connex had its multi-billion pound contract terminated by the SRA in June but it was expected to continue running services until the end of the year.

However, a company called South Eastern Trains has been set up by the SRA and it will run the franchise until a private company is chosen, possibly by 2005.

The decision to axe Connex followed a welter of criticism about its poor performance and financial mismanagement, something the rail operator denied.

Connex came under fire for failing to meet a detailed programme of improvements on its busy commuter lines.

In addition to poor performance, the operator had been heavily dependent on subsidies from the SRA to bail it out.

Commuter Kirsty Peters, 22, of Warrior Square, St Leonards, said: "All rail travellers will be glad to see the back of Connex.

"I've lost count of the number of times my daily train has been late. It should have been stripped of its licence a long time ago."

Connex said after the SRA announced it was ending its franchise, it had been committed to ensuring a speedy handover to minimise anxiety for staff and passengers.

Chief executive Olivier Brousse said: "This ends a period of confusion between two different companies with two different visions for our railway."

Services, the validity of tickets and frontline staff will not change under the transfer to South Eastern Trains, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the SRA.

It will operate the business until a contract is awarded for a new integrated Kent franchise, planned to start in early 2005.

South Eastern Trains managing director Michael Holden, said: "My plan for the next 12 months is simple - to get it right, first time, more often. We will focus the whole organisation on the relentless, repetitive detail of our operation."