Passengers urged to plan ahead as Brighton mainline works continue
Network Rail is hoping to improve reliability and safety across the route between Gatwick Airport and East Croydon
Major upgrades are being carried out on the Brighton Main Line today (17th January) and will continue through tomorrow (18th January) in the second of three weekends of engineering works.
Network Rail is hoping to improve reliability and safety across the route between Gatwick Airport and East Croydon.
Train services have been suspended along specific sections, and replacement buses are in operation.
Affected areas include the main line between Gatwick Airport and Purley/East Croydon, as well as branch lines between Reigate and Redhill, and Redhill to Tonbridge.
For those travelling to and from London, buses are operating between Gatwick Airport or Three Bridges and East Grinstead, where trains are running frequently to central London.
An alternative train service is also in place connecting Gatwick Airport and London Victoria via a diversionary route, stopping at Clapham Junction.
Lucy McAuliffe, Network Rail Sussex route director, said:
“The busy Brighton main line is among the most complex and congested routes in the country, with the infrastructure being some of the oldest and most intensively used.
"Because of this, we need to carry out this work to try to prevent delays to passenger journeys.
“We know that closing the railway at any time of the year causes inconvenience, but with the Brighton main line being a key route for the leisure and tourism industry on the south coast, we are using this typically quieter time on the railway to carry out these vital works, in an attempt to avoid having to close the railway during busier times of the year.
Jenny Saunders, Southern and Thameslink’s customer service director, advised passengers to check their journeys in advance to avoid disruption.
"The main line between Gatwick and East Croydon is one of the busiest in the country.
"It's a vital link for hundreds of thousands of commuters and leisure travellers visiting London, Gatwick and the south coast.
"Over the next three weekends, engineers will be hard at work ensuring our Southern, Thameslink and Gatwick Express services on this line will be safe and reliable for years to come.
"This does mean that there will be some disruption to journeys, and your trip is likely to involve a bus.
"We'll have staff on hand at our stations to keep you on the move, and my advice is to check your journey online before you leave using a journey planner."
Passengers should also remember that further engineering works are scheduled, including closures on 24th–25th January, 1st February, 21st–22nd March, and 3rd May of this year.