Works to West Sussex railway mean nine days of no trains
Passengers are being advised to plan ahead for this major work in 2021.
There will be no trains at all through Horsham for nine consecutive days next summer, as Network Rail engineers work to rebuild a section of the West Sussex railway.
From Saturday, 14 August, to Sunday, 22 August, 2021, no trains will run along much of the Arun Valley line, from Arundel to Three Bridges including Horsham and Crawley, and the Mole Valley line between Horsham and Dorking.
There will also be two weekends of engineering closures on the 24 and 25 July and 31 July and 1 August, 2021.
This investment will be used to replace 1980s track and infrastructure, with new equipment that will reportedly "improve journeys for customers on the two routes, as well as the wider region by reducing delays".
The closures have been planned for the summer holidays, when passenger numbers are said to be lower, and avoid disrupting Brighton Pride 2021 at the start of August.
Passengers are being advised to plan ahead for this major work in 2021.
Those who would like to travel on these dates are being told to allow considerably more time for their journeys and should expect to use either diverted trains via longer routes or a replacement bus or coach to connect with rail services.
Services on longer distance coastal journeys to Chichester, Littlehampton, Bognor Regis and Portsmouth will still be running, but journeys will take longer.
Network Rail Southern Region Investment Director Paul Harwood said:
"We never take the decision to close the railway for extended periods lightly and would like to thank passengers for their patience as we work to address historic underinvestment in the region’s railway and enhance the capability of the line.
"This investment was originally planned for several bank holiday closures, supported by a long series of weekend closures over two to three years.
"By doing the work over nine consecutive days and two weekends, the overall disruption to passengers can be significantly reduced, while fast-tracking the delivery of the reliability, safety and capacity benefits of the project.
"Recognising the importance of the railway to the leisure industry we’ll ensure that alternative routes are fully open on these dates, and we’ve timed the work to avoid Brighton Pride.
"Over the next year, we will continue to work closely with Southern, Thameslink and South Western Railway colleagues, as well as local stakeholders to ensure passengers are made aware of the changes to their journeys and the alternative options to keep them moving."
Meanwhile Keith Jipps, Govia Thameslink Railway Infrastructure Director, added:
"Network Rail’s work is essential for creating the punctual and reliable railway that our customers deserve.
"We’ll be working to ensure that people have as many alternatives as possible, and these will be shared in good time, but passengers should be aware that journeys will be significantly longer while the work goes on."
According to Network Rail, the engineering works next summer will:
• Help facilitate enhanced reliability and safety, minimising disruption to passengers.
• Involve the complete renewal of nine sets of old switches and crossings, the movable sections of track that guide trains from one track to another and allow them to cross paths.
• Renew a section of rail, sleepers and ballast, and track drainage replaced at Horsham station. The upgraded track will give passengers "smoother, more reliable" journeys, while the drainage improvements will maintain track quality for the long-term.
• Enable work for the upgrade of Parsonage Road level crossing to a full barrier CCTV crossing to improve safety, and recontrol of Littlehaven signal box to the Three Bridges Rail Operating Centre (ROC) in March 2022.
• To give passengers additional benefits, Network Rail and train operators are looking at options to refurbish stations when they are closed.
Key dates
• Saturday, 14 August, 2021, to Sunday, 22 August, 2021 (inclusive) - Nine-day closure affecting all trains via Horsham.
• Saturday, 24 July, 2021, and Sunday, 25 July, 2021 – Two-day closure affecting all trains via Horsham.
• Saturday, 31 July, 2021, and Sunday, 1 August, 2021 – Two-day closure affecting all trains via Horsham.
People can find out more about the project online, where there will also be updated travel advice when alternative travel options are published.