Mid Sussex Train Travellers Warned Of Nine Day Main Line Closure

Mid Sussex Train Travellers Warned of Nine Day Main Line Closure

Train travellers from Mid Sussex face nine days of rail service closures from Saturday, February 16. The rail closure, which coincides with the February half term, means that there will be no direct rail services between Brighton or Lewes and Three Bridges between Saturday, February 16 and Sunday, February 24.

During the main line work, rail replacement buses will be in operation, with journey times are expected to take an hour longer than usual. The closure affects services to and from the towns and villages of Hassocks, Burgess Hill, Wivelsfield, Haywards Health and Balcombe, with further closures in March.

John Halsall, managing director, Network Rail South East route, said: “This work is absolutely critical as this stretch is one of the most unreliable parts of the network, accounting for half the delays to trains arriving from the south into central London.’

“We know it’s never a good time to close the railway, but the only alternative would have been to close the line for 84 weekends over the course of two years.’

“Doing the work over this nine-day period means we can achieve so much more and deliver the punctuality and reliability benefits to passengers much sooner, plus the railway is much quieter during the school holidays.’

“Working with our colleagues at Govia Thameslink Railway, we are making every effort to enable those passengers who need to travel during this period to do so comfortably.”

The closures are part of a £67 million upgrade of the Brighton main line, with work including the renewal and upgrade of track junctions and signalling, shoring up embankments to reduce the risk of landslides and introduce technology to detect problems, and to help the railway recover faster if there is a fault.

For the latest news on The Brighton Main Line Improvement Project, visit: brightonmainline.co.uk