Plan before you travel on first weekend in February as engineering work restricts Brighton Main Line services

Train operators Southern and Thameslink are advising passengers travelling between London, Gatwick Airport and Sussex during the weekend of Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 February to plan their journey in advance, as engineering work will mean a very restricted service on the Brighton main line.

Network Rail are renewing tracks between Purley and Gatwick, and progressing the airport station’s major redevelopment.

Journeys will take considerably longer than normal, so anyone planning to use the train to catch a flight should allow plenty of additional time.

Passengers travelling from London to the airport are advised to use a special two-trains-per-hour service between London Victoria and Gatwick Airport via Epsom and Horsham. People travelling between Brighton and London should use this service, changing at Three Bridges, or use the replacement bus service between Three Bridges and East Grinstead to connect with London trains there.

Two trains per hour will run between Brighton and the airport.

For those who need to travel on the main line north of Gatwick, an hourly train service between Redhill and Gatwick Airport will be supported by replacement buses. Travellers in either direction will need to change at Redhill. However, services between London and Redhill will be limited on the Saturday, and even more limited on the Sunday, when buses will replace trains between Purley and Redhill.

The special Victoria - Gatwick Airport service via Epsom means that the normal Saturday service between London and Horsham via Dorking will not run. Hourly buses will run between Dorking and Horsham.

[Please see Editors’ notes for detail of service changes and replacement buses.]

Southern’s Customer Services Director Chris Fowler said: “We’re sorry for the inconvenience to customers during Network Rail’s essential work. They’re transforming Gatwick Airport station and keeping this busy route in good shape. While we’ve arranged alternatives for our customers to get where they need to be, several routes are affected and journeys will take longer than normal, so please check your routes and times on a journey planner, or the Southern or Thameslink website, well ahead of your journey.”

People who do need to travel by rail can do so confidently, knowing that Govia Thameslink Railway sanitises all 2,700 of its train carriages every day, and all trains and stations are treated regularly with a viricide that kills coronavirus for weeks at a time.

Katie Frost, Network Rail’s Sussex Route Director, said: “I’m really grateful for passengers’ patience as we carry out critical work that will improve reliability in the long run. Our engineers will be carrying out essential track maintenance to reduce delays and also continuing work on the transformation of Gatwick Airport Station, significantly completing the installation of eight new escalators.”

As previously announced, Network Rail’s major engineering programme in the Haywards Heath area means that the Brighton Main Line will be closed between Three Bridges and Brighton/Lewes on 12/13 and 19-27 February, 5/6 March and 3 April.

Ends

Editors’ notes

Passengers can see the service alterations (shown below) at Southern and Thameslink’s websites here: https://www.thameslinkrailway.com/travel-information/plan-your-journey/planned-engineering-work?date=2022-02-05#engineering-departure-boardand here: https://www.southernrailway.com/travel-information/plan-your-journey/planned-engineering-work?date=2022-02-05#engineering-departure-boardand plan their journeys online at www.nationalrailenquiries.co.uk

Service alterations on 5-6 February

Southern

Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 February

• An additional service of two trains per hour will run between London Victoria and Gatwick Airport via Epsom, calling at Clapham Junction, Epsom, Horsham and Three Bridges only, with a journey time of around 1hr 22mins.
• Saturday services on the London Victoria to Dorking/Horsham route will not run; an hourly bus service will run between Horsham and Dorking.
• Trains between London Victoria and Bognor Regis / Horsham / Portsmouth Harbour / Southampton Central will start / terminate at Horsham and split at Barnham for onward travel.
• Trains between London Victoria and Eastbourne / Hastings / Ore / Worthing / Littlehampton will start / terminate at Three Bridges.
• Trains between London Victoria and Dorking / Horsham / Reigate will not run.
• Trains between Redhill and Tonbridge will be extended to run to / from Reigate.

Replacement buses will run between:

• Redhill and Gatwick Airport, calling at Horley.
• Three Bridges and East Grinstead.
• Dorking and Horsham.
• For Earlswood and Salfords, until 20:00 tickets will be accepted on Metrobus 100. After 20:00 rail replacement buses will run between Redhill and Horley, calling at Earlswood and Salfords.

Saturday 5 February

• Trains between London Victoria and Redhill will run twice per hour, calling at Clapham Junction and East Croydon.
• Trains between London Victoria and Epsom (via Mitcham Junction) will be extended to run to / from Horsham and will run direct from Dorking.

Sunday 6 February

• Trains between London Victoria and East Croydon will run twice per hour, calling at Clapham Junction.
• Trains between London Victoria and Epsom (via Mitcham Junction) will be extended to run to / from Dorking.

Thameslink

Saturday 5 February

• The service route between Peterborough and Horsham will be split: trains will run between Peterborough and London King’s Cross, and between Three Bridges and Horsham.
• The service route between Bedford and Brighton will be split: trains will run between Bedford and London Blackfriars, and between Redhill and Brighton (1 per hour) / Gatwick Airport and Brighton (additional 1 per hour).
• The service between Bedford and Gatwick Airport will only run between Bedford and Redhill, calling additionally at Coulsdon South and Merstham.
• Services between Cambridge and Brighton will only run between Cambridge and London King’s Cross.

For replacement bus services see Southern services above.

Sunday 6 February

• The service between London Bridge and Horsham will only run between Three Bridges and Horsham.
• The service between Bedford and Gatwick Airport / Three Bridges will only run between Bedford and East Croydon.
• The service between Cambridge and Brighton will only run between Cambridge and London King’s Cross.
• The service route between Bedford and Brighton will be split: trains will run between Bedford and London Blackfriars, and between Redhill and Brighton / Gatwick Airport and Brighton.

For replacement bus services see Southern services above.