Passengers on the Brighton Main Line are being warned to plan ahead on Sunday 30 November as all four tracks south of Gatwick Airport will close for essential engineering work. The closures will affect services between Gatwick Airport and Brighton, Hove, Lewes, and Horsham, with replacement buses and diverted trains operating to keep journeys moving.

Network Rail says the work will include replacing sections of track at Tinsley Green Junction near Crawley, Three Bridges, and between Copyhold Junction and the Ouse Valley viaduct. Drainage systems at Wivelsfield station will also be renewed, and maintenance carried out at Keymer level crossing and other locations. The improvements are designed to enhance safety and reliability on this busy corridor.

Replacement buses will run between Three Bridges and Gatwick Airport, Brighton and Three Bridges, Horsham and Three Bridges, and Lewes, Cooksbridge, and Plumpton to Haywards Heath via Three Bridges. Passengers travelling between Brighton and London are advised to use a diverted Southern train service calling at Hove, Shoreham-by-Sea, Worthing, Angmering, Littlehampton, Horsham, and Clapham Junction, rather than relying on the replacement bus service.

Travellers using the replacement buses should be aware that connections to Gatwick Airport will require a transfer at Three Bridges, as temporary queuing systems cannot be accommodated at the airport. To support this, the car park at Three Bridges will be closed from the evening of Saturday 29 November until early Monday 1 December to create a temporary bus hub with separate queues for different destinations.

Jenny Saunders, Customer Services Director for Govia Thameslink Railway, said:

“Any of our customers travelling between the coast and Gatwick this Sunday should please take note that this essential work is going to extend their journeys considerably. Please plan ahead at nationalrail.co.uk and check live running information online before you leave for the station.”

Lucy McAuliffe, Network Rail’s Sussex route director, added:

“We know closing the railway is frustrating, and we are sorry for the disruption this causes. This work is essential for us as we try and prevent speed restrictions or emergency closures occurring in the future, which would cause even bigger delays at these locations and on the wider rail network. Thank you for your understanding, and please do plan ahead and check before you travel if you are travelling on Sunday 30 November, as your journey will take longer.”

Further major works on the Brighton Main Line are scheduled over three weekends in January between Gatwick Airport, Purley, and East Croydon, as well as on branch lines between Reigate and Redhill, and Redhill to Tonbridge. Additional closures will occur between Three Bridges and Brighton on Sunday 1 February, with replacement buses provided and detailed travel advice to be shared in December.

Image: Network Rail