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BRIGHTON LINE CLOSURES

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CTAYLOR

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BRIGHTON LINE CLOSURES - Posted: January 10, 2018 - 1:40 PM Quote and reply
Rail passengers across Sussex are being urged to plan ahead as a ‘once-in-a-generation’ upgrade to the southern end of the Brighton Main Line was announced today by Network Rail and Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR).

The work in October 2018 and February 2019 is a key part of a £300m government-funded programme to tackle delay hotspots and boost the reliability of the railway in the south east, cutting delays and providing a better, more reliable rail service to the 300,000 passengers who travel on the Brighton Main Line each day.

From Saturday 20 to Sunday 28 October 2018 and from Saturday 16 to Sunday 24 February 2019, no trains will run between Three Bridges and Brighton or between Three Bridges and Lewes.

The unprecedented access provided by these planned closures will allow Network Rail engineers to renew and upgrade a stretch of railway that is responsible for more delays to Southern and Thameslink passengers than any other.

The improvement work will focus on four Victorian-era tunnels – Balcombe, Clayton, Patcham and Haywards Heath – and the railway which runs through them. A major programme to stem leaks into the tunnels and provide reliable drainage away from the tracks will take place, while the track, third rail power system and signalling will all be replaced or upgraded. Elsewhere, track will be renewed, sets of points, which enable trains to switch between tracks, will be replaced and fencing will be improved to deter trespassers. Without this programme of work, reliability on the Brighton Main Line will deteriorate in the months and years ahead, leading to more delays for passengers travelling between London and the south coast.

The closures have been carefully planned for school half-terms, when passenger numbers are lower and some people may be able to be more flexible with their travel plans or take holiday. Passengers wishing to travel on these dates will need 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.
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