Network Rail is advising passengers to plan ahead due to work to complete a major upgrade of the line between Lewes and Seaford commences. This means that buses will replace trains on various routes via Lewes, it will be for 4 days, Thursday 28 November – Sunday 1 December 2019.

Engineers from Network Rail are to be carrying out the final phase of the work on a £25m project. The project consists of upgrading the old signalling system on the line between Lewes and Seaford with modern, more reliable technology in order to reduce delays for passengers.

During the final part, the current system will be disconnected and the new system will be switched on. This can only be carried out whilst the railway in the Lewes area is closed.

Services between Brighton and London are not to be affected.

The project will also deliver the opportunity to reduce the impact of service disruption by providing the ability to increase the number of trains able to use the diversionary route for London-Brighton services via Lewes.

Passengers are already seeing significant improvements in train service reliability from works which have been carried out recently on the Brighton mainline and these works are to further improve services for passengers.

The signalling works are to also support a rail link for the new aggregates facility at Newhaven Marine, which will help to take hundreds of heavy goods vehicles of local roads.

Track, switches and crossings at Southerham junction, where trains switch track for Lewes, Eastbourne or Seaford have already been renewed as part of the project.

By reducing faults and delays at this busy junction, the work will further improve journeys for passengers.

What did the officials have to say?

Paul Harwood, director of route Investment for Network Rail south east route said:

“This project will complete the work which was started earlier this year and is a much-needed upgrade to some of the oldest signalling in the country. It will provide new state-of-the-art equipment providing passengers with more reliable journeys for many years to come.

“I’d like to thank people for their patience while we complete the upgrade. We recognise that there is never a good time to close the railway, but we will be working closely with our colleagues at Southern to ensure people are fully aware of the closures and the alternative travel options available to them.”

Keith Jipps, infrastructure director for Southern’s parent company Govia Thameslink Railway, said:

“This major investment will improve the reliability of signalling and therefore our services for passengers travelling on one of our key Southern routes. Working with Network Rail, we will publish detailed travel advice as soon as it is available.”

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