Journeys on the Brighton main line between Three Bridges and Gatwick Airport will be subject to disruption for the next four weekends.

The disruption is due to work that Network Rail is carrying out to upgrade the track and signalling on the Brighton main line, which will provide faster and more reliable journeys.

The work will take place on the following weekends:

• Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 October
• Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 November
• Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 November

On those dates, no Southern services will run between Three Bridges and Gatwick Airport. There will be one Thameslink service each way per hour between Brighton and London, with an additional service each way every two hours. A limited rail-replacement bus service will run between Three Bridges and Gatwick Airport to supplement the reduced train service.

Further changes include:

• Services from Littlehampton via Hove, and from Eastbourne via Lewes, will be altered and will terminate at Three Bridges; Southern services from Victoria and a reduced Thameslink service from London Bridge will terminate at Gatwick Airport.
• Southern services to/from Southampton/Portsmouth/Bognor Regis via Horsham will be diverted at Horsham to run non-stop via Dorking to/from London Victoria.
• Thameslink will provide a shuttle service between Three Bridges and Horsham

Additionally, on Saturday 13 November, all lines between Three Bridges and Brighton, Lewes, and Hove will be closed to allow Network Rail to carry out routine maintenance work.

• Southern and Thameslink services will be reduced and amended.
• Southbound trains will terminate at Three Bridges or Haywards Heath, or be diverted via Littlehampton.
• Rail-replacement buses will run between Three Bridges and Brighton/Lewes

Passengers intending to travel on those dates should check service routes and times at www.nationalrail.co.uk to plan ahead before they travel. Journey planners for the weekends of 30-31 October and 6-7 November are being updated this week to show the rail and replacement bus options available on the affected routes.

Katie Frost, Sussex route director for Network Rail, said:

“I’m sorry for the disruption to passengers’ journeys from this work, but only by doing this kind of job can we continue to offer reliable journeys for passengers. I’d encourage passengers to take every opportunity to plan for their journey to make sure they can get to their destinations on time or make alternative arrangements.”

David Coates, Govia Thameslink Railway’s head of customer service improvement, said:

“Service changes and reductions on these weekends will mean that most journeys through Gatwick Airport and Three Bridges stations will take considerably longer than normal, so we are encouraging customers to check service routes and times, and plan ahead before they travel. Together with Network Rail, we thank our customers for their patience during this vital work.”

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