Trains between London, Gatwick Airport, and Sussex will be disrupted during the weekend of Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 February, due to engineering work on the Brighton main line.

Network Rail will be renewing tracks between Purley and Gatwick, and progressing with a major redevelopment of the airport’s railway station.

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

A special service will run twice per hour between London Victoria and Gatwick Airport via Epsom and Horsham, and between Brighton and the airport.

Passengers wishing to travel between Brighton and London should use this service and change at Three Bridges, or use the replacement bus service that will run between Three Bridges and East Grinstead to connect with London trains there.

Passengers travelling on the main line north of Gatwick will need to change at Redhill into an hourly train service that will operate between Redhill and Gatwick Airport; replacement buses will support that service. However, limited services will run between London and Redhill on the Saturday, and even fewer services on Sunday, when buses will replace trains between Purley and Redhill.

The special Victoria to Gatwick Airport service via Epsom will replace the normal Saturday service between London and Horsham via Dorking, but buses will run hourly between Dorking and Horsham.

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.”

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.”

Further engineering work will take place in the Haywards Heath area during February and March.

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.