The rail operator revealed that it will support festival-goers with extra services and longer trains for Southern, Thameslink and Gatwick Express

Brighton & Hove Pride 2022 is back and will take place from Friday the 5th to Sunday the 7th of August following a two-year break, so now is the perfect time of year to dig out the sequins and glam up with glitter. Govia Thameslink Railway will be operating services both in and out of the city and has revealed that it will be operating enhanced services in order to support festival-goers.

Govia Thameslink Railway has been working with the event organisers, emergency services and the local council to plan for the popular event since the start of the year and will be operating extra trains with additional carriages for many services which will support the increased capacity needed to help people travel to and from the events in the city.

Like previous Pride events, Preston Park station will be closed for the entire weekend and London Road in Brighton will be closed for the full day on Saturday the 6th of August, this is done to help manage crowds safely.

The rainbow queuing system will be back and brightening up Brighton station with its colour-coded queues, making it easy for passengers to find the correct route for them as they leave the city after Saturday’s events:

• The green queue will lead to trains on the East Coastway and stations heading to Lewes, Seaford and Eastbourne.
• The purple queue will lead to trains on the West Coastway and stations heading to Shoreham-by-Sea, Worthing and Chichester
• The blue queue will be for trains on the Brighton Main Line and stations heading to Haywards Heath, Gatwick Airport and London.

Brighton & Hove Pride marks one of the biggest and most vibrant events of the year for the city and is an event that Govia Thameslink Railway are proud to be able to support and once again will be taking part in the Pride Parade with a float designed by the rail operators LGBT+ Network and will be fronted by colleagues from right across the business. The rail operator has supported the event for many years and 2019 saw it introduce the wonderful trainbow livery in celebration of the event.

Angie Doll, Chief Operating Officer at Govia Thameslink Railway, said:

“It’s really exciting that Brighton & Hove Pride can go ahead this year. These events are hugely important to the LGBT+ community and allies, and we are proud to play our part in making sure everyone can travel safely to and from the event.

“We know that visitors have waited a long time for the return of Pride weekend in the city and we will do all we can to support those travelling by rail, but please remember that trains are likely to be very busy throughout the weekend.

“We want everyone attending Brighton & Hove Pride to have a fantastic time, which is why we’ll have more trains running and extra staff on hand, but please plan your journey and allow plenty of time to get home.”

Paul Kemp, Managing Director of Brighton & Hove Pride, said:

“Pride is an important event for our city and with visitors coming in from across the UK & worldwide, we are really excited to be back with a full-scale Pride after a two-year break. We are heartened by the positive working partnership we have with Govia Thameslink Railway and the amazing enthusiasm of its LGBT+ network and all other colleagues.”

To find out more information on trains, transport and travel, please visit: https://www.brighton-pride.org/travel/