Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) is to run more frequent, longer trains on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 August to transport crowds to and from Brighton and Hove Pride.

Travel changes include:

• On Saturday 5 August, all Thameslink services between London Bridge and Brighton, and all Gatwick Express services between London Victoria and Brighton, will be operated with twelve-carriage trains.
• Extra trains will run late into Saturday evening from Brighton to London on the Brighton Main Line.
• On the West Coastway, services that would normally run between Brighton, Portsmouth and Southampton will terminate at Chichester, where those wishing to travel to Southampton and Portsmouth will be able to board onwards connections.
• On the East Coastway, many services will run with extra carriages throughout the day on Saturday in and out of Brighton.
• Preston Park station and London Road (Brighton) station will be closed all weekend to help manage crowds safely.

GTR has been planning for the UK’s biggest Pride event since the start of the year, alongside the event organisers, emergency services and the local council. The festival of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights includes many different events held across the city during the weekend.

Last year, Brighton and Hove Pride returned from a two-year break caused by the Covid pandemic, with thousands attending to celebrate diversity and oppose discrimination.

GTR will be bringing back its rainbow queueing system at Brighton station, with colour-coded guidance helping passengers to follow the best route as they leave Brighton after the event.

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

Brighton and Hove Albion’s Amex stadium in Falmer will host a football match on Sunday 6 August, which may affect passengers’ travel. GTR is urging passengers to check the club’s website for more information.

GTR will take part in the Pride Parade with a float fronted by workers from across the business.

Travel information can be found on the Pride section of the Southern and Thameslink websites.

Jenny Saunders, Customer Service Director at GTR, said: “Brighton & Hove Pride is a huge event for the city, where people from all over the UK travel to Sussex to celebrate LGBTQ+ artists and allies. We want everyone to be able to enjoy the city’s diverse community and all that Brighton & Hove has to offer during this fun-filled weekend.

“We are also reminding passengers to be patient and courteous to other travellers and railway staff, who will be going above and beyond to make sure everyone gets home safely. Our services will be busier than usual during Pride, so passengers should allow plenty of time to travel home.”