A warning for commuters and holidaymakers, as the Brighton Main Line between Three Bridges and Brighton/Lewes will be closed for 9-days next February.
Network Rail says that it will use the closure to replace 1980s track at Copyhold junction (near Haywards Heath), and at Burgess Hill. During the works, they will be replacing over 1,000 metres of railway track and renewing eight sets of railway points. Renewing the track and equipment at Copyhold Junction, a key junction on the network, aims to maintain reliability on the Brighton Main Line.
Although a 9-day block closure is undeniably a pain, Network Rail says that the alternative was up to 20 weekend closures or multiple bank holiday closures over two years. Network Rail are announcing the works now so that people getting to/from London-On-Sea can try to change work and holiday plans.
Closures map – source Network Rail
Additional improvements on the line will be brought into the project over the coming months. At the same time, they will build a new pedestrian underpass at Hassocks which will replace the closed Woodside level crossing.
When lines are closed, alternative travel arrangements will be put in place for passengers, similar to the February 2019 Three Bridges to Brighton closure, including replacement buses and ticket acceptance on open routes.
The closure will run from Saturday 19th to Sunday 27th February 2022.
Dates are Saturday 19th – Sunday 27th Feb2022
Annoying that they couldn’t do this in the 2019 closure though.
There always seems to be some works on the line between London and Brighton disrupting travel!
Shame no secondary route available e.g. via Sheffield Park & Lewes 🚂🚂😁😁😁😁
Good God Via In Littlehampton up to London that way
Diagram map suggests a couple of junctions could help by allowing trains to run to London via Horsham !
Alternative is to use Coastway Line to Littlehampton then direct train to London.
Stop moaning all the time everybody was just coming out of Covid You could always go to seafood or Hastings or Worthing and get up to London that way the work needs doing the work needs doing
Did you look at the map?
Seaford is affected as well because the line via Lewes will be closed!
And have you ever gone Brighton to Hastings by train? – it’s a minimum of an hour and a quarter. And then at least an hour and a half to Charing Cross and over 2 to victoria.
BTN to VIC via Littlehampton is almost 3 hours.
Hardly practical alternatives.
Do the works need doing? Of course but at times it appears that Network Rail don’t care about the impact this has on train users. If they don’t also do a shed load of other works on the closed lines then it will be a wasted opportunity.
Seafood – 🤣
However, probably Hastings better for a nice fish dish 👍