Brighton Main Line
Half-term blockade allows Brighton Main Line upgrade, with nine-day disruption saving 84 weekends of closures.
UP to 300,000 passenger journeys a day have been disrupted by the biggest closure of the Brighton Main Line for 30 years.
The nine-day blockade was scheduled for half-term week (as this issue of RAIL went to press), when passenger numbers are usually lower.
A fleet of 240 buses replaced trains between Three Bridges and Brighton and Lewes. Eight stations were closed altogether, including Haywards Heath, Burgess Hill and Hassocks.
Journeys were taking up to two hours longer than usual. The car park at Three Bridges was turned into a temporary bus station, with marquees for queuing passengers. Some rail services were diverted along the Arun Valley line via Horsham, which also added an hour to journeys to Brighton.
An additional 2,800 temporary car parking spaces were provided at Gatwick Airport for the exclusive use of season ticket holders.
Network Rail’s South East Route Managing Director John Halsall said: “This work is absolutely critical as this stretch is one of the most unreliable parts of the network, accounting for half the delays to trains arriving from the South into central London.”
Blockade director Dan Athol said: “We spoke to many stakeholders. They weighed up nine days of disruption against taking 84 weekends to do that work.”
The £67 million upgrade forms the central part of a wider £300m project to address declining performance on the Brighton Main Line. Signalling and points are being improved, and embankments strengthened. Extensive work is also being carried out in the four tunnels on the route, to reduce leaks and improve drainage.
Govia Thameslink Railway Infrastructure Director Keith Jipps said: “We have urged passengers to consider alternative routes, working from home if possible. The train via Littlehampton is the best alternative to and from Brighton.”
Some passengers took to Twitter to complain. Daniel Gurr called it a “replacement bus nightmare”, while Kaya StanleyMoney said confusion about travel arrangements was a “disgrace”.
Compensation for disruption was not offered to passengers. Brighton Pavilion MP Caroline Lucas said: “It’s unacceptable that ministers are refusing to pay compensation, particularly for season ticket holders.”
The Association of British Commuters said it received many reports that there was no ticket acceptance for Southern passengers on Gatwick Express services. It commented: “The fact that the Brighton Main Line closure was advertised for so long is irrelevant to any proper discussion re: consumer rights and compensation.”
The Preston Park Train Campaign group said passengers had been dreading the half-term week, with many choosing to take holiday instead.
Transport Focus research indicated that more than three out of four passengers planned to work from home, take time off or avoid peak travel times.
A GTR spokesman said: “Network Rail’s reliability improvement work is progressing well and our alternative transport arrangements have been going to plan, with praise for our teams on the ground from many passengers. We have over 530 drivers working with over 240 buses in circulation.”
Taking advantage of the closure, station maintenance and repair work has also been carried out at Balcombe, Haywards Heath, Wivelsfield, Burgess Hill, Hassocks, Preston Park, Plumpton and Cooksbridge.
Jipps added: “We are carrying out deep cleaning or giving them a lick of paint, replacing footbridges and repairing roofs. We’re also litter-picking hotspot areas, tidying up plants and doing lots of other minor work.”
Parts of the Brighton Main Line will also be closed during weekends in May.