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Early Warning - Brighton Line Is Shut Over The Christmas Period



Beach Hut

Brighton Bhuna Boy
Jul 5, 2003
71,907
Living In a Box
Network Rail will be working at three locations on our route over Christmas and New Year. All three projects require access on one of the UK’s busiest stretches of railway – the Brighton main line – and the decision was taken to do the work at the same time, at a traditionally quieter time for the railway, to reduce the need for disruption through the year.
What is happening and where?
1. Replacing a major rail junction between Redhill and Purley
All the rail lines between Redhill and Purley will be closed from Christmas Day until 0400 on Thursday 2 January 2014 when a key junction just south of Purley will be entirely replaced. Network Rail’s plan involves the use of two large rail cranes which will be used to make 110 lifts as the rail junction is replaced with new track and equipment. Over 7000 tonnes of track ballast will be replaced. The new junction will remove the need for the speed restrictions currently in place, improving train performance in this area.

2. A new platform at Gatwick Airport
Major civil engineering work to complete a new platform at Gatwick Airport station will take place, together with associated changes to track and signalling in the area. The new platform 7 will be used for services from February 2014 providing more capacity for passengers at the station and greater flexibility for train services.

3. New signalling systems at London Victoria
London Victoria mainline railway station will be closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. This will allow Network Rail to replace the signalling control systems between Victoria and Battersea. Network Rail started replacing several miles of cabling and line-side control cabinets earlier in 2013 and the work over Christmas at Victoria is the final stage, allowing the systems to ‘go live’.
This means that there will be disruption to the journeys of our passengers travelling over Christmas.
• All lines between Purley and Redhill will be closed for nine days from close of service on Christmas Eve.
• Most lines at Gatwick Airport will be closed for five days from close of service on Christmas Eve.
• There will be no Gatwick Express services from 25 December to 1 January inclusive.
• There will be no services to Victoria on 26 December.
• On Boxing Day, there will be an enhanced train service between London Bridge and East Grinstead, with a bus link to Gatwick and Three Bridges.
• From 27 December, London Victoria to Gatwick train services will be diverted via Dorking and Horsham.
 






HawkTheSeagull

New member
Jan 31, 2012
9,122
Eastbourne
Work has gotta be done, anyone can tell you that the junction being replaced (Sloats Nest) is incredibly rough to go over. Signalling faults are common at Victoria to the new system should sort the problems out and the new Gatwick platform should ease congestion.

No other time to do the work I'm afraid. Direct trains will probably run from Brighton to London Bridge, but will take a very long scenic route.

Would have thought an enhanced Seagull Travel coach service will run on Boxing Day.
 






Herr Tubthumper

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Jul 11, 2003
59,208
The Fatherland
And I wonder how optomistic those time lines are? What are the odds on this disruption continuing well into the new year?
 


Springal

Well-known member
Feb 12, 2005
23,714
GOSBTS
'WFH' between Christmas and New Year then. Result
 






HawkTheSeagull

New member
Jan 31, 2012
9,122
Eastbourne
And I wonder how optomistic those time lines are? What are the odds on this disruption continuing well into the new year?

Depends who is doing the work.

I'll bet on a 2 day overrun with the junction and signalling at Victoria, and a 1 month overrun on the new platform at Gatwick.

So will anything run on the line.

Charlton was always going to be a car game, but getting to London for Blackpool on the 29th could be fun and games.

29th ? No. Either a long-winded diverted service would run up to London, or it's a bus from Three Bridges to East Grinstead to pick up a London train. Timetables not finalised yet, should be within a month.....then you will find out the West Coast Main Line is shut too !!
 




Badger

NOT the Honey Badger
NSC Patreon
May 8, 2007
12,750
Toronto
I'm not looking forward to 2nd January, it's BOUND to be a nightmare getting to London that morning.
 




CheeseRolls

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Jan 27, 2009
5,922
Shoreham Beach
A lot of positives here.

1 Plenty of warning.
2 Three jobs tackled at once, rather than in isolation.
3 Necessary work AND improvements.

What is not to like ?
 




halbpro

Well-known member
Jan 25, 2012
2,855
Brighton
A lot of positives here.

1 Plenty of warning.
2 Three jobs tackled at once, rather than in isolation.
3 Necessary work AND improvements.

What is not to like ?

I actually agree, and they're doing it when commuter travel is at its absolute lowest. Certainly annoying for people trying to go see family at Christmas, but I would imagine that's a much lower number than the average commuter load, and if they've got to annoy someone it makes sense to annoy the lowest possible number of people.

As for Charlton, surely going on the supporter coaches is the best bet if you don't fancy driving? Wasn't going to be exactly easy on the trains on Boxing Day anyway.
 








Tricky Dicky

New member
Jul 27, 2004
13,558
Sunny Shoreham
A lot of positives here.

1 Plenty of warning.
2 Three jobs tackled at once, rather than in isolation.
3 Necessary work AND improvements.

What is not to like ?

I have no problem with the theory, best time to do extensive work and disrupt the least number of people. However, I know from painful experience, if they're scheduling the work to be finishing at 04:00 on the 2nd, the chances of them hitting that are absolutely minimal.
 


CheeseRolls

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Jan 27, 2009
5,922
Shoreham Beach
I have no problem with the theory, best time to do extensive work and disrupt the least number of people. However, I know from painful experience, if they're scheduling the work to be finishing at 04:00 on the 2nd, the chances of them hitting that are absolutely minimal.

You have to take the pain sometime. You will be as miserable as... going back to work anyway, may as well have something else to grumble about.
 






dougdeep

New member
May 9, 2004
37,732
SUNNY SEAFORD
Heaven help people flying into Gatwick over Christmas.
 



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