Commuters in southern England face significant travel disruptions on Monday as weekend engineering work on the Brighton Mainline has overrun, leaving several rail services suspended or reduced.
Network Rail had scheduled essential maintenance work to take place over three weekends in January, with further dates planned in the coming months. The work was planned during the winter to avoid disrupting peak tourist season. However, the latest round of repairs has not been completed on time, leading to widespread service changes.
Gatwick Express services between Brighton, Gatwick Airport and London Victoria will be suspended, while Thameslink trains between Brighton and Cambridge will also be halted. Peak-time Southern services between Gatwick Airport and London Victoria, as well as those between Littlehampton, Bognor Regis, Eastbourne and London Bridge, will not run.
Additionally, no trains will stop at Earlswood in Surrey or Salford all day. Services running normally are limited to Southern trains between Reigate and London Victoria, and between Redhill and Tonbridge.
Passengers have been advised to check journey planners and allow extra time to complete their travels, as further short-notice changes and delays are anticipated. Those who can delay their journeys until Tuesday will be able to use Monday-dated tickets on affected Southern, Thameslink and Gatwick Express services.
Network Rail has acknowledged the inconvenience caused by the overrunning work and has pledged to provide updates on its website as the situation evolves throughout the day.
