Essential work on the Brighton Main Line
Over a series of weekends during January, we are undertaking essential work on the Brighton Main Line.
Project timeline
Essential engineering works will take place over three weekends in January and three further weekends between February and May.
Taking the opportunity to do as much as maintenance work as possible during the winter months means we can protect the main trunk of the Brighton Main Line during the peak tourism season.
When is the work taking place?
We are carrying out essential engineering work on:
- Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 January 2026
- Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 January 2026
- Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 January 2026
The Brighton Main Line will be closed between Gatwick Airport and Purley / East Croydon, as well as its branches between Reigate and Redhill and between Redhill and Tonbridge.
We are also carrying out essential engineering works on:
- Sunday 1 February 2026
- Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 March 2026
- Sunday 3 May 2026
On these weekends, the Brighton Main Line will be closed between Brighton / Lewes / Hove and Three Bridges.
What work is taking place?
We’re carrying out essential improvements to enhance reliability and safety across the network. The work include track renewal, earthworks, drainage repairs, bridge maintenance and improved access points.
Key improvements to boost reliability and safety include:
- Track Renewal: Installing new rails and conductor rail, plus refurbishing switches and crossings to improve performance. New rail at Purley, between Earlswood and Horley and between Merstham and Coulsdon South. New conductor rail between Redhill and Reigate and refurbishment of the busy Stoats Nest Junction, between Purley and Coulsdon South.
- Earthworks: Strengthening a cutting north of Merstham to provide stable foundations and prevent landslips.
- Drainage: Repairing the drainage systems along 3 miles of track at Caterham to manage water effectively and reduce potential delays.
- Bridges: Installing wheel timbers at the Intersect bridge near Godstone and the Brighton Road bridge at Coulsdon South to maintain structural integrity.
- Access Points: Adding a new road-rail access point near Purley for our construction vehicles to access the track and make repairs.
On Sunday 1 February 2026; Saturday 21 & Sunday 22 March and Sunday 3 May 2026 we will be undertaking track maintenance and work on the line’s structures.
How will this work affect me?
January 2026
On weekends of 10/11, 17/18 and 24/25 January 2026, the Brighton Main Line will be closed between Gatwick Airport and Purley / East Croydon, as well as its branches between Reigate and Redhill and between Redhill and Tonbridge.
Replacement buses will be in operation along most of the sections where trains are not running. Buses will also be running to link Three Bridge or Gatwick Airport to/from East Grinstead from where frequent trains will be running in and out of central London via East Croydon.
In addition, a train service will run between Gatwick Airport and London Victoria using a diversionary route, calling at Clapham Junction.
February, March and May 2026
On Sunday 1 February 2026, Saturday 21 & Sunday 22 March 2026 and Sunday 3 May 2026, the Brighton Main Line will be closed between Brighton / Lewes / Hove and Three Bridges.
Replacement buses will be running along the closed sections. A diverted train service will also operate between Brighton and London Victoria via Hove, Littlehampton and Horsham.
Check before you travel
Please visit the Southern Railway website for the latest travel advice.
Why is the work needed?
The busy Brighton Main Line is among the most complex and congested routes in the country, with some of the most intensively used infrastructure in the country.
We know closing the railway at any time of the year causes inconvenience, but with the Brighton Main Line being a key route for the leisure and tourism industry on the south coast, we only work in the summer months when we have no alternative. That means that every winter, we have a series of vital maintenance closures on sections of the Brighton Main Line.
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