London to Brighton trains face weekend disruption

Trains between London, Gatwick Airport and Brighton will be disrupted by engineering works on Sunday, 13 July

Rail passengers travelling between Brighton and London will be faced with disruption on Sunday due to urgent repair works.

Network Rail says no trains will run between Gatwick Airport and East Croydon, and some parts of Surrey, due to the need to repair switches and crossings near Purley and Coulsdon.

Rail replacement buses will run from East Grinstead to Gatwick Airport and Three Bridges, while trains direct from London Victoria to Gatwick Airport will still run but will take "considerably longer" than usual.

Lucy McAuliffe, Sussex route director for Network Rail, apologised for the disruption saying the works were "essential to keep services running safely and reliably".

Replacement buses will also run between East Croydon, Redhill and Tattenham Corner and between Redhill and Tonbridge, a spokesperson for rail operator Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) said.

The disruption comes as temperatures on the South Coast are expected to hit 28C in Brighton on Sunday.

In June, Gatwick-bound passengers said they faced "nightmare" travel after trains were forced to be evacuated when temperatures soared above 30C (86F) in South London.

Jenny Saunders, customer service director for GTR, said: "I know that these works will be very disruptive for our passengers, and I am very sorry for any plans which may have to change as a result of this.

"It's important that our colleagues at Network Rail replace these points as soon as possible.

"Hundreds of our services cross this section of track each day – and it is vital to have reliable infrastructure which is less susceptible to closures at the last minute."