Southern Railway: West Sussex and Hampshire line closures prompt travel warning

Fewer bus drivers are available for rail replacement services, Southern says

Engineering work will mean some stations in West Sussex and Hampshire will have no rail service, with no replacement bus services in operation either, Southern Railway has said.

There will be no service between Havant and Barnham on Saturday or Sunday.

Fishbourne, Bosham, Nutbourne, Southbourne, Emsworth and Warblington will have no service on both days, with Chichester also affected on Sunday.

Buses between Havant and Southampton will also not run, Southern said.

Passengers travelling between Portsmouth and Southampton, and Barnham and Brighton will be able to use tickets on South Western, Great Western and Southern routes via London Clapham Junction, and Thameslink routes between London and Brighton, Southern said.

A Southern spokesperson said: "Local bus routes are expected to be busy, and Southern do not expect that they will be able to carry all customers, therefore they have not been able to arrange for tickets to be accepted on these services."

They said the lack of rail replacement services was due to fewer available bus drivers over recent years.

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