Temporary amendments to some services between Horsham and Barnham until at least Tuesday 15 September  

Route(s) affected

Between London Victoria / Horsham and Bognor Regis / Portsmouth Harbour

Description

A speed restriction is in place between Horsham and Barnham. As a result, fewer trains are able to run on all lines between Horsham and Barnham / Bognor Regis / Portsmouth Harbour. Trains running between these stations will be revised.

This is expected to continue until at least Tuesday 15 September.

We're sorry that some customers travelling on the Arun Valley route will continue to experience disruption.

The recent record-breaking hot weather and sustained low rainfall has affected track conditions in some areas, meaning temporary speed restrictions need to remain in place. Safety is and will always remain the highest priority.

Because of the speed restrictions, trains need longer to complete their journeys, and running the normal timetable could lead to delays building up throughout the day and increase the risk of short-notice cancellations. To provide customers with greater certainty, and to keep services running as reliably as possible, Southern have temporarily revised the timetable.

We know many customers rely on their services every day for work, school, appointments and important time with family and friends, and they are sorry for the disruption these changes may cause. The revised timetable has also been designed to minimise the impact on customers wherever possible, including protecting key services used by school children travelling to and from school.

Customer advice:

Services between London Victoria and Bognor Regis will run half hourly in each direction as normal.

Services that normally run between London Victoria and Portsmouth Harbour will run between Barnham and Portsmouth Harbour only. These services will depart:

• Barnham at XX:30 each hour

• Portsmouth Harbour at XX:29 each hour

Services between Bognor Regis and Barnham have been reduced to half hourly services which will depart:

• Bognor Regis at: XX:26 and XX:56 each hour

• Barnham at: XX:14 and XX:45 each hour

There will be no additional peak service running from Bognor Regis to London Bridge in either direction.

Journey planners are updated as far as Thursday 10 September. Details for journeys on Friday 11 September will be updated overnight tonight.

If you are travelling between London and Portsmouth Harbour, you will need to change at Barnham for an alternate service. Please ensure you are giving yourself enough time to complete your journey as the service is reduced, and your journey may take longer than usual.

You can also use your ticket at no extra cost on South Western Railway services between Havant and Portsmouth Harbour which may help you complete your journey.

Planning your journey:

You can see the live departure boards, and view a live map of the network.

You can also view an alternative route guide.

If you're travelling in the London area, you can plan journeys on alternative routes by using the TfL Journey Planner.

You can use the Southern app to find up-to-date information.

Why are temporary timetable changes needed?

These targeted changes are needed because temporary speed restrictions have been introduced by Network Rail on sections of the railway following a period of prolonged hot and dry weather, which has affected track conditions in some areas.

Network Rail has a programme under way to protect the railway from extreme weather and climate change, supported by a £2.6 billion investment in track maintenance and renewals.

Investment includes drainage, earthworks, track and overhead power improvements, as well as monitoring and predictive technologies to identify risks earlier and enable proactive intervention.

The speed restrictions being introduced will ensure trains can continue operating reliably while work is carried out to address track conditions that have been affected by the recent weather.

To provide customers with greater certainty and reduce the risk of short-notice disruption, temporary timetable changes have been introduced.

Check before you travel:

You can check your journey up to and including Thursday 10 September using the National Rail real-time Journey Planner. For journeys on Friday 11 September and beyond, please check back later.

Compensation:

You may be entitled to compensation if you experience a delay in completing your journey today. Please keep your train ticket and make a note of your journey, as both will be required to support any claim.