Lines reopened: disruption between Haywards Heath and Brighton expected until 15:00 

Route(s) affected

Gatwick Express between London Victoria and Brighton

Southern between London Victoria and Littlehampton

Thameslink between Cambridge / Bedford and Brighton

Description

Urgent repairs to the track between Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill have now been completed and all lines towards Brighton and the coast have reopened. Whilst service recovers trains running through these stations may still be cancelled, delayed by up to 20 minutes or revised.

Disruption is expected until 15:00.

Customer advice:

Trains can now begin to run between Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill as booked.

Trains are returning to the scheduled timetable, but please continue to check journey planners and station information boards before you travel. Some trains in the area will still be disrupted, and your journey may take up to 20 minutes longer than usual.

You may still use your ticket to travel at no extra cost on:

• Alternative Southern or Thameslink services on any reasonable route

• Metrobus routes between Redhill / Gatwick Airport and Brighton

Please note that if you have not yet started your journey, it may now be faster to wait for the next available train service.

Please check journey planners and station information boards before you travel and allow extra time to reach your destination.

You can use the live departure boards or live map to see if your journey has been affected.

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

Can you tell me more about the incident?

We received a report of a possible issue with the track in the Wivelsfield area earlier today. Network Rail's engineers attended to the fault, and it has now been resolved.

There are various different types of defects, and the first advice usually comes from drivers or other staff travelling through the area. Response staff will check the location which has been specified and find out whether the track is still supported correctly, whether the rails themselves are in the usual condition, and if there are any problems with the fixings and metalwork which attach the rails to the sleepers.

Check before you travel:

You can check your journey using the National Rail Enquiries real-time Journey Planner.

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.