Media centre

Monday 15 Aug 2005

GREEN LIGHT FOR HORSHAM RESIGNALLING

Region & Route:

| Southern

While most of Sussex enjoys the August Bank Holiday, up to 300 engineers and technicians will be hard at work replacing the signalling system along 26 miles of railway through Horsham.  The signalling in Horsham was last renewed in 1937 and needs updating.  Due to the large scale nature of the work, the railway will be closed throughout the Bank Holiday, with bus replacement services operating between Three Bridges and Billinghurst via Horsham, and between Horsham and Dorking. Network Rail’s Route Director, Andrew Munden, said:  “Signalling plays a similar role to traffic lights on the road network and ensures the railway is able to operate reliably and efficiently. “The signalling at Horsham is nearly 70 years old and is starting to show its age.  Renewing and upgrading the signalling system here is essential for improved performance for passengers who use this busy line.  There will be some disruption for rail passengers over the Bank Holiday, but closing the railway was the only way we could complete this work and minimise disruption to the thousands of passengers who use the railway on a typical weekday.” The railway through Horsham will be closed from 1am on Saturday 27 August through to 5.15 am on Tuesday 30 August while engineers work to commission and test the new signalling system.  The historic signal boxes at Horsham and Warnham will be taken out of service with operations transferred to the area signalling centre at Three Bridges.