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Monday 10 Sep 2018

Polegate level crossing to be closed for railway improvements

Region & Route:

| Southern

People in Polegate will need to plan their journeys in advance as the town’s level crossing is closed for vital work that will boost reliability for rail passengers.

The crossing will be closed to vehicles and pedestrians from 11.45pm on Friday, 14 September, until 4am on Monday, 17 September.

While Polegate station’s footbridge will stay open for people to cross the railway, Network Rail is also providing a free taxi service for those unable to use the footbridge.

There will be two vehicles in operation between 7am and 11pm on both Saturday and Sunday, with the journey time estimated at 10 to 15 minutes.

The engineering work involves maintenance and improvements to drainage beneath the railway, which requires the use of heavy machinery including excavators and ballast trains, therefore the crossing must be closed for safety reasons.

No trains will run through Polegate on the Saturday or Sunday. Replacement buses will run from Haywards Heath to Eastbourne and Seaford via Lewes on Saturday and from both Haywards Heath and Brighton to Eastbourne and Seaford via Lewes on the Sunday.

This work will improve the track quality and reliability through Polegate as part of Network Rail’s Railway Upgrade Plan, delivering a better railway for the future.

Andy Wakeford, the project’s lead engineer, said: “We understand that it’s never a convenient time to close the railway, but this work is vital and will help us provide a better, more reliable railway for people in Polegate and across East Sussex.

“Please plan ahead if travelling at the weekend and allow more time to get across the railway safely.

“We’d like to thank passengers and crossing users in advance for their patience and understanding while we carry out these important upgrades.”