Media centre

Monday 17 Feb 2014

Sussex media update: Trains to begin running through Patcham tunnel and Oxted

Region & Route:

| Southern

After days of hard work by Network Rail engineers in difficult conditions, a limited train service will be able to run to Brighton through the flooded Patcham tunnel area tonight (Monday) with a full Brighton Main Line service resuming tomorrow.

Train operators have been working closely with Network Rail on plans to get trains moving again after groundwater reached 48 metres above average in the area.

Network Rail’s route managing director for Sussex, Tim Robinson, said: “We’ve had a team of engineers working at Patcham to divert the water away from the tracks and defending our signalling equipment. Thanks to their hard work we can start trains running to Brighton again with a planned return to full service tomorrow.

“In the meantime today, we suggest that passengers still check before they travel as it will take some time to get things back to normal on the Brighton main line. We are extremely grateful for the patience they have shown.”

Southern’s managing director, Chris Burchell said: “We and Network Rail have worked hard in challenging circumstances to deliver our first priority of reopening the line at Patcham. We are currently working on plans to reintroduce more direct services for this evening on the Brighton Main Line, although this will still be an amended and reduced peak service. We will be communicating details on this to our passengers as soon as we can as well as confirming what we hope to be a full service plan for Tuesday. I should like to thank passengers sincerely for their patience and understanding today.”

Further afield in Sussex, a team of civil engineers has stabilised a landslip near Oxted to the extent that a limited train service will begin running tomorrow (Tuesday).

Mr Robinson added: “It’s been a difficult time for commuters on the lines through Oxted as we couldn’t allow trains to run while the landslip was still moving.

However, our recent engineering work in the area was successful and we will get one of the two tracks back into service shortly, with a speed restriction.”

Full repairs on the landslip are likely to take several more weeks and passengers are asked to check with Southern or on www.nationalrail.co.uk for train times.