Network Rail has announced that all four tracks on the Brighton Main Line south of Gatwick Airport will be closed for the day to allow for a major package of works.
This means that no trains will run between Gatwick Airport and Brighton, Hove, Lewes, or Horsham, impacting Southern, Thameslink, and Gatwick Express services.
Passengers are advised to check before they travel and to plan accordingly, as replacement bus services will be in operation.
Network Rail will be replacing sections of track at Tinsley Green Junction near Crawley, at Three Bridges, and between Copyhold Junction and the Ouse Valley viaduct.
Drainage systems at Wivelsfield station will also be renewed, and maintenance will take place at Keymer level crossing and other locations.
These improvements are seen as critical to ensure the safety and reliability of services.
Lucy McAuliffe, Network Rail’s Sussex route director, said: “We know closing the railway is frustrating, and we are sorry for the disruption this causes.
“This work is essential for us as we try and prevent speed restrictions or emergency closures occurring in the future, which would cause even bigger delays at these locations and on the wider rail network.”
She added: “Thank you for your understanding, and please do plan ahead and check before you travel if you are travelling on Sunday 30 November, as your journey will take longer.”
Replacement buses will run on various routes, including Three Bridges and Gatwick Airport, Brighton and Three Bridges, Horsham and Three Bridges, and Lewes/Cooksbridge/Plumpton and Haywards Heath and Three Bridges.
A diverted Southern train service will also run between Brighton and London Victoria, calling at Hove, Shoreham-by-Sea, Worthing, Angmering, Littlehampton, Horsham, and Clapham Junction.
Passengers travelling between Brighton and London are strongly advised to use this train service rather than the limited replacement bus service.
However, those opting for replacement buses on routes between Brighton, Lewes, Haywards Heath, and Gatwick Airport will need to change buses at Three Bridges for a separate shuttle bus service between Three Bridges and Gatwick Airport.
This is due to insufficient space at Gatwick Airport to set up the temporary queuing systems required.
At Three Bridges station, more space is available, allowing the car park to be converted into a temporary bus hub with different queues for buses serving various destinations.
To facilitate the bus hub, the station car park at Three Bridges will be closed from the evening of Saturday, November 29, until the early morning of Monday, December 1.
Jenny Saunders, customer services director for Govia Thameslink Railway, said: “Any of our customers travelling between the coast and Gatwick this Sunday should please take note that this essential work is going to extend their journeys considerably.
“Please plan ahead at nationalrail.co.uk and check live running information online before you leave for the station.”
Network Rail has also announced further major works on the Brighton Main Line over three weekends in January between Gatwick Airport and Purley and East Croydon, as well as on branch lines between Reigate and Redhill and Redhill to Tonbridge.
There will also be a closure between Three Bridges and Brighton on Sunday, February 1.
Replacement buses will run where trains are not operating, and detailed travel advice about those closures will be shared in December.
Passengers are urged to stay informed about further updates and plan their journeys accordingly.
