With Brighton and Hove Pride expected to draw over 400,000 visitors again this year, Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) is ramping up services to meet demand — promising longer trains, more frequent journeys, and colourful crowd control measures.
As the UK’s biggest Pride celebration returns the weekend of August 2–3, GTR is laying on 12-carriage trains across key routes and adding extra services during peak times to help festivalgoers get in and out of the city safely and efficiently.
On Saturday, August 2, all Thameslink trains between London Bridge and Brighton, as well as Gatwick Express services from London Victoria, will run at maximum length. Coastal routes heading east to Lewes, Seaford, and Eastbourne, and west to Shoreham, Worthing, and Chichester will also see longer trains with more carriages.
“Brighton & Hove Pride is an iconic celebration, and we’re proud to support it,” said Jenny Saunders, Customer Services Director at GTR. “We’ve worked closely with the organisers to make sure we provide a safe, reliable service — but we do ask passengers to be patient and courteous as it will be busy.”
Sunday, August 3, will see fewer travellers, but GTR says many services will still run with additional carriages to make journeys more comfortable.
To help manage the post-event rush at Brighton Station, the popular rainbow queueing system will be back. The colour-coded scheme helps direct passengers efficiently to their trains:
Green queue for East Coastway services to Lewes, Seaford, and Eastbourne
Purple queue for West Coastway services to Shoreham, Worthing, and Chichester
Blue queue for Brighton Main Line trains heading to London
Two smaller local stations — London Road and Preston Park — will be closed throughout the weekend to support safe crowd management and reduce pressure on the network.
Paul Kemp, Managing Director of Brighton and Hove Pride, said: “We’ve spent months working with GTR to prepare for what’s shaping up to be one of the busiest Pride weekends ever. The extra trains and rainbow queueing system will make a real difference.”
Train operators are also urging caution for those heading to other big events on Saturday, including Brighton & Hove Albion’s pre-season friendly away at Southampton and the races at Goodwood near Chichester. Travelers to those events should leave extra time and expect busy trains.
With the city set to burst with colour, celebration, and community spirit, GTR’s plans aim to keep everyone moving — safely, smoothly, and with Pride.
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