Rail passengers are being warned of major disruption as the Brighton Main Line will close for three weekends in January 2026 to allow essential engineering work to take place.
The closures will affect services on Saturday and Sunday, January 10–11, 17–18 and 24–25, impacting journeys between Brighton, Gatwick Airport, East Croydon and London.
During the closures, no trains will run on parts of the route, with services from Southern, Thameslink and Gatwick Express either suspended or heavily amended. Rail replacement bus services will operate on affected sections, including between East Croydon or Purley and Gatwick Airport, as well as on branch lines serving Redhill, Reigate and Tonbridge.
Network Rail says the work is necessary to maintain and improve ageing infrastructure on one of the country’s busiest railway corridors, helping to improve reliability and reduce future unplanned disruption.
Passengers travelling to or from the South Coast, London or Gatwick Airport are advised to plan ahead, check journeys before travelling and allow extra time, as replacement buses and diversions are expected to significantly increase journey times.
Further disruption is expected later in 2026 as additional improvement works are planned on the Brighton Main Line.
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