Sussex route Home Running the railway Our routes Sussex route The Sussex route, which includes the Brighton Main Line and its branch lines, is among the busiest and most congested in the country, carrying 3,200 trains every weekday. It’s critical to the regional and national economy, transporting high volumes of travellers from the south coast to the capital, as well as Gatwick Airport, the country’s second busiest international airport and a key gateway to the United Kingdom. Our lead train operators are; Govia Thameslink Railway Ltd (GTR) who operate; Southern, Thameslink, Gatwick Express and Great Northern services and Arriva Rail London who operate London Overground. Katie Frost Route director, Sussex Sussex Upgrades We're continuing to invest heavily in what is some of the oldest and most intensively used infrastructure in the country, spending more than £750m between 2019 and 2024 to improve track, signalling, structures, earthworks and stations as part of our Sussex Upgrades programme. Key investments include the Arun Valley Improvement Project which has seen £22m invested over summer 2021 to improve track and signalling, stabilise earthworks and refurbish stations and structures on the lines from Arundel to Crawley and from Horsham to Dorking. The signalling and track, at key junctions, on the lines into London Victoria is being replaced as part of the four-year Victoria Resignalling programme Our work to improve reliability at the southern end of the Brighton Main Line, between Three Bridges, Brighton and Lewes, will continue over 9-days and several weekends in early 2022. We’ll use the time to deliver an £11m investment to improve reliability for passengers. Gatwick Airport station is being rebuilt with double the space for passengers. The investment will improve accessibility for all passengers, support a more reliable train service and provide a gateway station that befits the country’s second busiest airport. But that’s not all. We're investing in smaller but equally important upgrade projects right across the route. Find out more on the Sussex Upgrade Plan page. Plans for the long-term We are also continuing to develop proposals for faster, more reliable services and improved connections across the region as part of our Brighton Main Line Upgrade Programme. These include proposals to address bottlenecks along the line, in particular the railway bottleneck at Croydon as part of the Croydon Area Remodelling Scheme. Those proposals have been affected by issues such as the significant uncertainty around future passenger behaviour and demand following the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as funding constraints. We are now taking time to consider how the pandemic may affect passenger behaviour and travel patterns in the future, and how any such changes should be reflected in our proposals. We are, however, pleased to be moving forward smaller interventions along the line including modified signal positions and enhanced track layouts to allow faster journeys and greater operational flexibility. To learn more, visit our Brighton Main Line page. Projects in Sussex Upgrading the Brighton Main Line and its branch lines Faster, more reliable services and improved connections across the region. Background The Brighton Main Line is among the most complex and congested routes in the country, the infrastructure on the line is also some of... Upgrading Gatwick Airport station We’re transforming Gatwick Airport station to create more space for passengers, making the journey from the train to the plane easier, improving accessibility and supporting a more reliable train service. In 2019 more than 21... Unblocking the Croydon bottleneck – The Croydon Area Remodelling Scheme As part of our long-term plans to upgrade the Brighton Main Line we're proposing to unblock the Croydon bottleneck to give Brighton Main Line passengers faster, more reliable services and improved connections across the region. ... Norwood Junction station upgrade We're proposing to upgrade Norwood Junction station to provide more frequent and reliable services, as well as a modern, accessible station fit for the 21st Century. The proposals are a key part of our long-term plans... Peckham Rye station upgrade We are working with partners to develop designs for a fully accessible station with more capacity and better facilities for passengers. In June 2020, we received £1m from the Department for Transport to develop designs... Arun Valley Line improvement project We've invested £22m to improve track and signalling, stabilise earthworks and refurbish stations and structures along the Arun Valley Line to give passengers better, more reliable journeys. Rebuilding the railway junction at Horsham and installation of a... Balham station refurbishment complete A £2.6m project has been completed, giving Balham Station a face-lift fit for the 21st century. Platform at Balham station Network Rail has reduced the gap between trains and platforms, improving safety and reducing delays.... London Victoria track and signalling upgrades We’re working on a major four-year package of upgrades to modernise 1980s track and signalling on the lines into London Victoria station. Victoria station signalling upgrade The upgrades will improve reliability on the network, helping... Reigate station upgrade We’re proposing a new, 12-car turn back platform at Reigate station. This will provide greater capacity, a more reliable service and improved connections to Thameslink destinations in London and beyond. The proposals are part of... Three Bridges to Brighton and Lewes Three Bridges and Brighton/Lewes 9-day closures - Saturday 19 to Sunday 27 February 2022 The Brighton Main Line between Three Bridges and Brighton/Lewes will close for nine-days from Saturday 19 to Sunday 27 February 2022... Oxted Viaduct We're completing major refurbishment to the Oxted Viaduct Oxted Viaduct scaffold over the A25 What’s being done? The Oxted Viaduct was constructed in 1881 and carries two railway lines over the A25 road and the... Latest news Crowborough and East Grinstead stations both benefit from step-free access for the first time, thanks to over £9m invested to improve accessibility Nov 2, 2021 Network Rail is upgrading both Crowborough and East Grinstead stations with a new footbridge and new lifts, providing Southern Rail customers with step-free access at these stations for the first time. Tactile paving will also... Essential maintenance on the Brighton Main Line this weekend - check before you travel Oct 27, 2021 Network Rail are upgrading the line between Three Bridges and Gatwick Airport which will improve track and signalling and provide faster and more reliable journeys on the Brighton Main Line. While this essential work takes... No trains between London Victoria and East Croydon this weekend (Saturday 16 to Sunday 17 October) due to important railway upgrades Oct 14, 2021 Passengers are advised to check before travelling on Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 October when most Southern trains that run between Victoria and East Croydon will be diverted to London Bridge. Rail tickets will be... See more news Together we can end domestic abuse Follow us on: Home Who we are Staying safe and secure Media Contact us Copyright © 2021 Network Rail Privacy notice Cookies Terms & conditions Accessibility Modern Slavery Statement Site Map Feed