Network Rail and Southern Railway complete major recovery and repair programme as Haywards Heath to Lewes line set to reopen on 1 September

The railway between Haywards Heath and Lewes will reopen to passenger services on Tuesday 1 September, following the successful completion of a major recovery operation and extensive repairs after the derailment near Lewes on Thursday 13 August.

Engineers have now completed the recovery of the train and the extensive programme of work required to rebuild and reinstate the railway, allowing services to resume in time for the start of the new school term. The route has also undergone a rigorous programme of engineering checks and safety assurance processes including successful test train operations, to ensure the railway is safe and reliable for customers.

Since the derailment, teams from across the railway industry have worked around the clock to recover the train, remove damaged infrastructure and rebuild this section of railway.

The operation has involved:

• Recovering and removing all eight carriages from the site.

• Constructing temporary foundations and working platforms to support heavy lifting equipment.

• Deploying specialist Kirow cranes to recover the derailed vehicles.

• Removing damaged track and ballast.

• Repairing and reinstating the embankment.

• Installing new track and associated infrastructure.

• Reinstating signalling and railway systems.

• Completing extensive testing and final safety checks.

The location of the derailment, close to the River Ouse and within a sensitive environmental area, added further complexity to the operation, requiring careful planning and close coordination between engineering, environmental and operational teams.

Customer travel information

Southern services will resume operating between Haywards Heath and Lewes from the start of service on Tuesday 1 September.

Rail replacement buses currently operating on this route will cease once services resume.

Customers are advised to check before they travel. Journey planners are being updated and the latest information is available at southernrailway.com.

Jenny Saunders, Customers Services Director for Greater Thameslink Railway, which operates Southern Railway, said: “This incident has been incredibly difficult for everyone involved and my thoughts remain with those who were injured, alongside their families, friends and all those affected.

“The closure of the railway has had a significant impact on our customers and the communities we serve. I want to thank passengers for the patience, resilience and understanding they have shown while this work has taken place.

“The successful reopening of the line is only possible because of an extraordinary effort from engineers and railway colleagues who have worked in challenging circumstances to restore services safely and as quickly as possible.

“We look forward to welcoming customers back onto the railway and returning them to the journeys they rely on every day.”

Lucy McAuliffe, Sussex Route Director for Network Rail, said: "This has been a complex and challenging recovery operation, and I’d like to thank engineers and industry colleagues for the professionalism, skill, and dedication they’ve shown in safely completing the work as quickly as possible to get customers moving again.

“Our thoughts remain with everyone affected by the incident, including those who were hospitalised, and their loved ones.

“With repairs now complete, we have reopened the railway between Haywards Heath and Lewes. We understand the disruption that this closure caused, and we’re grateful to customers for their patience while we carried out this essential work to rebuild the railway."

“I’d finally like to thank the community of Landport and the wider Lewes area for their understanding and support for the teams that have been involved with the response to this incident. We know that works of this nature are disruptive, so thank you for bearing with us during our temporary residency in the community”.

ENDS

Notes to editors

Over the course of the recovery and rebuilding of the railway:

• Four engineering trains have been used to transport materials to the site

• 250 site trips by tipper trucks have been made

• 9,000 tonnes of Type 1 aggregate have been delivered to the site

• Four derailed carriages have been recovered

• At least 5,000 hours of work has been carried out by teams across Network Rail, GTR and their contractors

In total, 500 metres of track have been renewed, using a rail drop train, and 850 sleepers have been replaced, across a section of embankment 160 metres long.