Sussex Rail Services Return To Normal After Morning Disruption

Train services across parts of East and West Sussex have returned to normal following major disruption caused by electrical and signalling faults.

Southern Railway said a fault with the electric third rail near Brighton led to several lines being blocked during Monday morning’s rush hour.

The issue affected routes between Brighton and Preston Park, where fewer lines than usual were available.

Southern services between Seaford and Brighton were suspended throughout the morning before resuming around midday.

A separate signalling fault also caused disruption between Littlehampton, Worthing and Horsham, although railway officials say all lines have now reopened and services are expected to fully recover.

Gatwick Express services were also impacted, operating only between Gatwick Airport and London Victoria for part of the morning.

Passengers travelling from Brighton were advised to use Thameslink services at no extra cost while disruption continued.

Network Rail apologised to passengers for what it described as a “really difficult morning”, saying engineers had been working on the fault since the early hours.

Southern Railway advised customers to allow extra time for journeys and to continue checking station screens and travel updates before travelling.

Passengers delayed by the disruption may be eligible for compensation through the rail operators’ delay repay schemes.

The latest problems come just days after widespread disruption on Thursday affected multiple rail operators across the South East due to communication issues between trains and signallers.