Urgent repairs at Salfords will partially close railway

Two of the four railway lines in the Salfords area (near Gatwick) will be closed for three days, from Saturday 9 January until Monday 11 January, to secure the railway embankment to prevent a landslip. A reduced train service will operate and passengers are being asked to check before travelling.

Due to recent heavy rain, there has been significant movement on a section of the embankment. This has been picked up by Network Rail’s monitoring systems, and a speed restriction of 5mph has been imposed on this section of track.

The stabilisation works will involve delivering sheet piles to the area, using a crane to lift the sheet piles into place and to then drive the piles into the embankment to stabilise it. Repairs to the embankment will allow the temporary 5mph speed restriction to be removed and train services are expected to run as normal from Tuesday 12 January.

Shaun King, route director for Sussex, said: “We are sorry for any inconvenience this emergency closure may cause the community at Salfords. The safety of passengers is of the utmost importance, so we have taken the decision to close the lines whilst we undertake this vital repair work.”