Trains to be reintroduced after speed restrictions

A number of Southern Railway services across Sussex are due to be reintroduced on Monday following multiple speed restrictions across the network.

Off-peak services between Eastbourne/Ore and London Victoria, via Lewes and Haywards Heath, will be reinstated, having not run over after 09:00 BST for the last four weeks due to the hot and dry weather affecting track conditions.

Four services will be reintroduced between Uckfield and London Bridge in the morning and early evening, with all other services to follow the existing temporary timetable until 2 November.

Another four services between Littlehampton, Bognor Regis and London will also be brought back, two each in the morning and evening.

A spokesperson for Southern Railway said: "We'd like to thank customers for their understanding and we're pleased to say normal services will be reinstated.

"This includes the additional peak services between Eastbourne, Bognor and Littlehampton and London Bridge."

Network Rail says engineers are "continuing essential maintenance work which will allow us to return to the full service on the Uckfield line from early November".

The services being reintroduced are the 07:07 London Bridge to Uckfield, 08:33 Uckfield to London Bridge, 16:07 London Bridge to Uckfield and the 17:33 Uckfield to London Bridge.

Southern Railway acknowledges the service has "not been good enough in recent weeks".

By way of explanation, it says the Uckfield line runs through areas where the ground contains a lot of clay, which shrinks during periods of dry weather.

This "can make the track move slightly and become uneven", the Southern spokesperson said, prompting the introduction of temporary speed restrictions.

The services being introduced between Littlehampton, Bognor Regis and London are the 06:05 Littlehampton to London Bridge, 07:02 Bognor Regis to London Bridge, 17:33 London Bridge to Littlehampton and the 18:03 London Bridge to Bognor Regis.

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