No trains between Three Bridges and Brighton or Lewes from 13 to 21 February 2027, with London trains diverted via Horsham. Updated November 2026.

There will be no trains between Three Bridges and Brighton or Lewes from Saturday 13 to Sunday 21 February 2027, while Network Rail closes the Brighton Main Line for nine days of engineering work over the February half-term. Replacement buses will run instead, and direct trains between Brighton and London Victoria will be diverted via Horsham and Littlehampton, with longer journey times.

Network Rail announced the closure on 10 November, three months ahead, and Southern, Thameslink and Gatwick Express are asking passengers to “save the dates”. The details are in the press release GTR circulated.

The closure covers the whole of the council’s February half-term for Brighton and Hove schools, which our school term dates page puts at Monday 15 to Friday 19 February 2027, plus the weekends either side.

How to get to London or Gatwick that week

The rail companies’ advice for anyone travelling between Brighton and Hove and Gatwick Airport or London is to take the diverted direct train, not the replacement buses. That train will run between Brighton and London Victoria by way of Horsham and Littlehampton, so it will take longer than usual.

Train times on the East and West Coastway lines to and from Brighton will also change during the closure.

Revised train and bus times are not out yet. The release says online journey planners, including National Rail Enquiries, will start showing them later this month. Until they do, our usual Brighton to London train times do not apply to that week.

Facts panel: Brighton Main Line closed Saturday 13 to Sunday 21 February 2027 between Three Bridges and Brighton or Lewes. Replacement buses run Three Bridges to Brighton calling at all stations, Three Bridges to Lewes via Haywards Heath and Cooksbridge, Three Bridges to Haywards Heath, Haywards Heath to Plumpton, and Lewes to East Grinstead on weekdays only. Direct Brighton to London Victoria trains are diverted via Horsham and Littlehampton, and East and West Coastway train times are revised.
What runs during the February closure. Graphic by The Brighton Times
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Where the replacement buses go

Buses will run on five routes for the nine days:

  • Three Bridges to Brighton, calling at all stations
  • Three Bridges to Lewes, via Haywards Heath and Cooksbridge
  • Three Bridges to Haywards Heath
  • Haywards Heath to Plumpton
  • Lewes to East Grinstead, on weekdays only

What the work is

Network Rail describes the Brighton Main Line as “among the most complex and intensively used in the country” and says the closure lets engineers do a concentrated programme of work in one go. The list in the release:

  • Track: new rails at Preston Park and Plumpton, and renewed track, switches and crossings at Keymer Junction near Wivelsfield.
  • Earthworks: strengthening and stabilisation at Haywards Heath cutting and the Balcombe Stamford rock cutting, to cut the risk of landslips and rock falls.
  • Tunnels: structural work in Balcombe Tunnel and new rails through Clayton Tunnel.
  • Power: new conductor rail, the third rail that powers the trains, between Clayton Tunnel and Preston Park.
  • Level crossings: new signalling and renewed crossings at Spatham Lane near Westmeston, and at Hamsey.

Why nine days in one go

Lucy McAuliffe, Network Rail’s Sussex route director, said: “The Brighton Main Line is one of the busiest rail corridors in the country, with complex and intensively used infrastructure. This work is vital to reduce faults, improve journey reliability and keep services running safely for years to come.”

She added: “We know closing the railway is an inconvenience, but the extended closure over February half-term 2027 allows us to deliver a huge volume of work at once, avoiding repeated disruption across multiple weekends or during the busy summer season.”

Jenny Saunders, customer service director for Southern, Gatwick Express and Thameslink, said: “This major work over February half-term week is crucial to keeping services reliable for our Gatwick Express, Southern and Thameslink customers. We’ve been working on detailed plans to keep customers moving. Trains to and from Brighton will be diverted and buses will replace services on affected routes for nine days, so we’re asking customers to save the dates in their diaries.”

“By giving people advance notice, we’re encouraging everyone to think about their travel options over that week in February, especially as some may find it easier to plan to work flexibly where they can,” she said.

What it means for you

  • Commuting to London that week: allow extra time on the diverted train, or arrange to work from home if your employer allows it, which is what Southern is suggesting.
  • Flying from Gatwick over half-term: plan on the diverted train rather than the bus, and leave more time than usual to reach the airport.
  • Travelling north within Sussex towards Haywards Heath or Three Bridges: you will be on a replacement bus for at least part of the journey.
  • Check again later this month, when the revised times appear in journey planners.

Before then: Redhill over Christmas

The February closure is part of a wider run of work on the line. Over Christmas and New Year, from Sunday 20 December to Sunday 3 January, all trains that call at Redhill station will be replaced by buses, Network Rail announced in October. Trains will keep running through the area on the fast lines. Our Christmas and New Year trains page has the holiday timetable from Brighton.