Trains to be reduced to help protect tracks

Trains on a main rail route between the East Sussex coast and London will not run in off-peak hours for four weeks after track conditions were affected by the hot and dry weather over summer.

Southern Rail says that no trains will run directly between Eastbourne/Ore and London Victoria, via Lewes and Haywards Heath, between 09:00 BST and 16:15 on Mondays through to Friday.

Services from Eastbourne will run hourly to and from Haywards Heath, where passengers can change for onward connections to the capital, as well as Gatwick Airport.

One train will also operate hourly between Ore and Eastbourne in both directions.

Passengers have been told to allow more time for their journeys, although those travelling from Ore, Hastings and St Leonards Warrior Square can use Southeastern services at no extra cost.

The operator said that no trains in peak hours are affected, and while it apologised for the disruption, it added that the "temporary timetable will help provide a more reliable service and reduce last-minute changes".

The temporary timetable starts on Monday.

Part of the route where trains have been reduced was the scene of a train derailment in August 2026.

Coaches on a train from London to Eastbourne tumbled down an embankment close to Lewes, leaving 30 people injured, two of those seriously.

An investigation by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch said that a track defect was reported close to the site of the derailment.

The stretch of track was closed for 19 days to allow an investigation to take place and for repairs to be made, before it reopened on 1 September.

Follow BBC Sussex on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.