Brighton Main Line tunnel leaks to be plugged

Image source, Network Rail

Image caption, Leaks will be plugged and drainage improved in four rail tunnels in East and West Sussex

Four Victorian railway tunnels on the Brighton Main Line are to be upgraded as part of a 拢300m improvement programme, Network Rail has said.

No trains will run between 20 and 28 October this year and 16 and 24 February next year between Three Bridges and Brighton or Lewes

Work will be carried out on the tunnels at Balcombe, Clayton, Patcham and Haywards Heath to stem leaks.

Tracks will be re-laid and points replaced during the closures.

The closures have been planned for school half-term holidays when passenger numbers drop, Network Rail said.

Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), which operates train services on the line, described the route as "the most congested and intensively used in the country".

John Halsall, Network Rail South East route managing director, said: "This is a long-overdue upgrade to one of the most unreliable parts of the South East's rail network.

"Southern and Thameslink passengers deserve better and this work will help us deliver that."