Trains through Redhill to be affected by major track improvement work this Christmas and New Year
Rail passengers using trains that run through Redhill station are being asked to plan ahead and check before they travel over Christmas and the New Year when more than a mile of track is replaced in the area.
Trains will continue to run through on the fast lines but all services that pass through Redhill station itself will be replaced by buses from Sunday, December 20. The disruption will continue up to and including Sunday, January 3. Parking will also be severely restricted at Redhill station to make way for the work site.
In addition, Southern services between Redhill and Tonbridge will run between Edenbridge and Tonbridge only.
As a result, the following stations will have no trains, only buses:
- Earlswood
- Redhill
- Merstham
- Couldson South
- Nutfield
- Godstone
The work, part of a £31.7 million investment by Network Rail in the Southern region’s railway network this Christmas, will involve installing new track switches and crossings to boost long-term reliability. By doing the work in one go over the holiday period, it will save many weekends of disruptive closures.
Lucy McAuliffe, Sussex route director for Network Rail, said: “We need to renew more than a mile of track infrastructure at Redhill, but we’re not able to do this without an extended closure, which is why we’ve planned this work over the Christmas period, when the number of people travelling is typically lower than at other times of the year.
“To make the most of this opportunity we’ll also deliver a range of other improvements and maintenance works.
“We recognise this period includes Christmas shopping and people travelling to visit family and friends, which is why we’re asking everyone, and not just regular commuters travelling through Redhill, to plan their journey and check before they travel.
“We understand that this work will cause disruption, and we want to thank passengers for their patience while we deliver improvements that will provide a more reliable railway for years to come.”
Jenny Saunders, customer services director for Southern and Thameslink said: “I’d like to apologise for the changes to our services passing through Redhill station this festive season.
“While there will still be trains running through the area on the fast lines, those on routes that go via Redhill will either not run at all or be replaced by buses.
“Southern services from Tonbridge will operate no further than Edenbridge with buses covering the last stretch to and from Redhill.
“Please do go online to one of our websites to plan your journey and see how it might be affected. You may need to take a rail replacement bus which will regrettably take longer.”