Major East Sussex rail delays explained: Shopping trolley 'thrown onto the tracks' by youths

Southern Rail reported the incident shortly after 10pm on Tuesday (October 17).

"We've received reports of youths causing a disturbance,” a statement on X (formerly Twitter) read.

"A shopping trolley has been thrown onto the tracks at a station between Eastbourne and Hastings.”

The lines between Eastbourne and Hastings were blocked, with trains unable to run between these stations.

Services that usually run between London Victoria to Ore terminated at Eastbourne. Services that usually run between Brighton and Ore terminated at Eastbourne. Services that usually run between Ashford and Eastbourne started / terminated at Hastings.

Network Rail response teams arrived at the site by 11.15pm.

A Southern spokesperson said: “If you intend to travel between Eastbourne and Hastings, please delay travelling until later once the line has reopened. We're expecting this to be by 11.30pm

“Once the shopping trolley is no longer obstructing the line and safety checks have been carried out, the line will then reopen.”

The trolley had been removed by 12am but damage was discovered to the electric third rail.

Network Rail crews had to repair the damage, ‘which is why it's taken longer than initially expected for the line to reopen’, Southern said. Lines were open again at 12.15am.

Southern added: “We can now run trains once more between Eastbourne and Hastings. Please note that services remain severely disrupted.”

Services were back to normal by 1.15am.