LETTER: Passengers were made to suffer

Southern failed abysmally on this occasion. Rail tickets to Brighton were made valid for buses but this was of no help for Lewes passengers. Passengers for Southease, Lewes, Falmer, etc, had to wait for over two hours for a train.

No bus replacements were arranged. No announcements were made indicating how long passengers might have to wait for a train, and this in temperatures of 5c (real feel 0c).

When the ‘Emergency’ button was pressed on the information machine, there was no response. ‘Incidents’, while unfortunate, are an ever present possibility on the railways. Southern should, therefore, have been an effective contingency plan.

There must be plenty of local coach/bus companies in the area which would have been very happy to provide a replacement service at short notice and to earn some welcome additional revenue.

But instead Southern choose the cheaper option, to let passengers suffer and wait.

Peter Calladine

St St Pancras Road, Lewes