Network Rail engineers gear up for bank holiday work on London-Sussex main line

The work means no trains will run between Victoria and East Croydon for the four days of the Easter bank holiday, with most trains diverted to London Bridge.

Some services will run between Balham and East Croydon.

Gatwick Express services will not run; customers are advised to use Southern or Thameslink services between London Bridge and Gatwick Airport.

Network Rail’s route director for Sussex, Katie Frost, said: "I realise this stretch of track seems to be closed a lot lately – but there’s a good reason for that.

"Major investment always means there is a degree of disruption while the work is done and we are midway through that process now.

"The importance of the East Croydon to Victoria route with commuters means it’s a tough one for us to close outside of weekends and holidays, so this is the least-worst option for everyone.

"However, the equipment we are installing will be more reliable and the project will also reduce everyday delays through new designs of track and signalling."

Southern’s customer services director Chris Fowler said: "Network Rail have worked closely with us to time this vital modernisation for the least possible inconvenience to our customers.

"Tickets will be accepted on relevant Tube and bus services between Victoria, Clapham and Balham, and on the Tube between Victoria and London Bridge.

"We’ve also arranged replacement buses between Clapham Junction and either Balham or East Croydon, as required, for local journeys in south London.

"Other Southern routes will be affected, including Brighton services, so we urge customers to check details and plan their journeys in advance.”

Points, which allow trains to move from one track to another, need to move back and forth reliably hundreds of times a day in locations like Clapham, and replacing them with new equipment is a sure way to improve reliability and punctuality.

Three crossovers – six point-ends - will be replaced this Easter, just to the east of Clapham Junction.

The resignalling scheme, which will complete in Christmas this year, will see all the 1970s-era signalling replaced with modern LED equivalents, along with a new control system, train detection, new points and even some new track too.

Control will move from the 1970s Victoria control centre to Network Rail’s state of the art Three Bridges route operating centre.

Replacement buses will run between Balham and Clapham Junction on Good Friday, Saturday and Easter Monday; and between East Croydon and Clapham Junction on Easter Sunday.

Other engineering work means that buses replace trains between Edenbridge and Tonbridge on Saturday, April 16 and Sunday 17.

On Monday, April 18 all Southern services will run to an amended bank holiday timetable, and all Thameslink services will run to an amended Saturday timetable.

In addition to the work at Clapham Junction, engineers will be working on the new station development at Gatwick.

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