Southern Rail: Disruption to trains following emergency incident in East Sussex

Lines were closed in the Eastbourne area while the emergency services dealt with an incident this evening (Saturday, June 8).

Southern Rail has now confirmed the railway has reopened and staff are working to return to the timetable.

Services to and from Eastbourne may still be cancelled or delayed by up to 30 minutes, Southern Rail said.

Disruption is expected to last until 8pm.

A spokesperson for Southern Rail said: “Southern have been working with Network Rail and the emergency services to assist a person near the railway.

"Until it was confirmed that everyone was clear of the track and it was safe for trains to run at their normal speeds, drivers had to be stopped on approach to the area.

“The person in question, as well as response staff, are now clear of the track.

"There may still be some delays of up to 15-30 minutes to Southern services in this area. Late-running trains may be revised. This means they may not stop at all of the usual stations, or they may terminate part of the way along their usual routes.

“As a result, you may need to change trains to get to your destination.

“We know this may mean your journey takes longer, and we're very sorry for the inconvenience this will cause.

"However, it does allow us to get our trains and crews back to the right places for the rest of the day's timetable.”