Rail lines reopen after person 'hit by train' in West Sussex

The incident was first reported on Southern’s X account at 9.39am.

A Southern spokesperson said: “Lines have reopened following a person being hit by a train between Three Bridges and Horsham.

"Trains running between these stations will be cancelled, delayed by up to 20 minutes or revised.

“Major disruption is expected until 16:00.

“All lines have reopened and work is underway on recovering the scheduled service.

“The first train to run from Three Bridges to Horsham as booked is the 12:53 train from Three Bridges.

“Some trains that normally run to / from Horsham via Gatwick Airport may still be altered or cancelled and are being be delayed by up to 30 minutes. Please make sure to check journey planners and information boards for the latest train information.

“Some services have been amended as follows:

• Trains that normally run between London Victoria and Bognor Regis will either run between Bognor Regis and Horsham only or be diverted to continue to Clapham Junction and London Victoria
• Trains that normally run between London Victoria and Portsmouth Harbour are being diverted via Worthing where possible, however some will be cancelled
• Trains that normally run between Peterborough and Horsham will terminate and restart at Three Bridges

“Additional stops:

• Trains that normally run between London Victoria and Littlehampton will make an additional stop at Three Bridges
• Some trains that normally run between Brighton and Southampton Central will stop additionally at all stations between Chichester and Havant

“Alternative routes:

“If you are travelling between Bognor Regis / Portsmouth Harbour and London you can either change at Horsham for a train towards London Victoria, or you can change at Barnham for a service towards Brighton. From there, alternative Thameslink and Southern services towards London continue to run.

“If you are travelling from Portsmouth, you can also use South Western Railway services via Guildford to London Waterloo, from where you can connect to other London stations using London Underground services.

“For journeys between Horsham and Three Bridges, please use Metrobus services to connect between your station and Three Bridges / Gatwick Airport. There you can connect to alternative Thameslink and Southern services towards London and Brighton.

“You can also use Great Western Railway services between Dorking Deepdene, which is a 5 - 10 minute distance from Dorking station, and Reigate for connections towards London and Gatwick Airport.

“If you are travelling to Gatwick Airport, please ensure you allow at least 60 minutes more time for your journey to ensure you have plenty of time to connect to your flight.

“Tickets are being accepted at no extra cost on:

• Alternative Thameslink services between London and Brighton
• Alternative Southern services between London, Brighton and the Coast
• Great Western Railway services between Dorking (Deepdene) and Reigate
• South Western Railway services between Portsmouth and London Waterloo
• London Underground services on any reasonable route

“Metrobus services on routes:

• 100 between Gatwick Airport, Crawley, and Three Bridges
• 3 between Crawley and Three Bridges
• 23 between Crawley, Faygate and Horsham
• 200 between Horsham, Littlehaven, Faygate, Ifield, and Gatwick Airport

“Travelling via an alternative route will take longer than usual. Southern and Thameslink recommend leaving at least 45 minutes extra time to complete your journey.

“Operators are working with Network Rail and the emergency services to deal with this incident as sensitively, quickly and safely as possible.

“Staff work closely with the Samaritans and support the work that they do. If you or someone close to you has been affected by this incident, there is always someone to talk to. Contact the Samaritans on 116 123 for free at any time, on any phone. Help is only a phone call away.”