Speed restrictions applied to the Brighton Main Line due to the landslips have now been lifted with passengers now able to enjoy more reliable journeys
An £11m investment has been made by Network Rail in order to make the essential repairs to earthworks at Haywards Heath and Balcombe with speed restrictions now being removed as the work on the line has been completed.
The projects at both sites have been ongoing since heavy rainfall during winter saw landslips on the steep-sided cuttings where the line is dug deep into the land.
Network Rail teams responded immediately to the slips in order to keep passengers on the move safely but a further long-term repair has been ongoing since.
A nine-day closure of the Brighton Main Line took place in February 2022 to enable some of the most challenging and disruptive elements of the work, alongside this 28 other major improvement projects were carried out which saved further disruption for both passengers and residents.
Katie Frost, Network Rail's Sussex route director said: “Thank you so much to our passengers and our neighbours for their patience with us while we worked on the Brighton line this year.
“Our work at Hayward's Heath and Balcombe has been going on for many months and most people outside our immediate neighbours wouldn't have known we were there. But the work we've completed will mean one of the country's busiest railways will be safeguarded from landslips on two really vulnerable parts of the line for years to come.
“Permanently strengthening the sides of the railway here means that speed restrictions which are in place to keep passengers safe can be removed, making journeys faster and more reliable.
“To give you an idea of the scale of the project, without the nine-day closure of the railway in February we would have had to close the railway for up to 20 weekends and we'd still be working there now and well into the winter.”
“On behalf of our customers, we welcome the completion of these vital stabilisation projects. People using the Brighton Main Line can now be confident of more punctual services and less disruption during severe weather.
“Speed restrictions of 10mph were put on trains travelling through the affected sections of track while repairs were under way.
“Now that work is complete, trains can run at the full line speed of up to 90mph, helping people get to their destinations on time.”
Haywards Heath has seen over 300 metres of the cutting slope stabilised with a reinforced protective wall alongside 256, 5-metre-long metal nails which were hammered into the embankment and support 1,300 metres of mesh which will stop debris from falling onto the tracks.
The project also saw more than 900 tonnes of earth removed to reduce the steepness of the cutting and therefore the risk of landslips.
Balcombe has seen 250 metres of reinforced protective wall built and 101, 13-metre steel beams driven into the embankment slope in order to stabilise it.
Around 5,000 tonnes of material was removed in order to reduce the steepness of the cutting and over 1,100 concrete blocks were put in place trackside to add more protection.
