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Arun Valley Closure

An extra £5m investment to improve stations, track and signalling on the Arun Valley Line

Passengers can look forward to more reliable journeys on the Arun Valley line and better stations, as additional £5m investment has been announced for the Arun Valley Line Improvement Project.
For nine days, from Saturday 14 - Sunday 22 August, and several weekends between
July and October, no trains will run through Horsham, as engineers work to deliver essential renewal works. 
Key dates of when the works will take place:
Enabling work with weekend closures affecting all trains via Horsham:

  • Sunday 11 July
  • Saturday 17 - Sunday 18 July
  • Saturday 31 July - Sunday 1 August 2021

Nine-day closure affecting all trains via Horsham:

  • Saturday 14 August - Sunday 22 August (inclusive)

Follow-up work with weekend closures affecting all trains via Horsham:

  • Saturday 4 September - Sunday 5 September
  • Sunday 3 October

Bus replacement service: 
Buses will replace trains along much of the Arun Valley line, from Arundel and Three Bridges via Horsham, and between Horsham and Dorking. Passengers wishing to travel along the Arun Valley line on these dates will need to allow considerably more time for their journeys and should expect to use either diverted trains via longer routes or a replacement bus or coach to connect with rail services.
Car parking:

  • Please note that the station car parks at Arundel and Crawley stations will be closed on the dates outlined above to support the delivery of the work and the operation of bus replacement services.
  • Passengers driving to these stations are advised to use alternative parking. 

What work is taking place:

  • A section of rail, sleepers, ballast and drainage will be renewed at Horsham station including nine sets of switches and crossings
  • Track improvement work at Pulborough, Warnham and Barnes Green (Barnes Green Level Crossing will be closed from Thursday 19 August to Sunday 22 August).
  • In depth inspection and maintenance work will be carried out across 43 miles of closed track during the 9-day line closure
  • Replacing track circuits (the part of the signalling system that detects trains) along the Arun Valley, and replacing signal heads between Horsham and Crawley.
  • Deep cleaning, refurbishing, decorating and essential maintenance of all closed stations - Crawley, Ifield, Faygate, Littlehaven, Holmwood, Ockley, Horsham, Christs Hospital, Billingshurst, Pullborough, Amberley, Arundel and Warnham 

The benefits:

  • Better, more reliable journeys - the railway along much of the Arun Valley line dates from the 1980s and needs to be replaced. These essential improvements to track, signal, stations, earthworks and structures will help modernise the network and give passengers better, more reliable journeys.
  • Improved passenger experience - while cleaner, brighter and better stations don't have an impact on train performance, they give passengers a more pleasant journey experience. That's why we'll take the opportunity to deep clean, paint and refurbish stations along the Arun Valley line when they are closed.
  • Reduced risk of flooding on the line - drainage improvements will also help reduce or prevent the risk of flooding on the line
  • More work delivered - by delivering work in nine consecutive days in August and several weekends between July and October, we can deliver works much more efficiently than using traditional weekend and overnight access. More efficient delivery means we can free up resources and deliver more improvement work for passengers.

By carrying out the above essential works, the reliability, capacity and safety on the Arun Valley line will be improved significantly.
You can find out more about the project at www.networkrail.co.uk/ArunValley

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