WATCH: Lewes railway line reopens after major repairs following train derailment

Train services have resumed between Haywards Heath and Lewes this morning, nearly three weeks after a passenger train derailed north of Lewes station.

Southern confirmed the railway is open to passenger services today, Tuesday 1 September, following what Network Rail described as a major recovery and rebuilding operation.

The line had been closed since Thursday 13 August, when the 2.24pm Southern service from London Victoria to Eastbourne derailed around a mile north of Lewes station.

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch says the train was made up of eight vehicles, with the rear three derailing and overturning on the embankment. Around 150 people were on board and 30 people were injured, with 20 requiring hospital treatment.

The accident caused significant damage to the railway and led to the closure of the route between Lewes and Haywards Heath while the train was recovered and the track, embankment and railway equipment rebuilt.

Network Rail says engineers have worked around the clock to restore the railway.

The recovery programme included removing the train from the site, constructing temporary foundations and working platforms for specialist lifting equipment, repairing and stabilising the embankment, replacing damaged track and ballast and reinstating signalling systems.

Around 500 metres of track has been renewed and 850 sleepers replaced across a 160-metre section of embankment. Network Rail says around 9,000 tonnes of aggregate was brought to the site, with at least 5,000 hours of work carried out by Network Rail, Southern operator GTR and contractors.

Before the line was allowed to reopen, engineers carried out extensive safety checks and test train operations.

Rail near Lewes- Credit: BBC News Hub - Part of the Local News Partnership programme

Lucy McAuliffe, Network Rail’s Sussex Route Director, said the work had been a “complex and challenging recovery operation” and thanked engineers and railway staff involved in restoring the route.

She said repairs were now complete and added that Network Rail was grateful to passengers for their patience while the railway was rebuilt.

Network Rail also thanked residents in Landport and the wider Lewes area for their support and understanding while heavy engineering work was carried out close to homes.

Jenny Saunders, Customer Services Director for Greater Thameslink Railway, which operates Southern, said the closure had had a significant impact on passengers and communities.

She said the reopening had only been possible because of an “extraordinary effort” by engineers and railway colleagues working in challenging circumstances.

Rail replacement buses which had been operating between Haywards Heath and Lewes, serving Cooksbridge and Plumpton, are no longer required following the reopening.

Southern says journey planners have been updated, although passengers are still being advised to check their journeys before travelling today.

Investigators are continuing to examine the condition of the track and embankment, weather conditions before the accident, maintenance arrangements and the precise sequence of events that caused the train to leave the rails.

The reopening means the important rail link between Haywards Heath and Lewes is once again available to passengers as the summer holidays come to an end and the new school term begins.

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