Passengers have been told to plan ahead, with major rail disruption looming on the Brighton Main Line during a half-term.

The line will be shut between Three Bridges, Brighton and Lewes for nine days, from Saturday, February 13 2027 to Sunday, February 21 2027.

The closure is for major engineering works to improve the line’s safety and long-term reliability.

Engineers carrying out work on the Brighton Main Line. (Image: NQ)

Work includes renewing track at Plumpton and Haywards Heath, upgrading switches and crossings at Preston Park, and improving Keymer Junction near Wivelsfield.

Teams will stabilise the Haywards Heath cutting and the Balcombe Stamford rock cutting to cut the risk of landslips and rockfalls.

Jenny Saunders, customer service director for Southern, Gatwick Express and Thameslink, said: “This major work next year is crucial to keeping services reliable for our Gatwick Express, Southern, and Thameslink customers.

“Trains will be diverted and buses will replace services on affected routes for nine days, so we’re asking passengers to save the dates in their diaries.

Rail replacement buses in use during planned engineering works. (Image: NQ)

“By giving people as much notice as possible, we’re encouraging everyone to begin thinking about their travel options for next February, especially as some may find it easier to plan to work flexibly where they can over the affected period.”

During the closure, trains will start and end at Three Bridges, with rail replacement buses running between Three Bridges and Brighton/Lewes.

Southern will run London Victoria to Brighton trains via the Arun Valley and Littlehampton, so journeys will take longer.

Other work includes structural repairs at Balcombe Tunnel, drainage repairs at Stone Hall Bridge near Balcombe, and maintenance on the Ouse Valley Viaduct.

Work at Copyhold Junction, near the Ouse Valley Viaduct and Haywards Heath. (Image: NQ)

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Lucy McAuliffe, Network Rail’s Sussex route director, said: “The Brighton Main Line is one of the busiest rail corridors in the country, with complex and intensively used infrastructure.

“This work is vital to reduce faults, improve journey reliability, and keep services running safely for years to come.

“We know closing the railway is an inconvenience, but the extended closure over February half-term 2027 allows us to deliver a huge volume of work at once, avoiding repeated disruption across multiple weekends or during the busy summer season.”

Network Rail and train operators will run a public information campaign later this year with more details on travel during the closure.

Passengers should plan ahead and allow extra time to travel.

Online journey planners will be updated nearer the time to show the service changes.