Bank holiday trains receive a complicated leisure plan
Bank holiday trains across south London and Sussex will change while engineers improve tracks, tunnels and signals. The railway has therefore planned a relaxing weekend in which nobody follows their normal routine.
Work continues at Blackheath tunnel and Hither Green station. Meanwhile, engineers will upgrade Lewisham signalling and refurbish rails at Chislehurst. Several routes will close entirely.
Around Edenbridge, teams will repair a tunnel, lay new rail and improve drainage. In addition, maintenance will close the line between Three Bridges and Horsham on Sunday.
“Most of the network remains open,” said Percy Diversion, Curator of Alternative Destinations. “Unfortunately, each passenger occupies the small portion that has developed a replacement bus.”
At the Institute of Long Weekends, travellers received three pieces of advice. Check before leaving. Allow extra time. Finally, accept that Brighton may now involve an emotional connection at Oxted.
Network Rail says fewer people travel during the bank holiday, making the period useful for major work. However, every remaining traveller will personally know all of them by the end of Monday.
The upgrades should improve future journeys. For now, passengers can enjoy Britain’s traditional holiday attraction: a laminated notice explaining why the platform they need has become a place where trains remember going.
Read the real story: Network Rail’s guide to the changed bank holiday trains.
