Railway reopens after person hit by a train in Sussex - but 'major delays' remain

The incident, which happened near Three Bridges in Crawley, was reported by Southern Rail at 11.45am on Wednesday (April 19).

A statement on Twitter read: “It is with great sadness that we report a person has been hit by a train between Three Bridges and Horley.

"All lines are blocked between these stations whilst the emergency services work to deal with this incident.

“We recommend you avoiding travelling to or from the Gatwick Airport area. We have arranged ticket acceptance on several alternative routes.”

As of 3.30pm, the line had reopened, with trains now able to run between Three Bridges and Horley in both directions.

However, Network Rail said ‘major disruption’ is expected until ‘the end of the day’.

Some late-running trains may be revised to call at fewer stations en route, so you are advised to check station screens and listen to announcements when travelling.

These routes are being affected; Gatwick Express services between Brighton and London Victoria; Great Western Railway between Gatwick Airport and Reading; Southern services between Bognor Regis / Eastbourne / Littlehampton / Ore / Portsmouth Harbour / Southampton Central and London Victoria; Thameslink services between Brighton / Three Bridges and Bedford / Cambridge, also between Horsham and Peterborough.

Southern recommend people, ‘where possible’, to ‘still delay travel until later today’.

“We are currently working to get as many services moving as possible,” a socia; media statement read. “Please be advised, we have ticket acceptance on multiple alternative services, that will be in place until further notice.

"Please check Journey Planners, listen for station announcements and keep up to date on our service updates page for the most up to date information.”

A Network Rail spokesperson added: “If you’ve been affected by what happened on the network today, there is always someone to talk to. You can contact the Samaritans on 116 123 from any phone for a confidential chat.”

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