14.03.16
Sussex trains slow to 5mph as latest landslip hits
Another landslip has hit the rail network, this time in Sussex, forcing Southern rail services on the line between Eastbourne and Lewes to slow to 5mph.
Network Rail staff are currently digging bore holes into the rail to look deeper at the embankment, and will then need to build a temporary road to allow their engineering equipment to fix the estimated 100m stretch of damaged railway between Glynde and Berwick, near Ripe.
Some alterations are expected to train lines to avoid causing delays, so passengers are advised to check the Southern Railway or National Rail websites before they travel.
Derek Butcher, Network Rail’s geotechnical manager for the south east, said: “We are watching this site closely and working on a timescale and a plan for repairs. We appreciate everyone’s patience while this goes on.”
This is the latest in a series of landslips Network Rail have been dealing with, some of which have been linked to the changing climate.
A 500,000 tonne landslip caused partly by recent repeated storms occurred near Appleby on 31 January, meaning the line to Carlisle is closed for an unknown length of time, although an engineering solution has now been found.
Trains between Carlisle and Newcastle also faced disruptions for several weeks in January after perpetual rain caused two landslips near Hexham.
Last January the line between Leamington Spa and Harbury was closed by another landslip, although it opened successfully ahead of schedule. RTM interviewed the engineers responsible for the repair work.
The last landslip in Sussex happened in Ockley in 2014 and took a month to repair.