Network Rail has reopened the railway between Horsham and Dorking following completion of major emergency repairs at Ockley, where a landslip left one of the tracks suspended in mid‑air and forced the full closure of the route from 27 January.
The incident, caused by a nine‑metre section of embankment collapsing in what engineers described as a rotational failure, followed weeks of persistent heavy rain that saturated the soil beneath the track. The landslip rendered both lines impassable and triggered a rapid mobilisation of 24/7 engineering teams.
Throughout the works, Network Rail says it has been grateful for the patience shown by passengers and the local community.
Lucy McAuliffe, Network Rail’s Sussex Route Director, said:
“This was a significant landslip for our teams to respond to, and I can only apologise to passengers who have been impacted by this closure.
“The team worked around the clock to rebuild the railway at Ockley in just a few weeks, which is an incredible achievement, but we know how important this railway is to people and how crucial it was to get regular train services back on track.
“I’d like to say a huge thank-you to passengers and to the local community for their patience and support while we made the railway safe again.”
Complex Engineering to Rebuild the Railway
The repair programme combined emergency work with wider resilience measures across the affected embankment. This included installation of 324 soil nails to strengthen the slope and reduce the risk of future failures, while ensuring the ecological sensitivity of the surrounding area was protected.
Project Manager Nad Campbell described the scale of the engineering challenge:
“Firstly, we needed to stabilise the embankment, stopping it from moving, and then had to rebuild the railway by removing the damaged track and bringing in a piling rig to install 47 steel piles. That meant building a concrete platform strong enough to carry a 50 tonne machine.
“We also had to remove all of the failed material – 2,800 tonnes of it – and reshaped the slope into what’s called a benched formation, which looks like giant steps. That helped us lock the new stone in and make the structure stronger. By bringing in the new material by train we made a carbon reduction of 76 per cent and removed the need for around 140 deliveries by lorry.
“The team effort involved in rebuilding this section of railway has been fantastic – from Network Rail’s teams to our suppliers at M Group, our drone operators at Mulholland Media who recorded the hive of activity on site, and the excellent working relationship our ecologists have had with Natural England in ensuring dormice licences were issued in record time.”
Service Restoration for Southern Passengers
During the closure, Southern maintained a half‑hourly service between Dorking and London Victoria, while rail‑replacement buses covered the affected section between Horsham and Dorking. Passengers were also able to travel on Southern and Thameslink services via Gatwick Airport.
GTR Customer Service Director Jenny Saunders said:
"Through careful work, we've managed to keep the vast majority of our passengers on the move by train, but for local trips it has been necessary to take one of our buses, which has taken longer. So, it really is very good news that the landslip is now repaired and we can restore our full service. I am grateful for our passengers' understanding and patience and thank Network Rail for reopening the tracks on time."
Image and video credits: Network Rail
