Police incident on railway in West Sussex - This is what happened

A key railway line in West Sussex was temporarily blocked due to a police incident this morning (Wednesday, January 31).
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Southern Rail reported shortly before 9am that the police were ‘dealing with an incident’ near the railway, between Horsham and Three Bridges.

"Trains have to run at reduced speed on all lines between these stations,” a statement on X read.

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"The police are currently investigating an incident in the Crawley area.

Southern Rail. Photo: Sussex World / stock imageSouthern Rail. Photo: Sussex World / stock image
Southern Rail. Photo: Sussex World / stock image

“Whilst this is ongoing, trains will have to run at a slower speed, known as ‘cautioning’.”

At 9am, Southern said all lines had been blocked between Horsham and Three Bridges ‘due to a trespasser on the railway’.

A spokesperson added: “We are looking into alternative transport options whilst services are unable to operate.”

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The person had been removed from the tracks 9.10am, with Southern stating it planned to ‘have people on the move soon’.

Train tickets were being accepted on alternative Southern/Thameslink services ‘via any reasonable route’ as well as Metrobus services.

In an update at 9.20am, Southern wrote: “All line are now open between Horsham and Three Bridges.

"Trains can now run between these stations but services are still expected to be delayed and may be cancelled or revised at short notice.

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"Please continue to check your journey as you may need to change your journey in route, extending your travel time by up to 20 minutes.

"If you are using alternative transport covered by our ticket acceptance on buses, please allow an additional 25 minutes to complete your journey.”