Rail line to reopen after landslip repairs

Railway repairs have been completed after weeks of disruption caused by a landslip.

The line south of Ockley, Surrey, has been closed between Dorking and Horsham, West Sussex, since 23 January after some of the track was left hanging in the air.

Network Rail said work was carried out day and night to rebuild the route and engineers carried out other work to strengthen the embankment.

The line is expected to reopen on Monday.

The slip happened when earth gave way along a nine-metre section of embankment, sliding out from under the tracks.

Project manager, Nad Campbell, said the repair job involved removing 2,800 tonnes of material.

Damaged track had to be taken away, the embankment stabilised and a concrete platform built capable of holding a 50‑tonne machine.

The slope was then reshaped to make it stronger.

Campbell praised the team effort as "fantastic".

Network Rail Sussex route director, Lucy McAuliffe, described the landslip as "significant".

She said: "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."

Passengers had been forced to use a replacement bus service because of the landslip.

Customer service director for GTR, which runs Southern Railway, said: "It really is very good news that the landslip is now repaired and we can restore our full service."

She thanked the public for its patience.

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