Railway works 'on target' after landslip

Works to repair a railway line after a landslip which has disrupted trains for a week are "on target" to be completed by 16 February, Network Rail says.

A landslip south of Ockley in Surrey has closed the line between Dorking and Horsham, West Sussex, since 23 January, with works ongoing to repair the land after parts of the track were left hanging off the edge of the slip.

A spokesperson for Network Rail, which is carrying out the repairs, said on Sunday that "speedy progress" meant the train line was still due to be re-opened in two weeks.

No trains are serving Ockley, Holmwood, or Warnham during the closure.

In a statement on X, Network Rail Kent and Sussex said: "In just one day, our team repairing the Ockley landslip undertook the installation of 47 steel piles as part of the work to rebuild and strengthen the embankment.

"Speedy progress has enabled the team to move to the next stage of the work, with earthworks now underway meaning that the project in on target to hand back the line between Dorking and Horsham to Southern Rail customers on Monday, 16 February."

Network Rail originally said the line would be closed until 31 January, but later extended the closure for a further two weeks.

An hourly train service will continue to run between Dorking and London Victoria, and services continue to run from Horsham to London Bridge and London Victoria, via Gatwick Airport.

Follow BBC Surrey on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected] or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.