They are every half hour. I'll have a look at them tomorrow. I don't expect them to be overcrowded.
In my experience, assuming they run as 12-car length, the ~6 carriages at the north end of the train (nearest the buffers at Victoria) are often standing room only, even while the ~2 carriages at the very south end of the train are virtually empty (in one case I think I had the carriage to myself). So make sure you walk down to the south end of the train and you should be fine - unfortunately that means a walk at both Victoria and Gatwick!
Some of the schedules are strange. There is a Thameslink from Brighton to Three Bridges which then goes on to form a separate train to Gatwick three minutes later, e.g. 9S22 forms 9Z22.
What formation are the diverted Victoria to Gatwick trains likely to be? Last time they were 12 cars. The stops at Horsham are not shown as public stops but they have released the doors on previous occasions. Why do they do this? The alternative route to Victoria from Horsham southwards requires three changes at Three Bridges, East Grinstead and East Croydon. The up Arun valley trains connect perfectly at Horsham with the diverted Gatwick trains but that is not an option on journey planners.
Last year's diverts were, to put it at its mildest, not the railway's finest hour, and I think they've tried to avoid a repeat by making it harder to use the diverts. The diverts last year had advertised stops at both Three Bridges and Horsham, but were very optimistically timed at just 77 minutes between Victoria and Gatwick, compared to 80 minutes in 2023 and 81 minutes in 2022. And unfortunately in 2024 it all fell apart, with at least one southbound train late in the evening terminating short at Horsham due to late running (caused in part by a passenger taken ill on one of the diverts at Clapham Junction); my journey from Kings Cross to Brighton took four hours (departing about 19:30 and eventually getting home about 23:30).
All the same, I think the better solution would have been to simply add a bit more performance time into the schedules and give them longer turnround times. I can understand pulling the Three Bridges stops, but not advertising the Horsham stops does seem somewhat odd given they have to stop there anyway to reverse. Ordinarily I'd go out and experience the diverts for myself but after last year's experience I'm not in a hurry to do so!
This is the once a year block of all lines at Stoats Nest as it has to be parallel tamped to keep the geometry fit for 70mph crossover speeds as well as ensuring the concrete bearers don't get over stressed across the joints.
I recall the points at Stoats Nest were replaced in a blockade over Christmas 2013 - was that a like-for-like renewal or did that introduce some subtle change to the pointwork that introduced the annual tamping requirement?
Interestingly that blockade at Christmas 2013 was planned to include Victoria-Gatwick trains running via Dorking and Horsham, but there was a landslip at Ockley on Christmas Eve, meaning the diverts had to be scrapped (and the line through Ockley didn't reopen until February 2014).
The similar blockade at Christmas 2015 (which I believe was renewal of the ladder at the London end of Purley station) is the first time I travelled on a diverted Victoria-Gatwick train via Dorking, but I'd be interested to know if they ran previous to that.
Since then there have been diversions via Dorking on the following dates (I do not claim this is a comprehensive list):
- Sunday 4th March 2018
- Sunday 27th January 2019
- Sunday 6th February 2022
- Sunday 5th February 2023
- Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st January 2024
The bit of the Brighton line I use is four tracks from Three Bridges (Balcombe Tunnel Junction) to London Victoria. Therefore, for 364 days of the year, there really isn't a need to look at engineering work as it'll either refer to something south of Three Bridges, or that either the Quarry Line (avoiding Redhill) or the route via Redhill is shut perhaps reducing the service rather than shutting it completely.
However, now that I know there is an annual one day shut down, I'll look out for it in future. Any one know when next year's will be?
Also, anyone know why a Horsham to Dorking shuttle can't be put on? Arun Valley users might prefer to go that way.
The Engineering Access Statement for 2026 shows a similar possession with diversions via Dorking on Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th January 2026.
My understanding is that the electrical supply for the third rail between Dorking and Horsham can only support a maximum of 2tph in each direction (at least when they're 12-car in length), so the half-hourly diversions are all that can run. Indeed, when such a possession is required on a Saturday (as happened in 2024), buses replace the normal stopping trains between Dorking and Horsham to enable the diversions to run.
