Delay chaos after Albion match was due to two trespass incidents
Fans at Falmer station on Saturday after the Brighton match (Image: Supplied)
Fans leaving Albion’s opening Premier League fixture were delayed for “over an hour” after two trespass incidents.
British Transport Police were called to reports of a trespasser at London Road station in Brighton[1] at 5.05pm just after Albion’s match against Luton Town on Saturday.
Officers and a police helicopter were also called to Preston Park station in Brighton due to concerns for a man’s welfare.
Thousands of fans leaving the match were unable to catch a train to Brighton or towards Lewes due to the power being turned off on the railway line.
The Argus: People queueing for trains towards Lewes on Saturday
People queueing for trains towards Lewes on Saturday (Image: Supplied)
A witness said trains were delayed or stopped on the railway until at least 6.30pm as many fans opted to walk or cram onto buses.
A British Transport Police spokeswoman said: “Officers were called to London Road station at 5.05pm on August 12 following reports of a person on the tracks.
“Officers attended and carried out a full search however the person had already left the area.
“Officers were also called to Preston Park station at 5.50pm on August 12 following concern for the welfare of a man.
“Officers attended alongside the National[2] Police Air Service (NPAS) and located the man who was taken to a place of safety.”
One Luton fan said: “We travelled all the way from Luton which is two hours away from Brighton.
“This palaver made us miss our connections and it took forever to get home.”
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Other fans described the delays as “horrendous”.
Southern Rail said journeys were still being disrupted as of 9pm around Brighton.
A Southern Rail spokeswoman said: “Unfortunately there were two trespass incidents in the area at similar times on Saturday, causing disruption. One was near Brighton station, and a second in the Preston Park area.
“In both instances, the power had to be switched off in the interest of safety and therefore, it took a while for the network to get up and running again
“We apologise for anyone caught up in the disruption on Saturday. They may be entitled to Delay Repay – more information here: Delay Repay compensation | Southern Railway[3]."