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.”
MOST READ
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].”