Lines blocked between Eastbourne and Lewes after person is hit by …

Southern Rail (Photo: phil dennett)

At 1.57pm today (Wednesday, August 30) Southern posted on social media about the incident and said the lines are blocked whilst emergency service crews deal with the incident.

Around 15 minutes later a spokesperson added: “If you're currently on a train that has been at a stand for some time, please remain on board and listen to announcements for the latest updates. If you haven't started your journey, we advise delaying your travels until later this afternoon if possible.”

Southern explained that it cannot run to or from Eastbourne in either direction.

The company said: “This will affect services to/from the direction of Lewes, Eastbourne and Haywards Heath, as well as to/from Hastings.”

Those currently travelling will need to use an alternative route to complete their journey, according to Southern.

The spokesperson added: “Your journey will also take at least 60 minutes longer than normal, so please allow plenty of extra time.”

Rail replacement buses have been requested, but these are yet to be confirmed and are expected to be very limited, Southern said.

The spokesperson added: “Services that run between London Victoria and Eastbourne/Hastings/Ore will terminate and restart at different stations to normal, for instance Brighton, Lewes or Gatwick Airport. Cooksbridge and Plumpton will likely have a very limited service as a result.”