RAILWAY lines between Lewes and Seaford will be closed during August as Network Rail carries out a major £20m upgrade.

From August 18-27 engineers will be replacing all signalling equipment. 

Additional improvements will take place to allow triple the number of trains to use the line via Lewes as a diversionary route for services between Brighton and Haywards Heath when the main line is closed.

The railway sidings at Newhaven Marine will also be upgraded to support a potential freight connection in the future. 

While the railway is closed between Lewes and Seaford, buses will replace trains every 10 minutes during peak hour, and every 15 minutes for off-peak.

Additional buses will be available to provide extra capacity if needed. 

John Halsall, Network Rail’s managing director for the South East route, said: “The work we’re carrying out in East Sussex this August is part of our plan to provide a better, more reliable railway for passengers.

"The new signalling equipment will be far less likely to fail, while our upgraded power supply will give future train operators the option to run more trains.

“We’re also doing some much-needed work at Lewes to enable three trains an hour to use the diversionary route between Brighton and Haywards Heath, helping us keep people on the move during disruption or if we need to close the main line between Brighton and Burgess Hill for engineering work.

“We know that there is never a good time to close the railway, especially during weekdays, I’d like to apologise to passengers for the disruption this will cause and thank them in advance for their patience and understanding.”