Pride organisers have urged festivalgoers to plan their journeys in advance due to train disruption.

No trains will run to or from Brighton station next Saturday, coinciding with Brighton Pride’s parade through the city and the headline performance from Black Eyed Peas.

Rail company Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), which operates Southern and Thameslink services, said the decision was taken “with a heavy heart” due to an overtime ban by train drivers.

However, Brighton Pride managing director Paul Kemp said he did not agree with the decision to cancel train services or the reasons given.

He said: “We are deeply disappointed GTR has announced no trains will run to Brighton on the Saturday of Pride weekend, cutting off Brighton and Hove from the rest of the UK rail network on such an important weekend for our city.

“This will come as a huge shock for not only Pride and the LGBTQ+ community but all the businesses preparing to welcome guests to our city from across the UK and the world.

“Many Pride visitors have already booked and paid for Saturday night accommodation locally, they will now have to change plans or find an alternative way to get into the city. It’s truly devastating news for everyone.”

Pride organisers have been talking with rail union Aslef and GTR since the overtime ban was announced earlier this month.

Mr Kemp said that Brighton Pride “do not agree with GTR’s decision, nor the reasons given for completely stopping train services and the potential of adverse knock-on effects”.

He said: “We’ve worked with GTR for many years. We have been impressed with how well they monitor passenger arrival numbers and can be ready to stop trains coming in, if their service is reaching a capacity level, to make sure people can leave safely again later on.

“We also note that an overtime ban still allows for a reduced service to operate, which is very different from the strike days. It is very sad to see GTR put a complete service shutdown in place rather than finding a working alternative.”

Organisers have advised visitors to arrive earlier on Friday, August 4, and leave on Sunday, August 6 if possible by extending booked accommodation or staying with friends.

“Whatever way you choose to come here for Brighton and Hove Pride 2023, we wish everyone in our community and our allies a happy and safe Pride this summer,” Mr Kemp said.

“On this, the 50th anniversary of the first Brighton Gay Pride march, now is the time to come out and make our voices heard louder than ever.”

Train services on Friday and Sunday will be unaffected by the disruption on Saturday.

Chris Fowler, network operations and performance director for GTR, said: “After exploring all possible options, and following discussions with the police, emergency services and local council, we simply cannot run a safe service with enough capacity for the extraordinary number of passengers that travel to Brighton for Pride.

“We can’t in good faith bring people into Brighton that cannot get home again, potentially leaving thousands of people stranded – safety must come first.

“We hope by making this decision now it will allow people time to plan other options and we hope to be back supporting Pride with full services for the whole weekend next year.”