A discovery of sinkholes near a railway bridge just south of Purley station caused the complete suspension of train services to Gatwick Airport on Sunday 14 June 2026, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded and sending demand for alternative transport soaring.
Network Rail engineers discovered multiple sinkholes during planned engineering work on the Brighton Mainline, close to a bridge south of Purley. The structural concerns were serious enough to require the closure of all lines between Purley and East Croydon while a full inspection from a structural engineer was carried out. The closure severed the main rail corridor linking London terminals with Gatwick Airport, Three Bridges, Brighton, and destinations across Surrey and Sussex.
The Gatwick Express service from London Victoria was suspended, along with Southern and Thameslink services through the affected corridor. Passengers at Gatwick were advised by the airport not to travel if possible, and were warned there was no guarantee journeys could be completed. Replacement buses were put in place but quickly became overwhelmed, with reports of lengthy waits and overcrowding.
Stranded holidaymakers reported taxi fares of up to £250 for trips to East Croydon as demand spiked sharply. For drivers working the area on Sunday, it was clearly a busy and lucrative — if stressful — afternoon.
Network Rail issued an apology and said tickets would be accepted on Monday’s services for those unable to travel on the day. As of Sunday evening, no firm timetable had been given for when services would return to normal, with engineers continuing their assessment of the bridge damage.
Alternative routes were available for some journeys — via Waterloo to Havant with South Western Railway for travel between London and Brighton, for example — but Network Rail warned these were expected to be extremely busy and that some journeys could take up to 90 minutes longer than usual.
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