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HorshamDorking Rail Line Reopens After Ockley Landslip Repairs

Engineers rebuilt the failed Ockley embankment using 47 steel piles with a benched slope.

Overview

  • Regular services resumed on Monday, February 16, restoring trains on the Surrey–Sussex commuter route after a late‑January closure.
  • Network Rail said the failure was a nine‑metre rotational slip caused by saturated soil following persistent rain.
  • Crews removed 2,800 tonnes of failed material, built a concrete platform for a 50‑tonne piling rig, installed the piles, and reshaped the embankment.
  • Wider resilience work included installing 324 soil nails on the embankment to reduce the risk of future slips.
  • During the shutdown, Southern ran replacement buses between Horsham and Dorking, kept a half‑hourly DorkingLondon Victoria service, and advised alternatives via Gatwick Airport.