After a two-year hiatus, it’s almost time to dig out the sequins again as the countdown to Brighton & Hove Pride 2022 has officially begun. Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) – which operates services in and out of the city – has confirmed there will be an enhanced service plan to support visitors from Friday, August 5 until Sunday, August 7.
Alongside the event organisers, emergency services and the local council, GTR has been planning for Pride since the start of the year and will be running additional trains with extra carriages on many services. This will provide increased capacity to help people travel safely to and from events in the city.
As in previous years when a full Pride event has taken place, Preston Park station will be closed all weekend and London Road (Brighton) station will be closed all day Saturday. This is to help manage crowds safely.
Brightening up Brighton station will be the return of the rainbow queuing system. The colour-coded queues help passengers identify the correct route for them as they head out of the city after Saturday’s events. The green queue will lead to trains on the East Coastway for stations towards Lewes, Seaford and Eastbourne; the purple queue will be for West Coastway services for stations towards Shoreham-by-Sea, Worthing and Chichester; and the blue queue will be for trains on the Brighton Main Line heading up to Haywards Heath, Gatwick Airport and London.
Brighton & Hove Pride is one of the biggest and most colourful calendar events of the year for the city and GTR will once again be part of the Pride Parade, with a float designed by the company’s LGBT+ Network and fronted by colleagues from across the business.
Angie Doll, Chief Operating Officer at GTR, said: “It’s really exciting that Brighton & Hove Pride can go ahead this year. These events are hugely important to the LGBT+ community and allies, and we are proud to play our part in making sure everyone can travel safely to and from the event.
“We know that visitors have waited a long time for the return of Pride weekend in the city and we will do all we can to support those travelling by rail, but please remember that trains are likely to be very busy throughout the weekend.
“We want everyone attending Brighton & Hove Pride to have a fantastic time, which is why we’ll have more trains running and extra staff on-hand, but please plan your journey and allow plenty of time to get home.”
Paul Kemp, Managing Director of Brighton & Hove Pride, added: “Pride is an important event for our city and with visitors coming in from across the UK & worldwide, we are really excited to be back with a full-scale Pride after a two-year break.
“We are heartened by the positive working partnership we have with GTR and the amazing enthusiasm of its LGBT+ network and all other colleagues.”
Further details on trains, transport and travel can be found HERE
You must be logged in to post a comment.