[Sussex] Brighton Main Line 2 to be built?

[Worried Man Blues]

We really need a tunnel going from Falmer into Europe

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

22nd century supporters should be the first to use it.

Exactly, l'll be dead and buried long before the first train runs on the line.

 

[Weststander]

Exactly, l'll be dead and buried long before the first train runs on the line.

You’ll be alive and well, 105 years old, in a vast Greek villa.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

You’ll be alive and well, 105 years old, in a vast Greek villa.

I've no wish to make it to a grand old age thank you. The Greek villa on the other hand . . .

Thank you for the thought though.

 

[Chicken Run]

Being listed didn't stop that one in Brighton getting demolished.

Which one was that? Lewes Road?

If you do then I’m not sure that one was actually listed??

Here’s a great picture mid demolition in 1976!

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Which one was that? Lewes Road?

If you do then I’m not sure that one was actually listed??

Here’s a great picture mid demolition in 1976!

View attachment 158784View attachment 158785

Never mind the flipping viaduct, l'd look at that first pic just for the Southdown bus.

Superb!

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Route doesn't sound particularly 'mainline' aka London to Brighton and vice versa via most direct route, has to be said

 

[jackalbion]

I am still of the opinion that a new east facing chord should be built north of Littlehampton and trains from London by either route via Horsham could then use that part of the West Coast line. If there is not enough capacity at Brighton Station, trains could terminate at the third platform in Hove or even Worthing as I am sure not every commuter lives in Brighton. At the moment some travellers leave the London trains at Hove and use the shuttle to Brighton.

This really wouldn’t make much of a difference or cause any capacity increases.

 

[Boys 9d]

Would a line via Uckfield cause any more capacity increases than a line via Angmering?

 

[jackalbion]

Would a line via Uckfield cause any more capacity increases than a line via Angmering?

No really, neither of these plans solve anything really

 

[Barham's tash]

Which one was that? Lewes Road?

If you do then I’m not sure that one was actually listed??

Here’s a great picture mid demolition in 1976!

View attachment 158784View attachment 158785

Mid 1976? Where’s that famous summer?!

So odd as I have vivid memories of being in my Nan’s back garden (D’Aubigny Road) in the early 80’s watching it being taken down to build the Vogue Gyratory Sainsbury’s. Did they take down the bit across Lewes Road sooner and leave the rest?
EDIT: Just looked it up and of course they did. Forgot the shored up closed end that stood at that point for years. Amazing what you forget/don’t remember clearly.

 

[RandyWanger]

It's already over budget and delayed

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

Would a line via Uckfield cause any more capacity increases than a line via Angmering?

No but sod bloody West Sussex, just a little money spent on infrastructure in East Sussex would be long overdue. The trainline from Hastings to London is just awful, the main link roads awful. The A21 the most dangerous road in the UK, no better than a country lane in places, needs serious improvement. The half built link road around Hastings pointless. The A27 from Polegate to Lewes, awful instead of building a decent road they used the land to build a cycle track.

The infrastructure in East Sussex has been crap for decades, this has left Hastings as one of the poorest towns in the whole of the South.

 

[macbeth]

No but sod bloody West Sussex, just a little money spent on infrastructure in East Sussex would be long overdue. The trainline from Hastings to London is just awful, the main link roads awful. The A21 the most dangerous road in the UK, no better than a country lane in places, needs serious improvement. The half built link road around Hastings pointless. The A27 from Polegate to Lewes, awful instead of building a decent road they used the land to build a cycle track.

The infrastructure in East Sussex has been crap for decades, this has left Hastings as one of the poorest towns in the whole of the South.

and that’s before you even think about the suburbs of those places, like sidley or the ridge, which are also incredibly badly served by public transport. anyone not living either on the main line between bexhill and hastings or the mainline to london via t wells can go swivel, apparently. heck, even them building another station at glyne gap/ravenside would be a dramatic improvement

 

[Audax]

I doubt this actually gets anywhere, but the fact it’s even mentioned in a plan is the furthest the proposal has ever got.

As for upgrading the existing line, they’ve closed it several times for week long periods and it doesn’t seem to really get much better. And I don’t know how much you can do to increase capacity with extra tracks due to the number of tunnels

Existing Uckfield line, or existing Brighton Main Line? If the latter - that was covered in the announcement that they're planning to take forward the upgrades to the Uckfield line (ie, the BML is pretty much done in terms of being able to increase capacity).

 

[Washboard Didgets]

Re-opening the Haywards Heath to Horsted Keynes section, and electrifying onwards to East Grinstead would be feasible. All heritage railway movements stopped for a couple of hours in the morning rush hour and a couple more in the evening, with just northbound fast(ish) electric trains in the morning and osuthbound in the evening - that could work well.
They could turn off the juice in the day time to make it safer for the volunteers and steam trains on the Bluebell.

As someone living in East Grinstead I'd be very pleased if this was the outcome.

The only way to the Amex via train at the moment is to get a train to East Croydon (approx 45 minutes in the wrong direction) then change and get a train to Brighton (another 45-60 minutes). Alternatively I can get a bus to Three Bridges (approx 30-45 minutes) then get a train to Brighton (another 30 minutes).

So I currently either drive all the way to Brighton and pay to park (total journey 45 minutes), or drive to Haywards Heath (20-25 minutes) and get the train from there (18-30 minutes).

If I want to enjoy a few beers I have to add £50-60 to match day cost for taxis to and from HH.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London,_Brighton_and_South_Coast_Railway#/media/File:Lbscr1922.jpg

You realise how better connected our towns and villages were back 101 years ago.

 

[schmunk]

As someone living in East Grinstead I'd be very pleased if this was the outcome.

The only way to the Amex via train at the moment is to get a train to East Croydon (approx 45 minutes in the wrong direction) then change and get a train to Brighton (another 45-60 minutes). Alternatively I can get a bus to Three Bridges (approx 30-45 minutes) then get a train to Brighton (another 30 minutes).

So I currently either drive all the way to Brighton and pay to park (total journey 45 minutes), or drive to Haywards Heath (20-25 minutes) and get the train from there (18-30 minutes).

If I want to enjoy a few beers I have to add £50-60 to match day cost for taxis to and from HH.

Train to Sheffield Park.

https://www.bluebell-railway.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2023-PUBLIC-TIMETABLE-C.pdf

121 bus to Lewes.

https://www.compass-travel.co.uk/download/east-sussex-bus-services/121.pdf

Train to Falmer.

https://i0.wp.com/thehistoriantraveller.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/17768353_303-1-1.jpg?resize=700%2C378&ssl=1

SImples.

 

[Washboard Didgets]

Train to Sheffield Park.

https://www.bluebell-railway.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2023-PUBLIC-TIMETABLE-C.pdf

121 bus to Lewes.

https://www.compass-travel.co.uk/download/east-sussex-bus-services/121.pdf

Train to Falmer.

https://i0.wp.com/thehistoriantraveller.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/17768353_303-1-1.jpg?resize=700%2C378&ssl=1

SImples.

Timings and costs please... ?

 

[The Oldman]

Never mind the flipping viaduct, l'd look at that first pic just for the Southdown bus.

Superb!

Not proper Southdown colours though!