Opening Up Old Sussex Railway Lines

[BlockDpete]

Actually Rowfant Station still exists on the Worth Way , the old Three Bridges to East Grinstead line, as does much of the track bed in that area.

I maybe wrong, but wasn't the old line a single track. I would have thought that would caused capacity issues as the two towns expanded?

I was thinking that using Fastway as a way of linking Crawley and East Grinstead would be a better idea.

 

[Bladders]

For those who are interested there is an evening of programmes about Beeching and the Railways on BBC Parliament on Sunday evening from 7:00 pm.

 

[Silk]

Would be great if Uckfield -Lewes was reopened. There's the remains also near Uckfield of a line that would have gone from Uckfield to Newick and beyond and I think was never completed but would have been part of the same line as the Bluebell.

 

[gazingdown]

Anyone remember/travelled on the Steyning line?

Another lost Sussex line that hasn't got a mention yet.

Did you miss the very first reply to this thread?

I also love cycling on this line. The axing of lines wasn't all bad in that it gave great cycle routes.

 

[Bladders]

Would be great if Uckfield -Lewes was reopened. There's the remains also near Uckfield of a line that would have gone from Uckfield to Newick and beyond and I think was never completed but would have been part of the same line as the Bluebell.

That was the Ouse Valley line. Work stopped in 1867 when the investors ran out of money. Work had started on the Haywards Heath to Uckfield stretch of line.

 

[Bladders]

Did you miss the very first reply to this thread?

I also love cycling on this line. The axing of lines wasn't all bad in that it gave great cycle routes.

I did.

 

[dougdeep]

Has anyone mentioned that Mr Beeching lived in East Grinstead?

 

[Paskman]

Has anyone mentioned that Mr Beeching lived in East Grinstead?

Forest Row wasn't it?

 

[Man of Harveys]

Get your camera out and post some pictures of the Plymouth-Kingston line!

Could do, know it well, live right near it. But it's all a bit underwhelming: the stations are in the middle of nowhere, apparently because well-to-do NIMBYS protested against having their generally rather quiet, underpopulated town centres violated by stations when they rebuilt the line...which would bring about exactly the kind of activity that I think those places need.

 

[BlockDpete]

Has anyone mentioned that Mr Beeching lived in East Grinstead?

Yes, he was made Lord Beeching of East Grinstead, I believe.

 

[Boys 9d]

Yes, he was made Lord Beeching of East Grinstead, I believe.

The East Grinstead to Tunbridge Wells line which he recomended for closure ran along the bottom of his garden. Coincidence?

 

[Bladders]

The East Grinstead to Tunbridge Wells line which he recomended for closure ran along the bottom of his garden. Coincidence?

Some then and nows of Tunbridge Wells West.

 

[Bladders]

 

[Bladders]

No mention has yet been made of the Spa Valley Railway which now connects the Network Rail station at Eridge via Groombridge to the site of the old Tunbridge Wells West Station. To rejoin it to the main line at Tunbridge Wells would involve demolishing a Sainsbury Superstore. If done this would of course with a new link from Lewes to Uckfield provide an alternative route from Brighton to London.

Tunbridge Wells borough council only sold the land to Sainsbury's on the premise that if the line was ever to be reopened, Sainsbury's would have to pay the full cost of removing the buildings that blocked the line which Lord Sainbury agreed to.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Thats not entirely correct, Beeching did not determine what he was told to investigate nor did he implement any of his proposals. In both cases it was the politicians who determined the parameters of his work and how the reforms would be carried out. The guilty parties for the closures were the then Conservative and following Labour governments of the time.

Its also important to recognise that there was a strong belief that the railway industry could be made profitable and pay for itself. Beeching was correct in his opinion that the railways could no longer compete with road haulage and that the future of freight was in block and liner trains. He was less correct with certain aspects of passenger trains but even with out his report the network would have shrunk considerably during the 1960's regardless.

If he was guilty of anything (and he's certainly not the first in this country when it comes to infrastructure) its that he and his political leaders took a short term view and solution to the then problem of the railways. He and the politicians at the time never really looked at how a growing population, social change and increasing use of the motor car would lead to an explosion of traffic on the roads over the next 30-40 years. The trimmed back railway system was never invested in either as promised.

Luckily the railways are going through a renaissance now with passenger numbers up and in some stations around the country by a huge percentage. Huge investment is going into the network with the likes of the London Overground now being complete, Crossrail, which is the largest engineering project in Europe and of course HS2 which is also utilising 12 miles of the old Great Central track bed. The government have also put a large amount of money into a pot to encourage local councils to apply to have their old stations and lines reopened if feasible.

Lewes to Uckfield also seems to be gathering pace as well and was discussed recently as one of the worst closures(though this was down to ESCC) at the Campaign for better Transport '50 years of Beeching' conference in March.

When I first started working as a transport planner (in the 1970s), the senior people in my profession (mostly civil engineers) generally took the view that it was well worth winding down the public transport system because:-

1. Passenger numbers were inevitably in decline, as car ownership grew;
2. Public transport would therefore need greater subsidies than the public sector could afford;
3. Increased car ownership was a good thing, because it supported an important part of the British economy - motor manufacturing;
4. Greater car ownership also delivered a more flexible work force, with a greater choice of jobs, which was good for the economy generally.
5. Increased car ownership justified upgrading of the road network, which itself would be good for the national economy.

The outcome was a commitment to reduce the scale of the public transport network, even where services were still being reasonably well used.

 

[Norman Potting]

When I first started working as a transport planner (in the 1970s), the senior people in my profession (mostly civil engineers) generally took the view that it was well worth winding down the public transport system because:-

1. Passenger numbers were inevitably in decline, as car ownership grew;
2. Public transport would therefore need greater subsidies than the public sector could afford;
3. Increased car ownership was a good thing, because it supported an important part of the British economy - motor manufacturing;
4. Greater car ownership also delivered a more flexible work force, with a greater choice of jobs, which was good for the economy generally.
5. Increased car ownership justified upgrading of the road network, which itself would be good for the national economy.

The outcome was a commitment to reduce the scale of the public transport network, even where services were still being reasonably well used.

All seemed very logical at the time I am sure.

 

[West Hoathly Seagull]

A chance for me to post a picture of Sharpthorne tunnel I took a few years ago during one of the cold/snowy winters (2009 I think). Nice ice stalactites IMHO!

Have you been over the full line yet Mark?

 

[West Hoathly Seagull]

Actually Rowfant Station still exists on the Worth Way , the old Three Bridges to East Grinstead line, as does much of the track bed in that area.

I maybe wrong, but wasn't the old line a single track. I would have thought that would caused capacity issues as the two towns expanded?

I was thinking that using Fastway as a way of linking Crawley and East Grinstead would be a better idea.

It was a single line, but I think it was only 6 or 7 miles from East Grinstead to Three Bridges. You could easily fit a half hourly service in - they manage that on the Exmouth line in Devon and that's considerably longer. It's not the breach by the M23 that is the real problem. Railway bridges can be fitted over motorways. True you would have to close the motorway, but sliding a new bridge in place could probably be done in a night. The real problem is the building on the line at Crawley Down. There is part of the Burleigh Estate on the line (old pictures show the line running right past the Royal Oak pub - where Burleigh Way now runs) and a parade of shops on Old Station Close. Crawley Down is a booming village, with 100 houses being built and the school oversubscribed. Undoubtedly, were the railway available, it would be well used by Crawley and London commuters and a large amount of leisure traffic to Crawley, East Grinstead, London and various other places.

Would be great if Uckfield -Lewes was reopened. There's the remains also near Uckfield of a line that would have gone from Uckfield to Newick and beyond and I think was never completed but would have been part of the same line as the Bluebell.

There are also the remains of a line from Lindfield, presumably from Haywards Heath. That may be part of the line you mention. Go over the Ouse on the B2028 and up the hill towards the church. Look out on your right and you will see an embankment.

 

[Wey-Arun Railway]

This is all very interesting. Any Albionites or whatever you call yourselves up for helping get a heritage railway on the Cranleigh line off the ground? I and my currently sole colleague have been making steady progress on putting together information and plans for this, starting at the Christ's Hospital end. Could really do with more folk on board, to be treasurer, secretary and all the other positions involved in a charitable trust, as well as directors of the PLC which will also have to be started - and also anyone willing to give us their physical assistance on-site, or swing any influence anywhere (with councils, landowners, whatever), lend equipment, or just give us your money... ANY way you can help us would be most appreciated! I'm on Facebook under the same name as here, and there's a page you can 'like' ("Wey & Arun Railway") and a group you can join too... hoping to get a website up soon (again, any decent web designers around here?). The eventual aim is to get the full 30-odd miles from Peasmarsh Junction down to Shoreham reopened, but beyond Christ's Hospital, dear God is the route bollocksed... that's going to be a megamillions project!

 

[Phat Baz 68]

I hope they open up the Brighton to Crowborough line again...would come in very handy for work! Any chance of this?

I agree they should never ever have closed that one, ridiculous as was closing Crowborough - TUNBRIDGE Wells