A particularly crazy closure was Lewes-Uckfield in 1969. This seemed, even at the time, to make little sense. For the sake of a few miles not only did the large town of Uckfield lose its rail link to the county town of East Sussex, but it also meant that there was no practical diversionary route for trains from Brighton to London, particularly as a few years before the Shoreham-Horsham line was closed. These were both double track routes serving reasonable-sized communities.
Ever since it closed there have been calls for the reopening of this essential link. In the 70s perhaps the dinosaurs were hoping the whole Oxted to Uckfield line would close - the link from Eridge to Tunbridge Wells really did close in 1985, the last real rail closure in southern England. How times have changed. Now rail is in the ascendant and lines and stations are reopening everywhere. How much longer can this link remain broken?
And once this is restored lets look at the Hailsham-Eastbourne, Shoreham-Horsham and Three Bridges to Eridge lines. The rail revival in Sussex will soon begin.
1 comment:
Of all the lines you mention the Uckfield-Lewes line still seems to be firm favourite to be reopened as planning restrictions prevented any development on the former trackbed. A bonus is that one mile of it is operated as the Lavender Line. . Consultants report is expected later in 2008 and with Network Rail and political support the future looks good.
Polegate-Hailsham would be very expensive to reopen. At Polegate the former rail cutting through the town has not only been infilled but houses built on top!!!. At Hailsham the station site has also been covered with a housing estate.
Shoreham-Horsham via Steyning. Whilst most of the trackbed is now a footpath/ cycleway there are some obstacles to overcome if the railway was to be rebuilt.- Steyning by-pass has been built along the trackbed through Bramber and Steyning. Housing estate built across the trackbed at Henfield.
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