94-680: Brighton railway station is the southern terminus of the Brighton Main Line , the western terminus of the East Coastway Line and the eastern terminus of the West Coastway Line in England, and the principal station serving the city of Brighton , East Sussex. It is 50 miles 49 chains (50.61 miles, 81.45 km) from London Bridge via Redhill . The station is managed by Govia Thameslink Railway , which operates all of
188-439: A bus every 20 minutes each way on each of the three routes, with most route 12 services only running between Brighton and Seaford. This gives the combined service pattern of 9 buses per hour (Brighton–Seaford) or 6 per hour (Seaford–Eastbourne). During the weekday afternoon peak, the frequency on route 12X briefly increases in the eastbound direction to every 10 minutes. On Sundays routes 12 and 12A run every 30 minutes each, giving
282-582: A café. It is open 24 hours a day and storage is free of charge; most funding came from the Department for Transport (£500,000), Network Rail (£200,000), local rail operator Southern and the city council (£100,000 each). In 2012 £4.5 million was secured from the Department for Transport's Station Commercial Project Facility for renovation of the concourse. Changes included an increased number of ticket barriers, improved layout, more seating and retail outlets and
376-502: A combined 4 buses per hour throughout. Route 12X does not operate on Sundays or on weekday evenings, and route 12 runs through to and from Eastbourne during these times. Route 13X runs mostly on public holidays or during the summer, and is a primarily tourist-oriented service. It also links Brighton with Eastbourne, and its course is mostly identical to that of route 12X (including its limited-stop nature between Brighton and Seaford), except near its eastern end where it additionally serves
470-480: A dog used to collect charitable donations, was displayed at the station following its death in 1891. A goods station and yard was also constructed on the eastern side of the passenger station but on a site 30 ft lower (9.1 m) due to the sloping site, which was initially accessed from the Shoreham line by a second tunnel under the passenger station. The tunnel entrance was filled in after new tracks were laid into
564-521: A newsagent and other food and retail outlets. The front of the station often sees stalls and street food vans. Following a request by Labour MP for Hove Peter Kyle in 2014, Southern added a street piano to the concourse, with a vintage Southern Railway logo inscribed. Citations Sources Brighton Main Line The Brighton Main Line is a railway line in southern England linking London to Brighton . It starts at two termini in
658-449: A passenger station, goods station, locomotive depot and railway works on a difficult site on the northern edge of Brighton. This site was 0.5 miles (0.80 km) from, and 70 feet (21 m) above the sea shore, and had involved considerable excavation work to create a reasonable gradient from Patcham Tunnel . The passenger station was a three-storey building in an Italianate style, designed by David Mocatta in 1839–40 which incorporated
752-475: A rake of Mark 4f coaches and a Class 414 (2-HAP) driver motor brake unit. The journey was timetabled to take 30 minutes and seven trainsets were required to operate the service. In the first seven months of the service, the number of passengers travelling by rail to Gatwick Airport went up by 38% and revenue on the route increased by 52%. Responsibility for running the Gatwick Express was transferred to
846-486: A result, Southern operate a queuing system from the afternoon onwards. The London to Brighton Bike Ride in June each year attracts large numbers of cyclists. As a result, Southern bans bicycles from many trains on the day, and on the following day it operates a queuing system at Brighton station. The train operators had in the past allowed bicycles on trains for the many cyclists returning to London. Passenger facilities include
940-417: A ticket office, a travel information office, and several retail outlets. There are bus stops, a taxi rank, a car park and bicycle storage. Facilities for cyclists were extended in 2014 when a "cycle hub" was built at the rear entrance to the station. The three-storey building combines storage space for 500 bicycles with shops to buy or hire a bicycle, a repair facility, toilets, showers, changing facilities and
1034-469: A train hauled by Terrier No.83 Earlswood collided with the buffers at Brighton, due to the driver's error. Nineteen people were injured. On 30 September 1922, control of a steam engine was lost at the engine shed. When the engine got to the turntable there were no buffer-stops to stop the engine. This caused the momentum of the engine to derail and crash through a brick wall into the street, injuring one passer-by. The concourse includes food shops, cafés,
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#17328518327561128-426: A two-track bypass of this section of line. The new line, which included two new tunnels and extensive cuttings, was authorised by parliament on 20 July 1894. A second act, permitting minor changes to the route, was given royal assent on 20 July 1896. The Quarry Line, as the bypass became known, opened to freight services on 5 November 1899 and to passenger trains on 1 April the following year. Five stations opened on
1222-672: Is 70 mph (110 km/h) on the fast lines and 60 mph (97 km/h) on the slow lines. Signalling is controlled from Three Bridges rail operating centre . The Brighton Main Line between Windmill Bridge Junction and Balcombe Tunnel Junction is 21 mi 26 ch (34.3 km) long and has twelve stations in total. Gatwick Airport station is managed by Gatwick Express, but the other stations are managed by Southern. Gatwick Airport has seven operational platforms, East Croydon and Purley have six, South Croydon and Three Bridges have five, Purley Oaks , Redhill and Horley have four, and
1316-717: Is 70 mph (110 km/h) on the fast lines and 60 mph (97 km/h) on the slow lines. Signalling is controlled from Three Bridges rail operating centre . The London Bridge to Windmill Bridge Junction section of the Brighton Main Line is 9 mi 61 ch (15.7 km) in length and has nine stations in total. London Bridge station is managed by Network Rail and has 15 platforms. All other stations ( New Cross Gate , Brockley , Honor Oak Park , Forest Hill , Sydenham , Penge West , Anerley and Selhurst ) are managed by London Overground. Both New Cross Gate and Norwood Junction have five operational platforms, but
1410-559: Is 90 mph (140 km/h). There are four tunnels on this section of the line: Balcombe tunnel is 1,141 yd (1,043 m) long; Haywards Heath Tunnel is 249 yd (228 m) long; Clayton Tunnel , at the summit of the line, is 1 mi 499 yd (2.066 km) long; Patcham Tunnel is 1 mi 492 yd (2.059 km) long. There are two viaducts on this part of the Brighton Main Line: The 22 ch (1,500 ft; 440 m) Ouse Valley Viaduct crosses
1504-645: Is around 50 mi (80 km) and the line is electrified using the 750 V DC third-rail system. The London Victoria to Windmill Bridge Junction section of the Brighton Main Line is 10 mi 2 ch (16.1 km) in length and has nine stations in total. Victoria and Clapham Junction stations are managed by Network Rail and have 19 and 17 operational platforms respectively. The other stations ( Battersea Park , Wandsworth Common , Balham , Streatham Common , Norbury , Thornton Heath and Selhurst ) are managed by Southern and have four operational platforms each. Train services that use this section of
1598-526: The Coaster family. In 2018, these routes had a combined annual ridership of over 5 million. The routes connect the coastal settlements of Brighton , Rottingdean , Saltdean , Telscombe Cliffs , Peacehaven , Newhaven , Seaford , Friston, East Dean and Eastbourne . They also serve a number of tourist sites within the South Downs National Park , including the abandoned village of Tide Mills and
1692-617: The East London Line to Dalston Junction . The Thameslink franchise, which included services from Brighton to Bedford, was awarded to Govia in 1997. It was initially due to end in 2004, but delays in the Thameslink 2000 project resulted in the company being awarded a two-year extension to 2006. The new franchise, also incorporating services on the Great Northern Route , was awarded to FirstGroup , which began operating trains under
1786-615: The Falmer Stadium are served by train services from Brighton to Falmer. A queuing system is in operation from 2 hours before kick off for trains departing from platforms 7 and 8. The stadium's 31,800 capacity means these queues are large close to kick off. After the game, fans leave the station via the emergency gates, and a queuing system is in operation for West Coastway Line services departing from platforms 1 and 2. The Lewes Bonfire night, usually on 5 November, attracts large numbers of people, many travelling through Brighton station. As
1880-566: The First Capital Connect brand on 1 April 2006. The company introduced 12-car trains to the Brighton Main Line in December 2011. The South Central franchise was terminated two years early in 2014, allowing Southern- and Gatwick Express-branded services to be combined with those run by First Capital Connect, to create the Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern franchise . Awarded to Govia,
1974-717: The Great Western Railway being the Southern Region and Western Region . Until December 2007, South West Trains operated regular services to Reading and Paignton via Worthing and Chichester . Until December 2008 CrossCountry and its predecessors operated services to Birmingham New Street and beyond. Until May 2018, Brighton was served by an hourly service to Ashford International via Eastbourne . Now, all Ashford trains run from Eastbourne. Until May 2022, Great Western Railway operated limited services to Bristol Temple Meads and beyond. Football matches at
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#17328518327562068-706: The InterCity sector of British Rail in April of the following year. A service from Reading to Gatwick via Guildford and Redhill, later branded the North Downs Line , was introduced in May 1980. A third new route launched by Network SouthEast was the Bedford –Brighton Thameslink service via the Snow Hill tunnel under central London, which began on 16 May 1988. Two major stations on
2162-496: The London and Greenwich Railway (L&GR) around 1.75 mi (2.82 km) east of London Bridge station and the L&;CR would have running powers into the terminus. Passenger trains began running on the L&GR between Deptford and its temporary London terminus at Spa Road on 8 February 1835. London Bridge station, the first permanent terminus in the capital, opened on 14 December
2256-535: The London, Brighton & South Coast Railway in 1846 following mergers with other railways with lines between Portsmouth and Hastings . With over 14 million passenger entries and exits in 2022/23, Brighton is the busiest station in East Sussex , the second busiest in South East England , and the seventh-busiest station in the country outside London. The London & Brighton Railway (L&BR) built
2350-621: The River Ouse on 37 brick arches and the shorter Vale Viaduct is 3.5 ch (230 ft; 70 m) long. The first part of the Brighton Main Line to be constructed was the section between London Bridge and Croydon. It was proposed in 1834 by the London and Croydon Railway (L&CR) company. Much of the route, surveyed by Joseph Gibbs , followed the course of the Croydon Canal , the southern terminus of which would be used for Croydon station (now West Croydon ). The line would diverge from
2444-520: The River Thames , opening Victoria station on 1 October that year. Although LB&SCR trains could access Victoria station via Crystal Palace, John Rastrick advised that a shorter route to the West End of London would be "most desirable". The company therefore decided to build a "cut-off" line between Croydon and Balham via Streatham Common. The proposal was authorised by parliament on 3 July 1860 and
2538-859: The Seven Sisters cliffs . Route 12 mostly follows the course of the A259 road along its entire journey, except briefly in Newhaven to serve the railway station interchange and the retail park. Route 12A deviates from the A259 to additionally serve the Denton neighbourhood in Newhaven and the Chyngton housing estate in Seaford. Route 12X follows the A259 throughout, and furthermore runs limited-stop between Brighton and Seaford town centre. The daytime Monday–Saturday service pattern consists of
2632-535: The Shadow Strategic Rail Authority decided to re-tender the franchise in 2000. In October that year, the competition was won by Govia , which took over the running of trains in August 2001, having bought out the final two years of Connex's contract for £30M. Govia's ten-year franchise formally began in May 2003, when it introduced the "Southern" brand name. The agreement required the company to retire
2726-542: The West End of London and Crystal Palace Railway in 1848. The Brighton Main Line was completed in December 1862, when the LB&;SCR opened the direct route between Croydon and Victoria via Thornton Heath . The Brighton Main Line is electrified using the 750 V DC third-rail system and the majority of the route has four tracks. There are seven tunnels, including two on the Quarry Line, which allows express services to bypass
2820-515: The 13X, it serves Birling Gap and Beachy Head, but it calls at all stops west of Seaford like route 12. Route 11X operates only on summer Sundays, with three journeys per day in each direction between Brighton and Eastbourne. Unlike the 12s and the 13X, it runs further inland between Newhaven and Eastbourne: it follows the A26 and A27 roads, serving several local attractions such as Middle Farm, Charleston Farmhouse and Drusillas Zoo Park , as well as
2914-599: The Brighton Main Line and the majority of the Southern Region of British Railways, became part of the new "London & South Eastern" sector of British Rail. Four years later, on 10 June 1886, the sector was rebranded to become Network SouthEast . In the early 1980s, a major resignalling project was undertaken that involved the closure of the majority of the signal boxes on the line and the transfer of control to Victoria and Three Bridges signalling centres. London Bridge panel box, which had opened in 1975, retained control of
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3008-435: The Brighton Main Line are: With the exception of the line between Victoria and Battersea Park, this part of the Brighton Main Line has four parallel tracks. The fast lines for longer-distance express services are on the western side of the formation and the slow lines are to the east. In general fast services stop at Victoria and Clapham Junction and do not make scheduled calls at the other stations. The maximum permitted speed
3102-508: The Brighton Main Line in the 1870s and 1880s. Brockley opened on 6 March 1871 to serve a new area of residential development. Norbury was built on a speculative basis, with one third of the cost being contributed by developers, and opened on 1 January 1878. Similarly, the cost of Honor Oak Park station, which opened on 1 April 1886, was also part-paid by developers. On 1 August that year Wivelsfield opened and trains began calling at Coulsdon South on 1 October 1889. The final station to be built on
3196-439: The Brighton Main Line to be built was the section from London Bridge to Croydon, which was opened by the London and Croydon Railway (L&CR) in 1839. Two years later, a separate company, the London and Brighton Railway (L&BR), extended the line to the south coast. In 1846, the L&CR and the L&BR merged to form the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR), which began to run trains to London Victoria via
3290-501: The Brighton Main Line were rebuilt in the early 1990s. A new circular station building at Redhill station, designed by the architecture firm, Troutham & Macasum, was completed towards the end of 1990. East Croydon station, designed by Alan Brookes Associates, opened on 19 August 1992. The Gatwick Express franchise was one of the first parts of the UK rail network to be transferred to a private operator, when National Express began running
3384-535: The Brighton Main Line. Brighton %26 Hove bus route 27 Coaster is the brand name given to a series of bus routes operated by the Brighton & Hove bus company , running between Brighton and Eastbourne in East Sussex , England. The service has been praised for its scenic route, which takes riders along the Sussex coast atop the Brighton to Newhaven Cliffs , with Richard Coles declaring it "the best bus in
3478-543: The Brighton Main Line. Haywards Heath has four platforms and Preston Park has three. The other four stations ( Balcombe , Wivelsfield , Burgess Hill and Hassocks ) have two operational platforms each. Train services that use this section of the Brighton Main Line are: Between Balcombe Tunnel Junction and Brighton, the Brighton Main Line generally has two tracks, signalled for bi-directional working. There are short three- and four-track sections at Preston Park and Haywards Heath stations respectively. The maximum line speed
3572-478: The Quarry Line, which provides a bypass route to avoid the junctions at Redhill. There are changes in track mileage on both the fast and slow lines to the south of Redhill. The maximum speed on this section of the Brighton Main Line is 90 mph (140 km/h). The Brighton Main Line passes in tunnel beneath the North Downs . The slow lines run through the 1 mi 71 yd (1.674 km) Merstham Tunnel and
3666-654: The SER opened on 26 May 1842. In 1839, anticipating that disputes might arise over the use of the line north of Redhill, parliament instructed the L&BR to sell the Coulsdon–Redhill section to the SER. A price of £340,000 was agreed and the transfer of ownership took place in July 1845. On 27 July 1846, parliamentary authority was granted to merge the L&CR and L&BR to form the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR). A branch line from Sydenham to Crystal Palace
3760-461: The Shoreham line, in May 1840, and another, adjacent to the locomotive works for main line locomotives, the following year. During 1860–1861 John Chester Craven , the locomotive superintendent of the London Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR) began the removal of a large chalk hill to the north of the station, which had been dumped during the excavation of the main line. The space created
3854-440: The awkward sloping site. By the late 1870s the facilities were inadequate for the growing volume of traffic and so the existing platforms were lengthened to be able to accommodate two trains, and the three separate roofs were replaced by an overall roof during 1882/1883. The station has an impressive large double-spanned curved glass and iron roof covering all of the platforms, which was substantially renovated in 1999 and 2000. At
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3948-458: The capital, London Victoria and London Bridge , and the branches from each meet at East Croydon , from where the route continues southwards via Gatwick Airport to the coast. The line serves the suburbs of South London , as well as the towns of Redhill , Horley , Crawley , Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill . The distance from the London termini to Brighton is around 50 mi (80 km) and
4042-408: The defunct Croydon, Merstham and Godstone Railway in order to use part of its abandoned trackbed for the new railway. The first construction contracts were let in 1838 and the first track was laid at Hassocks on 4 February the following year. The engineer was John Urpeth Rastrick and the stations were designed by David Mocatta . In total, around 6000 navvies are thought to have worked to build
4136-434: The engineers Robert Stephenson and Nicholas Cundy preferred longer, but cheaper routes via Dorking and Shoreham-by-Sea . The London and Brighton Railway (L&BR) company, formed to promote Rennie's more direct route, received parliamentary approval for its scheme on 15 July 1837. The line was to leave the L&CR about a mile from its southern terminus, to head southwards towards Brighton. The L&BR purchased
4230-473: The entire line was completed on 1 January 1933, when the section between Three Bridges and Brighton was commissioned. A major resignalling project on the southern part of the Brighton Main Line was undertaken in 1932. Colour light signalling was commissioned between Coulsdon North and Balcombe Tunnel Junction on 4 June 1932. Six signal boxes were closed and control of this section of line was transferred to Three Bridges. In October 1932, colour light signalling
4324-437: The excavation of the cutting at New Cross, meant that an additional £216,000 was required. The route originally surveyed by Gibbs was also modified to ease curves and to reduce the maximum gradient from 1 in 80 to 1 in 100. The official opening ceremony for the L&CR took place on 1 June 1839, although passenger trains for the general public did not start until four days later. Since the area between New Cross and Croydon
4418-450: The fast lines pass through the longer, 1 mi 353 yd (1.932 km) Quarry Tunnel. There is one additional tunnel on the Quarry Line, Redhill Tunnel , which is 649 yd (593 m) long. The section of the Brighton Main Line from Balcombe Tunnel Junction to Brighton is 19 mi 21 ch (31.0 km) long. All seven stations on this section are managed by Southern. Brighton has eight platforms, of which six are connected to
4512-426: The fastest end-to-end journey time is about an hour. A variety of passenger services runs on the line, including limited-stop airport expresses, semi-fast regional and outer-suburban trains, and shorter-distance commuter services. These are operated by Govia Thameslink Railway ( Gatwick Express , Southern and Thameslink ) , Transport for London ( London Overground ) and Great Western Railway . The first part of
4606-530: The final slam-door trains, achieved in 2005, and to invest £853M in new rolling stock. The Gatwick Express and Southern franchises were merged in May 2008, to allow capacity increases and better use of train paths on the Brighton Main Line. The new arrangement allowed Gatwick Express services to be extended to Brighton, initially during peak periods, but required the replacement of the ten Class 460s with seventeen Class 442 units. The third South Central franchise, awarded again to Govia, began in 2009 and required
4700-497: The first all-electric Pullman trains in the world. Initially, three return trips ran each day, but the service was increased to four in 1963. The Class 403 sets were withdrawn on 30 April 1972. The Beehive , the original terminal building at Gatwick Airport , opened in mid-1936. It was served by Tinsley Green station, which had opened in September the previous year and which was renamed Gatwick Airport on 1 June 1936. The station
4794-439: The following year. The L&CR was authorised by act of parliament on 12 June 1835 and a second act, permitting the company to build its own terminus at London Bridge, was given royal assent on 14 July 1836. The line between the capital and Croydon was built by the engineer, William Cubitt , and construction began in 1838. The cost of the line was originally estimated to be around £400,000, but difficulties encountered during
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#17328518327564888-463: The front of the station is a bus station. The station has six bus stops which are served by Brighton & Hove bus routes 1, 1A, N1 , 5B , 6 , 7, N7 , 12, 12A, 12X , 13X , 14, 14C , 18 , 24 , 26 , 27, 27B, 27C , 46 , 48 , 49 , 55 , 59 and 79 . The station taxi rank is outside the rear of the station. A tunnel runs under the station which once provided an open-air cab run at a shallower gradient than Trafalgar Street outside, which had been
4982-475: The goods yard, but a portion of it was converted into offices during World War II , and these were in use until the early 21st century. A portion of the tunnel is still used by a local rifle club, with an entrance staircase accessible from platforms 6 and 7. The site of the goods yard has since been redeveloped, and much of it forms the New England Quarter . To the north of the station, on the east side of
5076-657: The head office of the railway company. (This building still stands but has been largely obscured by later additions.) The station is said to have many similarities to the Nine Elms railway station of the London and Southampton Railway (1838) designed by Sir William Tite . Baker & Son were paid £9766 15s for the station building between May and August 1841. The platform accommodation was built by John Urpeth Rastrick and consisted of four pitched roofs each 250 ft long (76 m). It opened for trains to Shoreham on 12 May 1840, and to London on 21 September 1841. The station site
5170-409: The intermediate stations have two platforms each, which serve the slow lines only. Train services that use this section of the Brighton Main Line are: The Brighton Main Line between London Bridge and Windmill Bridge Junction has four parallel tracks. The fast lines for longer-distance express services are in the centre of the formation and the slow lines are to the outside. The maximum permitted speed
5264-631: The junctions at Redhill station. The most serious accident on the Brighton Main Line occurred in October 1947, when two trains collided in fog near South Croydon station , killing 32 people. The listed structures on the route include the Ouse Valley Viaduct , the north portal of Clayton Tunnel and all three termini. The Brighton Main Line is a railway line in southern England. It links the capital to Brighton and passes through Greater London , Surrey and West Sussex . It serves Gatwick Airport and
5358-486: The line as far south as Coulsdon North was completed in April 1925, but in August the following year, the company decided that all future electrification projects would use the DC third-rail system and that the existing overhead wire system would be replaced. The conversion of the existing electrified sections was completed in September 1929 and third-rail electrification reached Three Bridges in July 1932. The electrification of
5452-400: The line in the 19th century was Purley Oaks, which opened on 5 November 1899. Work to quadruple the Brighton Main Line continued in the first decade of the 20th century. Two additional tracks were brought into use between Streatham Common and Windmill Bridge Junction (north of Croydon) in July 1903. The line between Redhill and Three Bridges was quadrupled in 1907 and from Three Bridges to
5546-529: The line north of Norwood Junction. Remodelling of Windmill Bridge Junction was undertaken, with the creation of an additional flyover to eliminate conflicting movements between trains on the slow lines. The arrangement of the tracks at East Croydon was changed to route all fast services through platforms 1, 2 and 3 on the west side of the station. Gatwick Express services were launched by Network SouthEast on 14 May 1984 using 90 mph (140 km/h) capable Class 73 locomotives in push-pull mode, each hauling
5640-464: The line: five Sharp, Roberts and Co. and two J. and G. Rennie 2-2-2 engines were used to haul trains and two 0-4-2 locomotives were used as banking engines for the steep climb to New Cross from the junction with the L&GR. In the early 1830s, several different routes for a railway between London and Brighton were proposed. John Rennie the Younger favoured a line via Merstham and Horley, while
5734-418: The main approach to the station before the construction of Queen's Road (which was financially supported by the railway and intended to improve access). The cab run was covered (forming a tunnel) when the station above was extended over it on cast iron columns. The cab run remains in situ but has been sealed at the station end, with the sloped entrance infilled with concrete and used as a storage area. Help ,
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#17328518327565828-412: The main line, the railway constructed its locomotive and carriage works , which operated from 1841 until 1911, when the carriage works was moved to Lancing and 1957 when the locomotive works closed. Thereafter Isetta cars were briefly built in a part of the works. The London & Brighton Railway opened a small locomotive shed and servicing facility to the north west of the station for locomotives on
5922-646: The new double-track line opened on 1 December 1862 with intermediate stations at Thornton Heath and Streatham Common. A further act of parliament was passed on 18 July 1864 authorising a link between the Victoria and London Bridge arms of the Brighton Main Line that allowed trains to travel between Norwood Junction and Thornton Heath without a reversal. Selhurst station, on the Victoria arm, opened on 1 May 1865 and South Croydon opened that September. A third track had been laid between New Cross and Croydon in August 1844 for atmospheric trains . This method of train propulsion
6016-518: The new franchise took the form of a management contract , reducing the risks to the operator arising from the introduction of new services as part of the Thameslink programme. During the lifetime of the franchise, the Bermondsey dive-under was constructed, reducing the conflict between Southern trains departing from London Bridge and northbound Thameslink services heading towards London Blackfriars, and an extensive refurbishment of London Bridge station
6110-473: The number of signal boxes on the line was reduced and new boxes were commissioned at Balham, Norwood Junction, Gloucester Road Junction and Purley. The South Terminal at Gatwick Airport was opened on 9 June 1958. The new terminal was directly linked to a new railway station on the Brighton Main Line, which had opened on 27 May that year. The former airport station, located close to the redundant Beehive terminal, had closed on 18 May 1958. On 4 January 1982,
6204-530: The operator to increase capacity on its routes by 10% by December 2013. In 2014, 700 more services were running on the South Central network on weekdays than at privatisation in 1996. In May 2010, London Overground began running stopping services on the Norwood Junction–New Cross Gate section of the Brighton Main Line, allowing trains that had previously terminated at London Bridge to run via
6298-436: The popular cliffside destinations of Birling Gap and Beachy Head . In 2018, the route had an annual ridership of under 300,000. The 13X runs most frequently on Sundays between April and October, with buses every 30 minutes each way. Less frequent services also operate on Sundays for the rest of the year, as well as on weekdays and Saturdays during the summer peak. Route 13 operates one day per year, on Boxing Day. Like
6392-564: The railway. The line, which required five tunnels and a viaduct over the Ouse valley, cost £2.63M (around £57,000 per mile). Completion was delayed due to bad weather during the winter of 1840-41 and the first section, from Croydon to Haywards Heath, did not open until 12 July 1841. The initial timetable included four trains each way on weekdays between the capital and Haywards Heath, with intermediate calls at Red Hill, Horley and Three Bridges (calls were made at other stations on request). The journey time
6486-468: The remaining stations ( Coulsdon South , Merstham , Earlswood and Salfords ) have two platforms each. Train services that use this section of the Brighton Main Line are: Between Windmill Bridge Junction and South Croydon there are five parallel tracks, but for the remainder of this section there are four parallel tracks. Between Stoats Nest Junction and the south of Redhill station, the fast and slow lines diverge. The fast tracks are generally known as
6580-508: The removal of the previous WH Smiths structure. In 2021, a tactile map was installed, in collaboration with the Royal National Institute of Blind People , to help blind and partially sighted passengers navigate the station. Both Southern and Thameslink have driver, on board supervisor and conductor depots at Brighton station. Arthur Wellesley, 2nd Duke of Wellington , died at the station on 13 August 1884. On 4 August 1909,
6674-458: The service to Cambridge is reduced to hourly. The following companies have served Brighton in the past: Until 1967 a service operated between Brighton and Birkenhead Woodside via Redhill , Reading , Oxford , Birmingham Snow Hill , Wolverhampton Low Level , Shrewsbury and Chester . The stock was provided on alternate days by British Railways successors to the Southern Railway and
6768-481: The services. It was built by the London & Brighton Railway in 1840–41, initially only connecting Brighton to Shoreham-by-Sea , westwards along the coast, in May 1840. It finally connected a year later inland to Haywards Heath and London Bridge in September 1841 via the just-completed Clayton Tunnel; and then in 1846 to the county town of Lewes to the east via the London Road Viaduct. The railway became
6862-403: The southern limit of four-tracking at Balcombe Tunnel Junction in 1911. The first parts of the Brighton Main Line to be electrified, were the approaches to London Bridge and Victoria stations. The chosen system used overhead wires, energised to 6,700 V AC, and multiple units equipped with pantographs for current collection. The new infrastructure allowed electric trains to start running between
6956-452: The station are as follows. The typical off-peak service in trains per hour is: During peak hours and on Saturdays, the station is also served by an additional hourly to Ore . The typical off-peak service in trains per hour is: During peak hours, a number of Gatwick Express services call at Preston Park , Hassocks and Burgess Hill between Brighton and Haywards Heath. The typical off-peak service in trains per hour is: On Sundays,
7050-517: The station offices at Victoria on 12 June 1944. Further bomb damage occurred at Forest Hill on 23 June 1944. Under the Transport Act 1947 , the Brighton Main Line became part of the Southern Region of British Railways . During the 1950s, work continued to modernise the signalling system, which included the installation of colour lights between Selhurst and East Croydon in March 1954. In the same decade,
7144-614: The town in 1933, replacing the previous facility which had been built in 1884. Further upgrades to enable larger volumes of mail to be handled at the station were undertaken in 1935 and 1938. Rail transport of Post Office mail ceased following the opening of the Willesden postal rail hub in 1996. A Pullman dining service between London and Brighton, nicknamed the Brighton Belle , was launched on 29 June 1934. It used five-car 75 mph (121 km/h) capable Class 403 (5-BEL) units,
7238-463: The town of Polegate . It runs limited-stop between Brighton and Newhaven and between Polegate and Eastbourne. Route 27 , together with its variants 27B and 27C , is branded Coaster Local . It runs entirely within the boundary of Brighton and Hove , linking the suburbs of Westdene and Saltdean via Withdean (including Withdean Sports Complex ), Prestonville , Seven Dials , the city centre, Kemp Town and Rottingdean . The route runs along
7332-463: The towns of Redhill , Horley , Crawley , Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill , as well as the South London suburbs. The line starts at two central London termini : the western branch runs from London Victoria while the eastern branch originates at London Bridge . The two branches join at Windmill Bridge Junction, to the north of East Croydon station. The distance from London Victoria to Brighton
7426-600: The trains on 28 April 1996. The company introduced Class 460 units to their services in 1999, although the final locomotive-hauled trains were not withdrawn until 2005. Connex was awarded a seven-year franchise in 1996 to operate passenger trains on the Brighton Main Line as Connex South Central . The company introduced a Gatwick Airport– Rugby service, which ran via the West London Line , and also deployed Class 319 units to Victoria–Brighton express services. Following concerns over Connex's management and performance,
7520-543: The two termini via the South London Line on 1 December 1909. On 12 May 1911, the electrification was extended from Battersea Park to Crystal Palace via Balham and to Norwood Junction and Selhurst on 3 March 1912. During the First World War, the Brighton Main Line was the target of two Zeppelin attacks. The line at the south end of East Croydon station was damaged on 13 October 1915 and Streatham Common station
7614-408: The world" in 2022. The route has ranked high in various polls for the UK's most scenic bus routes, placing fourth in a 2023 list by Snaptrip ranking the country's top bus routes on value and scenery and ranked the second most popular route in the country for scenery following social media research by SunLife in 2022. Route 12 , along with its variants 12A and 12X , is the main service within
7708-585: Was listed at Grade II* on 30 April 1973. As of February 2001, it was one of 70 Grade II*-listed buildings and structures , and 1,218 listed buildings of all grades, in the city of Brighton and Hove . The station has eight platforms, numbered 1 to 8 from left to right when looking from the main entrance. All platforms are long enough to accommodate 12-car trains, except platform 1 which can only hold up to 10 carriages. Services at Brighton are operated by Southern , Gatwick Express and Thameslink using Class 377 , 387 and 700 EMUs respectively. Services at
7802-416: Was abandoned by the LB&SCR in 1847, but the extra track was retained to provide additional capacity for northbound locomotive-hauled trains. A fourth track, used for southbound services, was added to this section of line by 1854. Between Stoats Nest and Redhill, the Brighton Main Line was owned by the SER. Congestion at the junctions at the south end of Redhill station prompted the LB&SCR to propose
7896-458: Was built to Bricklayers Arms and opened on 1 May that year. The South Eastern Railway (SER) company was formed to promote a railway from London to Dover . Under the terms of the act of parliament passed on 21 June 1836, the company was empowered to build a line that left the L&CR at Penge, but the following year, parliament permitted the company to instead form a connection to the L&BR at Redhill. The Redhill to Tonbridge section of
7990-421: Was closed two years later. A station was opened at Stoats Nest (later Coulsdon North) in the spring of 1842 to cater for racegoers at Epsom . Work to widen the shared section of the L&GR viaduct was completed on 10 May that year. The new L&CR London Bridge station, designed by Henry Roberts , opened in 1844. Since the new terminus was not designed to handle freight, a spur line primarily for goods trains
8084-402: Was commissioned between Balcombe Tunnel Junction and Brighton. Haywards Heath station was rebuilt with two island platforms, each with two platform faces able to accommodate 12-car trains. Platforms 3 to 6 at Brighton were also lengthened as part of the same project. Redhill station was substantially rebuilt in 1932 as part of the electrification programme. A new sorting office was opened in
8178-461: Was completed. Govia was heavily criticised for the poor implementation of a new timetable in May 2018, which routed additional services from the Brighton Main Line via the Thameslink core. The company was also criticised for its role in the 2016–2019 United Kingdom railway strikes . In 2022, Govia was awarded a three-year extension to its management contract, which took effect on 1 April that year. There are 13 listed structures associated with
8272-457: Was extended for the opening of the Brighton Lewes and Hastings Railway on 8 June 1846 (which had been purchased by the L&BR in 1845). In July 1846, the L&BR merged with other railways to form the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway . Further extensions to the station occurred during the mid-19th century but only a limited number of additional platforms could be added because of
8366-462: Was hit by a bomb in September 1916. Salfords station was opened on 8 October 1915 initially for the use of workers at the nearby Monotype Corporation factory. It continued to operate as a private halt after the war and was not opened to the general public until 1932. Under the Railways Act 1921 , the Brighton Main Line became part of the Southern Railway in 1923. The overhead electrification of
8460-628: Was opened on 10 June 1854 by the West End of London and Crystal Palace Railway (WELCPR). The company extended its line to Balham on 1 December 1856 and to Pimlico in March 1858. A west–south spur linking Crystal Palace and Norwood Junction stations was opened in 1857, allowing trains from Brighton to reach the Pimlico terminus. The LB&SCR purchased the WELCPR in 1859. In 1860, the Victoria Station and Pimlico Railway constructed Grosvenor Bridge across
8554-516: Was relocated northwards to its current site at the South Terminal on 27 May 1958. During the Second World War, the Brighton Main Line was a target for enemy bombing. Bombs caused damage to the tracks at Norbury on 19 October 1940 and outside Victoria station on 21 December that year. Both London termini were damaged in a raid on 11 May 1941 and a V-1 flying bomb caused extensive damage to
8648-427: Was sparsely populated and largely undeveloped countryside, the majority of passenger journeys on the line were between the two termini. Nevertheless, when the line opened, intermediate stations were provided at New Cross (now New Cross Gate), Dartmouth Arms (now Forest Hill), Sydenham, Penge (now Penge West), Anerley Bridge (now Anerley) and Jolly Sailor (now Norwood Junction). Initially nine steam locomotives operated on
8742-524: Was two hours from London and a coach , taking a further two hours to reach Brighton, was provided for onward travel. The final section of the Brighton Main Line, between Haywards Heath and Brighton, opened on 21 September 1841. The initial service on the whole line was six trains per day in each direction, with most trains taking 2 + 1 ⁄ 4 hours to complete the journey and one non-stop service in each direction taking 1 + 3 ⁄ 4 hours. The station at Merstham opened on 1 December 1841, but
8836-652: Was used to accommodate a new much enlarged motive power depot in 1861, replacing the two existing facilities. During the early 1930s, following the electrification of the lines the steam motive power depot was rebuilt and reduced in size. It was closed 15 June 1961 but remained in use for stabling steam locomotives until 1964 and was demolished in 1966. The site is currently the Network Rail 's ECR and infrastructure maintenance depot, and Southern 's Lovers Walk Depot , used for servicing most of Southern's single voltage Class 377 and formerly Class 313 fleets. Brighton station
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