148-720: The Oxted line is a railway line in southern England. It runs from the Brighton Main Line at South Croydon in Greater London to Hurst Green Junction in Surrey , where its two branches diverge. The western branch continues via Lingfield to East Grinstead in West Sussex , whereas the eastern branch runs via Edenbridge Town in Kent to Uckfield in East Sussex . The line is named after
296-542: A golf course and a fishing lake. Lingfield Park Racecourse, around 1 ⁄ 4 mi (0.40 km) from Lingfield station, opened in November 1890 and four years later, in May 1894, the station was enlarged with an additional bay platform for the use of racegoers. Sidings were added in 1898 to allow horses to be transported to the course and special trains ran on racedays until the 1970s. Four new stations were constructed on
444-535: A minimum weekday fare of £13). Holders of annual season tickets for journeys within the Network area, including on London Underground, are issued with a "Gold Card" which gives them similar privileges to the Network Railcard. NSE was broken down into various sub-divisions. London Victoria-East Grinstead/Uckfield/Sutton/Epsom Downs/Dorking/Horsham Soon after conception, Network SouthEast started to modernise parts of
592-661: A partial closure of the line between 7 February and 1 December 1921. The first proposals to electrify the route, using overhead lines energised to 1,500 V DC , were put forward by the LB&;SCR in the late 1910s and early 1920s. However, as a result of the Railways Act 1921 , the Oxted line became part of the Southern Railway (SR) in 1923, which decided to implement the third-rail electrification system instead. The Oxted line
740-475: 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
888-554: A self-contained franchise, it was not incorporated with the rest of NSE services from Waterloo into the South West Trains operation, and was instead transferred to London Underground . Although NSE ceased to exist in 1994, its logos, livery and signage would linger well into the following decades. Southeastern , Southern and First Capital Connect trains continued to run in NSE livery until as late as 2007. Underground stations on
1036-518: A single track) and the 1,022 yd (935 m) Crowborough Tunnel. The first part of the Oxted line to be completed was the section from Eridge to Uckfield. It was built to join the existing East Grinstead–Tunbridge Wells line at Groombridge (opened on 1 October 1866) to the Uckfield–Lewes line (opened on 11 October 1858). It was proposed by the Brighton, Uckfield & Tunbridge Wells Railway and
1184-577: A spur would lead to the SER Redhill–Tonbridge line. The section south of Crowhurst Junction to East Grinstead would be solely owned by the LB&SCR. Work on the new line began in 1881. Under the terms of their ownership agreement, the SER was responsible for providing stations at Upper Warlingham and Oxted, while the LB&SCR built those at Lingfield and Dormans. At East Grinstead, two new "low level" platforms were constructed below and at right angles to
1332-426: 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
1480-568: Is 24 mi 53 ch (39.7 km) in length and has eight stations in total. Eridge station has three platforms, of which one is used by the Oxted line and the other two by the Spa Valley Railway . Edenbridge Town , Hever, Ashurst and Crowborough stations have two platforms each; the remaining three stations ( Cowden , Buxted and Uckfield) have a single platform. All stations are managed by Southern and passenger services are operated using Class 171 diesel multiple units. This part of
1628-672: 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
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#17328478312751776-717: 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
1924-559: 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
2072-645: 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
2220-478: Is controlled by Three Bridges Area Signalling Centre, but the rest of the line is controlled from Oxted Signal Box. The maximum line speed is 85 mph (137 km/h) and trains typically reach East Croydon from East Grinstead in around 35–40 minutes. The maximum gradient on this section is 1 in 67, south of Dormans. The summit of the line is on the north side of Oxted Tunnel, the longest on the line at 1 mi 501 yd (2.067 km). There are two other tunnels:
2368-568: The Anglo-American Oil Company depot at Selsdon took place between 1894 and 1993. The Oxted Greystone Lime Company was founded shortly before the opening of the South Croydon–East Grinstead section in 1884. From 1886, a standard-gauge, single-track branch ran from the Oxted line to three sidings at the base of the quarry, where lime could be transferred from the internal 2 ft ( 610 mm ) system. Shipments via
2516-617: 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
2664-566: 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,
2812-660: 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
2960-496: 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
3108-529: The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (Various Powers) Act 1884 , the LB&SCR was authorised to acquire the O&;GR. Points were laid at Hurst Green Junction on 14 November 1887 and the new line opened on 2 January the following year. As part of the works, a single track link, known as the Withyham Spur, was constructed to allow trains from Oxted to access Uckfield without a reversal at Groombridge. The link
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#17328478312753256-530: The North Downs Line . The first Class 205 unit was trialled on the Oxted line in 1970 and two years later there were three in service on the route. Further units were transferred from other lines in the mid-1970s, and nine were reconfigured to provide more first-class seating for peak commuter services. When they were built in the late 1950s and early 1960s, the Class 205 and Class 207 units had been fitted with blue asbestos insulation panels. Following an agreement with
3404-621: 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
3552-520: 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
3700-535: 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
3848-503: The Surrey and Sussex Junction Railway (SSJR), which proposed a line linking the Brighton Main Line at South Croydon to the East Grinstead–Tunbridge Wells line at Groombridge. The new line was authorised by the Surrey and Sussex Junction Railway Act on 6 July 1865. Work began the following year, but progress was slow due to the financial panic of 1866 caused by the failure of Overend, Gurney and Company . In 1869, there
3996-490: The borough of Croydon with the towns of Oxted , East Grinstead , Edenbridge , Crowborough and Uckfield . The route passes through the counties of Greater London , Surrey , Kent , East Sussex and West Sussex . Four stations are in the London fare zones : South Croydon station is in Zone 5; Sanderstead , Riddlesdown and Upper Warlingham are in Zone 6. The name "Oxted Line" was first used in 1989 by Network SouthEast ,
4144-533: The gauge clearance in Oxted Tunnel, the Class 421s were withdrawn from the line in mid-1989 and window restrictors were fitted to the Class 423s. Class 377s took over the vast majority of services on the electrified part of the Oxted line in December 2004, and the final service operated by a Class 423 unit ran on 27 September 2005. In May 2018, Class 700 units began operating Thameslink services to-and-from East Grinstead at peak times. Goods trains began running on
4292-535: The trade unions in the mid-1980s, the panels were removed from seven Class 207s and fifteen Class 205s. Units still contaminated with asbestos were scrapped and the remainder were used to operate services on the Uckfield branch, mostly as shuttles to-and-from Oxted. Class 171 units were introduced in passenger service in December 2003, allowing the Class 207 units to be withdrawn in August 2004. The Class 205s continued in passenger service until November of that year. After
4440-437: The "Southern" brand name. The agreement required the company to retire the final slam-door trains and to invest £853 million (£1.7 billion in 2023) in new rolling stock . Class 171 units were introduced to Uckfield services in December 2003, allowing the Class 207 and Class 205 units to be withdrawn by the end of 2004. In the early 2010s, interchanges between the Oxted line and two heritage railways were created. In March 2011,
4588-482: The "high level" station on the Three Bridges–Tunbridge Wells line. The LB&SCR had hoped to open the South Croydon–East Grinstead line on 1 March 1884, but public services were delayed until 10 March that year for strengthening work on Riddlesdown Viaduct. The spur at Crowhurst was opened on 1 August, allowing the SER to run trains between Oxted and Tonbridge via Edenbridge . The first new station on
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4736-399: The 1960s, these lines became seriously run down with a lack of investment and a reduction of services. By the late 1980s, the 25-year-old Class 115s needed replacement; the lines had low speed limits and were still controlled by semaphore signalling from the early 1900s; and Marylebone was served only by infrequent local trains to and from High Wycombe and Aylesbury. Numerous plans for
4884-544: The 837 yd (765 m) Riddlesdown Tunnel and the 565 yd (517 m) Limpsfield Tunnel. There are four viaducts on the South Croydon–East Grinstead section at Riddlesdown, Warlingham, Oxted and Cooks Pond (near Dormans). Between Hurst Green and Lingfield, the line passes beneath the Redhill–Tonbridge line , although the Crowhurst spur connecting the two was closed in 1965. The Hurst Green Junction–Uckfield section
5032-599: 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
5180-435: 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
5328-508: 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
5476-566: 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
5624-501: 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
5772-399: The Brighton Main Line. Network SouthEast Network SouthEast (NSE) was one of the three passenger sectors of British Rail created in 1982. NSE mainly operated commuter rail trains within Greater London and inter-urban services in densely populated South East England , although the network went as far west as Exeter and also covered the inner East of England . Before 1986,
5920-543: 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
6068-538: The East Grinstead–Lewes section in March 1958 and from the Uckfield–Lewes section in May 1969. Steam haulage on the Oxted line was replaced by diesel traction in 1965 and the electrification of the South Croydon–East Grinstead section was completed in 1987. Much of the line between Hever and Uckfield was converted to single track in 1990. The Oxted line is a railway line in southern England. It links central London and
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6216-572: The LB&SCR and SER, it ran from the Mid-Kent line at Elmers End to a junction with the Oxted line at Selsdon , a four-platform station serving both lines. The arrival of the railway stimulated development in the Lingfield area of south-east Surrey in the late 19th century. Development at Dormans Park began in 1887 and, by 1891, a hotel and around 40 high-class "bungalow residences" had been built, set in grounds that included cricket and polo fields,
6364-468: The LB&SCR and the South Eastern Railway . The first trains between London and East Grinstead via Oxted ran in March 1884. Four years later, in 1888, the Oxted line was completed with the opening of the section between Hurst Green Junction and Eridge. Until the mid-20th century, trains were able to continue from both southern termini to Lewes . Passenger services were permanently withdrawn from
6512-514: The London & South Eastern sector took over responsibility for passenger services in the south-east of England, working with the existing BR business units of Regions and Functions to deliver the overall service. Day-to-day operation, staffing and timetabling continued to be delivered by the Regions – and the sector came into existence with barely thirty staff based at Waterloo. On 10 June 1986, L&SE
6660-466: The London and South East sector of BR, which was rebranded to Network SouthEast in June 1986. As part of an initiative to provide passenger routes with individual identities, Nework SouthEast introduced the name "Oxted Line" in 1989. In the early 1980s, BR reached agreement with the railway trade unions to remove asbestos from the Class 205 and Class 207 diesel multiple units that worked passenger services on
6808-567: The Moorgate branch of the Great Northern route ( Highbury & Islington , Essex Road , Old Street and Moorgate ) used to have the NSE era colour schemes after going through 3 privatised operators ( WAGN , First Capital Connect and Great Northern ) until late-2018. NSE signage and logos can be found across the Island Line, Isle of Wight , with particularly well-maintained examples existing at
6956-613: The Oxted line are operated by Southern , although Thameslink services also run to-and-from East Grinstead at peak times. During off-peak periods on weekdays, there is a half-hourly service between London Victoria and East Grinstead, and an hourly service between London Bridge and Uckfield. Services operated by Class 377 electric multiple units generally call at all stations between Sanderstead and East Grinstead; services operated by Class 171 diesel multiple units call at all stations between Oxted and Uckfield, but generally run non-stop between East Croydon and Oxted. The first part of
7104-442: The Oxted line in May of that year. The main phase of electrification, between Sanderstead and East Grinstead, was authorised in May 1985 and was completed in October 1987. The works included resignalling of the line south of Woldingham, transferring control to a new panel box at Oxted and constructing new station buildings at Sanderstead, Oxted and East Grinstead. Electric trains began running in public service on 5 October 1987, and
7252-497: The Oxted line in the early part of the 20th century. Hurst Green Halt and Monks Lane Halt , both between Oxted and Edenbridge Town, were opened on 1 July 1907. The latter was closed on 11 September 1939, but significant housing development in the Oxted area ensured the survival of the former. Purley Downs Golf Club Halt , which did not appear in public timetables, opened in 1914 between Sanderstead and Upper Warlingham. It had closed by 1927. Riddlesdown station opened on 5 June 1927, with
7400-478: The Oxted line is 18 mi 26 ch (29.5 km) in length and has 10 stations in total. South Croydon station has five platforms, of which only three are accessible for Oxted Line trains; Oxted station has three platforms, one of which is a south-facing bay ; all other stations (Sanderstead, Riddlesdown, Upper Warlingham, Woldingham, Hurst Green, Lingfield , Dormans and East Grinstead) have two platforms each. All stations are managed by Southern. This section of
7548-404: The Oxted line is unelectrified and signalling is controlled from Oxted Signal Box. North of Hever is double track, but to the south the line has been singled, although trains may pass at Ashurst and Crowborough stations. The maximum speed is 70 mph (110 km/h) and trains typically reach Hurst Green from Uckfield in around 40 minutes. The steepest gradient, 1 in 66, is at Burnt Oak Bridge, to
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#17328478312757696-442: The Oxted line on 18 June 1962, initially operating the busiest passenger services during peak hours. Steam-hauled passenger trains were withdrawn on 6 January 1964, but there were too few Class 207s to run the full timetable and so Class 33 locomotives were used to haul trains until 1983. In the 1970s, the Class 33s were supplemented by Class 47 and Class 73 locomotives, as well as Class 206 "Tadpole" units, normally allocated to
7844-401: The Oxted line on 18 June 1962, when the first of nineteen Class 207 units, built specifically for the route, were introduced to peak-hour services. Steam-hauled passenger trains were withdrawn on 6 January 1954, but there were too few Class 207s to run the full timetable and so locomotive-hauled trains, operated by Class 33 diesels, were also used, especially at peak times. Additional capacity
7992-419: The Oxted line when the South Croydon–East Grinstead section opened in 1884. Facilities for handling freight were provided at Upper Warlingham (then Warlingham), Oxted and Lingfield, and trains could access the lower and upper yards at East Grinstead from the outset. Additional sidings were provided in the 1890s at Woldingham, Lingfield and Oxted, where a goods shed was built in 1902–03. Tanker train deliveries to
8140-447: The Oxted line. The cost of refurbishing the trains was estimated at £4 million (equivalent to £15 million in 2023) and BR instead decided to electrify the South Croydon–East Grinstead section, at a cost of £7 million (£27 million in 2023), and to dispose of most of the contaminated units. In March 1983, third-rail electrification between South Croydon and Sanderstead was commissioned and electric trains began running on this short section of
8288-532: 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
8436-468: The Ryde Pier Head and Shanklin ticket offices. Kew Gardens station in London still has the NSE logo on a plaque in the booking hall marking the station's reopening by Michael Portillo in 1989. Marylebone station , also in London, was refurbished by NSE in the 1980s and still has the company's logo in the form of three parallelograms in relief over the main entrance. The last train still in NSE livery
8584-608: 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
8732-525: The SR announced that all former LB&SCR routes would be electrified by 1955, but two years later, the railways were nationalised. Under the Transport Act 1947 , the Oxted line became part of the Southern Region of British Railways (BR). BR cancelled the SR's plans for the Oxted line, making an unfulfilled promise to electrify the route by 1964. The population of Oxted grew in the mid-1950s, with house building to
8880-577: The SSJR scheme was resurrected. The act authorised the construction of a double track railway from South Croydon to East Grinstead. The line was to use the partially built track bed as far south as Limpsfield Tunnel, from where it would continue to meet the Lewes and East Grinstead Railway, authorised the previous August. The new line would be jointly owned and operated by the LB&SCR and South Eastern Railway (SER) between South Croydon and Crowhurst Junction, from where
9028-501: The Second World War. From the mid-1940s onwards, express services were worked by K class , N class and Merchant Navy class tender engines. In the early 1950s, Fairburn 2-6-4T tank engines were introduced to the Oxted line, but were criticised by railway staff for being underpowered for the steep gradients. They were replaced in 1958 by Standard Class 3 and 4 tank engines. Class 207 diesel multiple units began working on
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#17328478312759176-528: The Spa Valley Railway was extended from Groombridge to the disused island platform at Eridge. A year later, in March 2012, the Bluebell Railway opened its extension to a new station at East Grinstead. A new station building for Oxted line trains at East Grinstead was first used by the public in December 2012 and was officially opened on 8 March the following year. Improvement works at other stations in
9324-404: The branch south of Hever was converted to single track in 1990, although the associated resignalling reduced journey times by around five minutes. A Sunday service was reintroduced in May of that year, with an all-stations shuttle between Oxted and Crowborough every two hours. A full, hourly Sunday service, which included trains to Buxted and Uckfield, was introduced in May 1991. In the same month,
9472-447: 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 the fastest end-to-end journey time is about an hour. A variety of passenger services runs on
9620-719: The closure of several routes in Sussex and Kent, including the Three Bridges–Tunbridge Wells, Eridge–Tunbridge Wells and Eridge–Polegate lines. The railway between Crowborough and Lewes via Uckfield was also to be closed and passenger services between Woodside and Selsdon were to be withdrawn. The first to be shut was the Eridge– Hailsham section of the Cuckoo Line on 14 June 1965, followed by the Three Bridges–Ashurst Junction line on 2 January 1967. Following local campaigns,
9768-414: The company's management and performance, 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 £30 million (equivalent to £63M in 2023). Govia's ten-year franchise formally began in May 2003, when it introduced
9916-408: 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
10064-451: The electrification of the South Croydon–East Grinstead section in 1987, services were run by Class 423 "4-VEP" and Class 421 "4-CIG" electric multiple units, supplemented with Class 416 "2-EPB" units on peak services. Passenger numbers increased as a result of the electrification and Class 415 "4-EPB" units, with standard class-only seating, were introduced in late 1988 to provide additional capacity at peak times. Following concerns over
10212-434: 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
10360-473: 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
10508-437: 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
10656-510: The extra trains and passengers. What did happen was total route modernisation . This was an ambitious plan to bring the lines into the modern era of rail travel. Class 115s were replaced by new Class 165s . Semaphore signals were replaced by standard colour light signals and ATP was fitted on the line and trains. Speed limits were increased to 75 mph (only 75 due to running on London Underground track between Harrow and Amersham ), all remaining fast loops at stations were removed and
10804-450: 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
10952-530: 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
11100-497: 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
11248-439: 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
11396-420: The individual sectors becoming directly responsible for all operations other than a few core long-term planning and standards functions. Network SouthEast thus went from a business unit of around 300 staff to a major business operation with 38,000 staff and a £4.7 billion asset value – large enough to be ranked as the 15th-biggest business in the UK. Network SouthEast, like each other sector,
11544-587: The intention of stimulating housebuilding in the local area. Initially timber platform shelters were provided, but were replaced by brick structures in the 1950s. Shortly before the start of the First World War, the Withyham spur was doubled, allowing regular passenger services from Uckfield to reach London via Oxted. The upgraded link also allowed troops to be transported to a new army camp that had been established at Crowborough. Wartime economy measures affecting
11692-409: 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
11840-412: The late 1910s. These push-pull trains consisted of a tank engine coupled to a balloon trailer , a type of passenger carriage. The train would be driven from the locomotive in one direction and, in the other, from a driving position at the front of the carriage. Initially the autotrains were worked by D1 class locomotives, but these tank engines were replaced by D3 , H and M7 class locomotives after
11988-486: 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
12136-410: The line before completion and opened the section from Groombridge to Uckfield on 3 August 1868. The railway was initially built with a single track, although the bridges and Crowborough Tunnel were engineered to allow a second to be laid at a later date. The first passing loop was installed at Crowborough in 1879 and doubling from Eridge to Uckfield was completed in 1894. The LB&SCR also supported
12284-422: The line between Bicester North and Aynho Junction was singled. Stations were refurbished and even reconstructed (£10 million spent on stations alone), and signal boxes and the freight depots/sidings were demolished. Regular services to Banbury , and a few specials to Birmingham were introduced and a new maintenance depot was built at Aylesbury. This was a massive undertaking and work began in 1988 and by 1992,
12432-400: 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
12580-451: The line included the temporary withdrawal of passenger services on the Woodside and South Croydon line between January 1917 and March 1919. Trains on the Oxted line were disrupted on 22 April 1918 when an aircraft crashed on the tracks between Sanderstead and Upper Warlingham, and roof collapses occurred in Oxted Tunnel in both June 1917 and May 1919. A programme of repair was initiated involving
12728-529: 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
12876-465: The line serves Lingfield Park Racecourse , around 1 ⁄ 4 mi (0.40 km) from Lingfield station, and interchange is available with the Bluebell Railway , a heritage railway , at East Grinstead. The South Croydon–East Grinstead section of the Oxted line is electrified using the 750 V DC third-rail system and is double track throughout. North of Upper Warlingham, the signalling
13024-531: The line was at Woldingham, which opened as "Marden Park" on 11 June 1885. The cost of building the station was part-funded by a local landowner. The final part of the Oxted line to be constructed was the Hurst Green Junction–Eridge section. It was proposed by the Oxted and Groombridge Railway (O&GR) company and was authorised by the Oxted and Groombridge Railway Act 1881 . Three years later, under
13172-561: The line, returning the line to the state it was before the Beeching Axe. Network SouthEast started a programme of replacing old rolling stock up to privatisation. On 1 April 1994, as part of the privatisation of British Rail, Network SouthEast was divided up into train operating units which would later become passenger franchises: One element of NSE that remained in public ownership was the Waterloo & City Line; too small to be operated as
13320-420: 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 the Brighton Main Line to be built was the section from London Bridge to Croydon, which
13468-464: 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
13616-483: The lines were proposed. One serious plan was to close the line between Marylebone and South Ruislip / Harrow-on-the-Hill , and convert Marylebone into a coach station. Metropolitan line trains would be extended to Aylesbury and BR services from Aylesbury would be routed to London Paddington via High Wycombe . Also the line north of Princes Risborough would close. However, this did not happen as Baker Street and London Paddington would not have been able to cope with
13764-655: The mid-20th century. Although the South Croydon–East Grinstead section is double track throughout, the Uckfield branch was mostly converted to single track south of Hever in 1990. Three distinct services operate on the Oxted line: With the exception of the Thameslink services, Oxted line trains do not call at South Croydon. North of East Croydon , trains to London Victoria call only at Clapham Junction , whereas those operated by Class 171 and 700 units run fast to London Bridge. In general, trains to-and-from Uckfield do not call at Sanderstead, Riddlesdown, Upper Warlingham and Woldingham . The South Croydon–East Grinstead section of
13912-520: The network, which had become run down after years of under-investment. The most extreme example was the Chiltern Lines. The Chiltern Line ran on two railway lines ( Chiltern Main Line and London to Aylesbury Line ) from London Marylebone to Aylesbury and Banbury . These lines were former GWR and GCR intercity lines to Wolverhampton and Nottingham respectively. After the Beeching Axe in
14060-646: 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
14208-518: 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
14356-620: The new timetable included an all-day, half-hourly service between London and East Grinstead for the first time. The new electric services proved popular with the public, and passenger numbers increased by around 12% in the first year of operation. In contrast, the Hurst Green Junction–Uckfield section was not electrified. After the East Grinstead electrification scheme had been completed, most trains from Uckfield terminated at Oxted and only four per day continued to London. Much of
14504-484: The north of Buxted. There are three tunnels on the Hurst Green Junction–Uckfield section of the line. The double-track Edenbridge Tunnel (sometimes known as Little Browns Tunnel) is 319 yd (292 m) long and opens out in the middle to allow the Redhill–Tonbridge line to cross over on a bridge. The other two tunnels are the 1,341 yd (1,226 m) Mark Beech Tunnel (built for double track but containing only
14652-473: 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,
14800-530: 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
14948-590: The original Uckfield station was closed and its single-platform replacement, on the east side of the High Street, was opened. On 1 April 1994, the Oxted line came under the Network South Central shadow franchise in preparation for privatisation . Connex was awarded a seven-year franchise to operate passenger trains on the Oxted Line as Connex South Central , starting on 12 April 1996. Following concerns over
15096-416: The other routes were given a reprieve, with the exception of the Uckfield–Lewes line, which closed in May 1969. Two further line closures took place in the early 1980s. The electrified line between Woodside and Selsdon closed on 13 May 1983; the track bed north of Coombe Road station would be used in the 1990s for Tramlink . The withdrawal of passenger services on the line between Eridge and Tunbridge Wells
15244-419: The railway ended around the start of the Second World War, but the standard-gauge branch was maintained until the rails were lifted in 1969. The majority of the narrow-gauge system was closed in 1953, but a length of around 50 m (160 ft) was retained until the 1970s to feed the lime kilns . The Oxted Gas Works, opened in 1885 and closed in June 1933, were served by sidings from the Oxted line. By 1920,
15392-564: 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
15540-468: 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
15688-456: The route had been completely modernised, demand for the service had grown considerably and the route had become profitable. Since modernisation the route has seen further improvements (see Chiltern Main Line ). Electrification was considered but was deemed to be too expensive as the Thames Line sector would then have to be electrified as well. Another reason electrification did not take place
15836-413: The route to be completed, between Eridge and Uckfield, was opened by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR) in August 1868. Although construction work was also carried out on the northern part of the Oxted line, the unfinished track bed was abandoned in 1869. In 1878, Parliament authorised the South Croydon–East Grinstead line, part of which would be built as a joint venture between
15984-479: The same decade included the lengthening of platforms between Edenbridge Town and Uckfield in preparation for the introduction of 10-coach trains. Peak-hour Thameslink services, operated by 12-coach Class 700 units, began running to-and-from East Grinstead in May 2018. Station improvements in the 2020s have included the installation of new footbridges at Eridge in 2020, East Grinstead in 2022 and Crowborough in 2023. A two-year project to repair and refurbish Oxted Viaduct
16132-530: The sector was originally known as London & South Eastern . During the privatisation of British Rail , it was gradually divided into a number of franchises. Before the sectorisation of British Rail (BR) in 1982 the system was split into largely autonomous regional operations: those operating around London were the London Midland Region , Southern Region , Western Region , and Eastern Region. Sectorisation of BR changed this setup by organising by
16280-440: The south of the town centre. Work to expand and relocate Hurst Green Halt to better serve this area of development began in 1960. The replacement station, renamed simply "Hurst Green", opened on 12 June 1961. It was provided with 12-carriage platforms to enable East Grinstead trains to be split from or joined to those serving Uckfield, but instead these operations were carried out at Oxted. Diesel multiple units were introduced to
16428-403: 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
16576-471: 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,
16724-831: The steep gradients on the line, were introduced. Some members of the I1 class were rebuilt into the I1x class in the late 1920s and worked on the Oxted line until the start of the Second World War. Trains run by the South Eastern Railway via the Crowhurst Spur, were typically hauled by E1 class 2-4-0 and F class 4-4-0 locomotives, as well as Q class tank engines. After the formation of the Southern Railway in 1923, passenger services were hauled by B1 , D , E and E1 class locomotives. Autotrains were introduced to local stopping services in
16872-626: The then operator of the route. The Oxted line diverges from the Brighton Main Line at South Croydon Junction, immediately to the south of South Croydon station, and climbs along the eastern side of the Caterham valley, initially parallel to the Caterham line . At Hurst Green Junction, south of Hurst Green station , the line line splits into two, with an electrified branch running to East Grinstead and an unelectrified branch running to Uckfield . Both routes previously continued south beyond their current termini to Lewes , but these lines were closed in
17020-614: 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,
17168-528: The town of Oxted in Surrey and also serves parts of the London Borough of Croydon . The 18-mile-26-chain (29.5 km) South Croydon–East Grinstead section is electrified using the 750 V DC third-rail system and is double track throughout. The unelectrified Hurst Green Junction–Uckfield section is 24 mi 53 ch (39.7 km) in length and, south of Hever , is mostly single track. Most trains on
17316-463: 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
17464-592: The trademark of Network SouthEast's brandname, logo and typeface. The group wanted to obtain the trademark to help Network SouthEast's name and legacy live on following its demise and educate about NSE. In 2017, the Railway Heritage Trust collaborated with train operator Govia Thameslink Railway to recreate the Network SouthEast image at Downham Market station as a commemorative measure. The station has been equipped with paintwork and signage that mimic
17612-519: The traffic type: commuter services in the south-east of England, long-distance intercity services, local services in the UK regions, parcels and freight. The aim was to introduce greater budgetary efficiency and managerial accountability by building a more market-focused and responsive business, rather than privatising BR completely. It was expected that the London and South East sector would cover most of its operating costs from revenues, in contrast to heavily subsidised rural services. Upon sectorisation,
17760-600: 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,
17908-485: 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
18056-408: The viaduct at Woldingham had been completed and substantial progress had been made on the tunnels at Riddlesdown, Oxted and Limpsfield. Nevertheless, the LB&SCR estimated that a further £1.5–£2 million (£180–£230 million in 2023) would be required to finish the line. Under the London, Brighton, and South Coast Railway (Croydon, Oxted, and East Grinstead Railways) Act 1878 , the northern part of
18204-551: The works were consuming around 1,750 t (1,930 tons) of coal every year, all delivered by rail. The sidings were lifted in May 1986, as part of the Sanderstead–East Grinstead electrification works. Brighton Main Line The Brighton Main Line is a railway line in southern England linking London to Brighton . It starts at two termini in the capital, London Victoria and London Bridge , and
18352-463: Was a riot at Edenbridge in opposition to the Belgian navvies who were being employed in preference to local labourers. In 1869, the LB&SCR obtained an act of Parliament to allow it to acquire the partially built SSJR line . Construction ceased immediately and the company paid a fine of £32,250 (equivalent to £3.76 million in 2023) to allow it to abandon the project. By the time the works were halted,
18500-416: 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
18648-403: Was announced in September 1982, although trains continued to operate until 6 July 1985. Since December 1996, part of the track bed has been used for the Spa Valley Railway. Although the Hurst Green Junction–Uckfield section of the Oxted line was not threatened with closure again, Sunday services were withdrawn in June 1981. From 1982, the railways in Surrey, Kent and Sussex came under the control of
18796-458: 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
18944-421: 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
19092-402: 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
19240-420: 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 the junctions at Redhill station. The most serious accident on
19388-434: Was completed in July 2022. The first steam locomotives known to have worked on the Oxted line, 2-2-2 tender engines built by Cravens , were in use in the late 1880s. A D2 class is known to have hauled freight trains in 1888 and G class locomotives, designed by William Stroudley , worked passenger services from the mid-1890s to 1909. In the first decade of the 20th century, I1 class tank engines, particularly suited to
19536-461: 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
19684-414: Was disbanded with its operations transferred to train operating units ready for privatisation . Although NSE ceased to exist in 1994, the grouping of services that it defined before privatisation remain grouped by the Network Railcard, which can be bought for £30 and which offers a 34% discount for adults and 60% discount for accompanying children after 10:00 on weekdays and all day at weekends (subject to
19832-598: Was given primary responsibility for various assets (rolling stock, tracks, stations), and control resided with the primary user. Other sectors could negotiate access rights and rent facilities, using their own resources. NSE was able to exert much greater control and accountability over both its operating budget and service quality than BR could under its Regions. Relations were generally good between NSE and other sectors, although operating pressures sometimes forced staff to use equipment and assets belonging to other sectors to meet immediate needs. On 1 April 1994, Network SouthEast
19980-408: 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
20128-458: Was introduced with the arrival of Class 205 units from 1970 onwards, although locomotive-hauled passenger trains continued to run until the mid-1980s. BR began a programme of line closures in the 1950s. In mid-1955, the railway between East Grinstead and Lewes was shut, but following legal action it temporarily reopened in August the following year, before permanently closing on 17 March 1958. The Beeching report , published in March 1963, proposed
20276-897: Was marked by the first 'Network Day', on 21 June 1986. For £3 passengers could travel anywhere within the Network. 200 extra services were provided and over 200,000 passengers took advantage of the offer. There was a second Network Day on 13 September, and others in subsequent years, though passengers for these required a Network Card to qualify. Although NSE did not originally own or maintain infrastructure, it exercised control over almost all carrier core functions. NSE set its own goals and service standards in consultation with BR, and created its own management structure and oversight. BR allowed NSE to decide about scheduling, marketing, infrastructure enhancements, and rolling stock specifications on NSE-assigned lines and services. In April 1990, British Rail Chairman Bob Reid announced that sectorisation would be made complete, with regions disbanded by 1991–92 and
20424-469: Was omitted from the schemes of the mid-1920s, which prioritised electrification work on other routes. Nevertheless, the first part of the Oxted line was electrified in the mid-1930s, when third rail was installed between Selsdon and Sanderstead stations for the use of trains running via the Woodside and South Croydon line. Half-hourly electric services began operating between Charing Cross and Sanderstead via Elmers End on 30 September 1935. In October 1946,
20572-435: 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 the West End of London and Crystal Palace Railway in 1848. The Brighton Main Line
20720-628: 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
20868-598: Was primarily used for light locomotive and empty stock moves, and was not regularly used by passenger services until the First World War. Two railways connecting to the Oxted line were completed in the 1880s. The first was the Eridge– Polegate line, commonly called the Cuckoo Line , which was opened in stages between 1849 and 1880. The second was the Woodside and South Croydon Joint Railway , opened on 2 January 1888. Built by
21016-456: Was relaunched as Network SouthEast, along with a new red, white and blue livery. The relaunch was intended to be more than a superficial rebranding and was underpinned by considerable investment in the presentation of stations and trains, as well as efforts to improve service standards. This approach was largely brought about by a new director, Chris Green , who had presided over similar transformation and rebranding of ScotRail . The relaunch
21164-457: 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
21312-427: 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
21460-473: Was supported by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR), which owned the other two lines. The new link not only enabled trains from east Kent to reach Brighton , but was also intended to block a rival scheme from the London, Chatham and Dover Railway , which would have followed a similar route. The Brighton, Uckfield & Tunbridge Wells Railway was authorised by Parliament in 1861 and construction had begun by 1863. The LB&SCR purchased
21608-555: Was that some part of the line ran on London Underground tracks, which were electrified as 4-rail 660 V DC, while British Rail preferred 25 kV AC overhead traction for lines north of London. Success of the modernisation implemented by NSE has made it possible for the Chiltern Main Line to compete with the West Coast Main Line between London and Birmingham, and there are now plans to increase speeds and quadruple sections of
21756-524: 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
21904-508: Was withdrawn on 15 September 2007 when 465193 , was sent for revinyling. In 2002, the Network SouthEast Railway Society was formed to keep the memories of NSE alive by re-promoting through merchandise that they make to raise money for their 4-CIG EMU No.1753 which was named 'Chris Green' at the NSE 30 event at Finmere, Oxfordshire by the ex-NSE boss himself. On 28 August 2015, the Network SouthEast Railway Society obtained
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