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Arun Valley line | |||
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Overview | |||
Status | Operational | ||
Owner | Network Rail | ||
Locale | South East England | ||
Termini | |||
Stations | 11 | ||
Service | |||
Type | Heavy rail | ||
System | National Rail | ||
Operator(s) | Southern Thameslink | ||
Rolling stock | Class 377 [1] Class 700 [2] | ||
History | |||
Opened | 1863 | ||
Technical | |||
Line length | 30 mi 46 ch (49.2 km) (Between Three Bridges and Arundel junctions) [3] | ||
Number of tracks | 2 | ||
Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge | ||
Electrification | 750 V DC third rail | ||
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The Arun Valley line, also known as the Mid Sussex line, is part of the Southern- and Thameslink-operated railway services. For the initial part of the route trains follow the Brighton Main Line, and at a junction south of Three Bridges the route turns westwards. It then runs via Crawley, Horsham (where there is a junction with the Portsmouth Line) and Arundel, before meeting the West Coastway line at Arundel Junction. Trains on the Arun Valley line then proceed to either Bognor Regis or Portsmouth Harbour. [a]
Many stations on this line retain the short platforms which were originally built, not being extended by the Southern Railway when the line was modernised in the 1930s, nor by any subsequent operators. This causes operational difficulties to this day, which require frequent platform and on-train announcements with longer trains, telling passengers they must travel in the correct part of the train.
The line was opened in three stages by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR) between 1848 and 1863, creating what was then known as Mid-Sussex route to Portsmouth.
A single track branch line was opened on 14 February 1848, with passing places at the intermediate stations at Crawley and Faygate. The line was doubled throughout in 1862. The stations now at Ifield and Littlehaven were not opened with the line, both being opened on 1 June 1907: Ifield as Lyons Crossing Halt and Littlehaven as Rusper Road Halt; both serving the outskirts of their nearby towns. An additional stop was opened at Roffey Road Halt ; however this station was closed in 1937, as the land next to the station had remained undeveloped.
The Midhurst Railways line from Horsham to Pulborough, Petworth and Midhurst was opened on 10 October 1859. The section from Hardham Junction to Midhurst was closed between 1964 and 1966. The Steyning Line from Horsham to Shoreham by Sea was opened on 1 July 1861 branching off at Itchingfield Junction south of Horsham. It closed in 1966. The line from Christs Hospital to Guildford opened in 1865 and closed inn 1965.
The line between Hardham Junction south of Pulborough, and Arundel Junction on the coast line via Arundel was finally opened on 3 August 1863 creating a through route to Portsmouth.
Originally, the main LB&SCR route from London to Portsmouth used the Portsmouth line to reach Horsham. However, with the increase in demand at Gatwick Airport, the mainline services were re-routed in 1978 to serve the airport and then travel via Three Bridges.
The line was electrified using the (750 V DC third rail) system by the Southern Railway in 1938 as part of the proposals to electrify the lines from London to Portsmouth. This originally only covered the section from Horsham to Littlehampton and Barnham, as the main line was the line through Dorking and Sutton, as opposed to the line to Three Bridges, but plans were extended to electrify the "branch" as well in the same year.
Electric services were provided by electric multiple units. For most of the rest of the twentieth century, an hourly express service was provided which joined/divided at Barnham, with 4 or 8 coaches continuing to Bognor and 4 to Portsmouth Harbour. This called at Arundel, Pulborough and latterly Billingshurst, going via Sutton and Dorking. [4] An all-stations stopping service also ran hourly via Crawley to Bognor Regis, usually via Littlehampton.
Two bridges on the line, The Black Rabbit Bridge (just north of Arundel) and the Peppering Bridge (a few hundred yards further on) were replaced during the August Bank Holiday weekend of 2009. The line was completely closed to traffic during these major engineering works and a replacement bus service served stations between Arundel and Pulborough. As the two-week Arundel Festival was drawing to a close over the weekend, Southern maintained a service into the station from the West Coastway Line from Bognor Regis via Barnham and Ford, and a reversal at Littlehampton. [5]
There are currently four trains per hour in each direction over the route off-peak, made up of twin portions from two trains per hour from London Victoria. This is the most frequent service on the route since the late 1970s.
Down-line services: Both divide at Horsham, the train closest to the hour has a front portion which is fast to Barnham then stopping to Portsmouth Harbour. The rear portion calls at all stations to Bognor Regis. The 30-minutes-past train's front portion again runs fast to Barnham then is semi-fast to Portsmouth Harbour. The rear section again calls all stations to Bognor Regis.
Up-line service: Again two trains an hour, both services attach at Horsham. The Bognor Regis section always arrives first unless there is disruption and then a section from Portsmouth Harbour arrives. Once the train has attached it runs semi fast to London Victoria via the Horsham Branch Line (Horsham to Three Bridges) and the fast Quarry Line. Each of the up services arrive with normally a 10-minute interchange for the Thameslink services to Peterborough via Redhill and London Bridge and the one closest the hour for the Mole Valley service towards London Victoria via Dorking.
Based on December 2006 timetable, prior to the introduction of the train split at Horsham and the non-stop services Horsham to Barnham. In 2016 most of the off-peak fast services reached Barnham in 80–81 minutes and Chichester in 88; peak-hour services were slightly slower.
Stations in italics are served by through trains but are not part of the Arun Valley line.
Destination | Frequency | Stopping service | Semi-fast service | Change for |
---|---|---|---|---|
Clapham Junction | 2 train/h | 6 minutes | 6 minutes | London Waterloo, Putney, Richmond, Twickenham, Wimbledon, New Malden, Woking, Guildford, Winchester, Salisbury, Reading, Exeter, Willesden Junction, Watford Junction, Milton Keynes |
East Croydon | 2 train/h | 16 minutes | 16 minutes | Tramlink, London Bridge, Caterham, Tattenham Corner |
Redhill | 2 train/h | 29 minutes | 29 minutes | Reigate, Dorking, Guildford, Wokingham, Reading, Edenbridge, Tonbridge |
Gatwick Airport | 2 train/h | 39 minutes | 37 minutes | Hove, Worthing, Lewes, Eastbourne, Bexhill, Hastings, Reading, Guildford |
Three Bridges | 2 train/h | 44 minutes | 42 minutes | Haywards Heath, Burgess Hill, Brighton, London Bridge, London St Pancras, St Albans, Luton Airport, Luton, Bedford |
Crawley | 2 train/h | 47 minutes | 45 minutes | |
Horsham | 2 train/h | 56 minutes | 54 minutes | Dorking, Leatherhead, Epsom, Sutton |
Christs Hospital | 1 train/h | 1 hour | ||
Billingshurst | 2 train/h | 1 hour 6 minutes | 1 hour 2 minutes | |
Pulborough | 2 train/h | 1 hour 13 minutes | 1 hour 8 minutes | |
Amberley | 1 train/h | 1 hour 20 minutes | ||
Arundel | 2 train/h | 1 hour 25 minutes | 1 hour 17 minutes | |
Ford | 1 train/h | 1 hour 30 minutes | 1 hour 22 minutes | Littlehampton, Worthing, Brighton |
Barnham | 2 train/h | 1 hour 34 minutes | 1 hour 28 minutes | Bognor Regis, and also Littlehampton, Worthing, Brighton (Ford has reduced service) |
Chichester | 2 train/h | 1 hour 46 minutes | 1 hour 36 minutes | Havant, Portsmouth Harbour, Southampton Central |
Based on December 2006 timetable. Stations in italics are served by through trains but are not part of the Arun Valley line. There are two trains per hour on this route. Some stations between London Bridge and Gatwick Airport have been omitted. Faygate is served during peak hours only.
Destination | Off-peak journey time | Change for |
---|---|---|
East Croydon | 16 minutes | Tramlink, London Victoria, Caterham, Oxted |
Redhill | 36 minutes | Reigate, Guildford, Edenbridge, Tonbridge |
Gatwick Airport | 50 minutes | |
Three Bridges | 56 minutes | Haywards Heath, Brighton, Eastbourne, Worthing |
Crawley | 1 hour | |
Ifield | 1 hour 3 minutes | |
Littlehaven | 1 hour 9 minutes | |
Horsham | 1 hour 14 minutes | Dorking, Leatherhead, Epsom, Sutton |
Gatwick Airport railway station is on the Brighton Main Line in West Sussex, England. It serves Gatwick Airport, 26 miles 47 chains (42.8 km) down the line from London Bridge via Redhill. The platforms are about 70 metres (230 ft) to the east of the airport's South Terminal, with the ticket office above the platforms and station entrances and exits directly connected to the terminal. The station is also connected to the airport's North Terminal by the Airport Shuttle people-mover. Gatwick Airport was the busiest station in South East England region from 2017 to 2018. There have been two stations at Gatwick, sited about 0.85 miles (1.37 km) from each other. It is the busiest station in both West Sussex and South East England, and the sixth busiest station in the UK outside of London.
Cheam railway station serves Cheam in the London Borough of Sutton. It is located on the Sutton & Mole Valley Lines section from Sutton to Epsom with trains to London Victoria and London Bridge both via Mitcham Junction and West Croydon.
The West Coastway line is a railway line in England linking the conurbations of Brighton/Hove/Littlehampton and Southampton/Portsmouth, with 1.3 million people between them. It has short southward branches to Littlehampton and Bognor Regis, which offer direct services to and from London.
Sutton railway station (sometimes referred to as Sutton (Surrey) on tickets and timetables) is in the London Borough of Sutton in South London and is the main station serving the town of Sutton. It is served by Southern and Thameslink trains, and lies in Travelcard Zone 5, 14 miles 75 chains (14.94 miles, 24.04 km) down the line from London Bridge, measured via Forest Hill.
The Sutton and Mole Valley lines were constructed between 1847 and 1868 by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway, the London and South Western Railway and the LBSCR-sponsored Horsham, Dorking and Leatherhead Railway.
Horsham railway station serves the town of Horsham in West Sussex, England. It is 37 miles 56 chains (60.7 km) down the line from London Bridge, measured via Redhill, on the Arun Valley Line and the Sutton & Mole Valley Lines, and train services are provided by Southern and Thameslink. Services on the Sutton & Mole Valley Line from London Victoria via Dorking terminate here, as do Thameslink services from Peterborough via London Bridge. The other services continue into the Arun Valley: a half-hourly service from London Victoria to Bognor Regis, and a half-hourly service to Portsmouth Harbour. These trains usually divide here with the front (Portsmouth) portion travelling fast and the rear half providing stopping services.
Faygate Station is located on the Arun Valley Line, between Littlehaven and Ifield, 34 miles 28 chains (55.3 km) down the line from London Bridge, measured via Redhill. It serves the small village of Faygate and the Faygate Business Centre, situated on the A264 in the countryside between Crawley and Horsham.
Littlehampton railway station is in Littlehampton in the county of West Sussex, England. The station and the trains serving it are operated by Southern.
Bognor Regis railway station is in the town of Bognor Regis, in the English county of West Sussex. It opened as the terminus of a short branch line in 1864, replacing a more distant station on the Worthing to Chichester main line. Like the town it served, it was known as Bognor until 1929. The junction on the main line is Barnham station, opened on the same day as the branch itself.
Barnham railway station is in Barnham, West Sussex, England around 5 miles (8.0 km) north of Bognor Regis.
Ford railway station is a railway station in Ford, West Sussex, England. It is located on the West Coastway Line which runs between Brighton and Southampton and it is 60 miles 48 chains (97.5 km) down the line from London Bridge via Redhill. The station and the trains serving it are operated by Southern.
Arundel railway station serves the market town of Arundel in West Sussex. The station is on the eastern side of the town, about 550 yards (500 m) from the High Street, across the River Arun. It is 58 miles 28 chains (93.9 km) down the line from London Bridge via Redhill.
Pulborough railway station serves the West Sussex village of Pulborough. It is at the western end of the village, just off the A283 road. It is 50 miles (80 km) down the line from London Bridge via Redhill.
Billingshurst Railway Station serves the market town of Billingshurst, in West Sussex, England. It is on the Arun Valley Line 44 miles 71 chains (72.2 km) down the line from London Bridge via Redhill. The station is operated by Southern. The signalbox was believed to be the oldest operational box in the country, and in May 2016 was moved to Amberley Museum and Heritage Centre.
Crawley railway station is a railway station serving the town of Crawley in West Sussex, England. It is 30 miles 49 chains (49.3 km) down the line from London Bridge, measured via Redhill. It is operated by Southern. The station is the last stop on the Arun Valley Line before it joins the Brighton Main Line.
Dorking railway station is a railway station in Dorking, Surrey, England. Located on the Mole Valley line, it is 22 miles 8 chains (35.6 km) down the line from London Waterloo. The station is one of three that serve the town of Dorking, alongside Dorking Deepdene and Dorking West stations. Dorking and Dorking Deepdene stations are within walking distance of each other and interchange between them on a through ticket is permitted.
The Portsmouth line is a secondary main line originally built by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway and the London and South Western Railway between 1847 and 1868. It leaves the South London Line at Peckham Rye, with connections to the Victoria branch of the Brighton Main Line at Streatham, and continues via Sutton, Epsom and Dorking to join the Mid-Sussex Line at Horsham.
The Horsham, Dorking and Leatherhead Railway (HD&LR) was an early railway company in southern England. It planned to fill in a gap in the network of the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway, shortening the route from London to coastal towns from Littlehampton to Portsmouth. It only obtained Parliamentary authorisation to build from Horsham to Dorking, and it sold its company to the LBSCR, which completed the construction, and itself built the remaining section from Dorking to Leatherhead.
The Portsmouth to Brighton Railway was built by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway and its immediate predecessor in several stages.
The Mid-Sussex railways were a group of English railway companies that together formed what became the Mid-Sussex line, from Three Bridges through Horsham to Littlehampton, in southern England. After 1938 the Southern Railway operated a regular electric train service ran from London to Bognor Regis and Portsmouth using the marketing brand "Mid-Sussex Line", leading to an informal consensus. The Mid-Sussex Railway company ran from Horsham to Petworth, and the Mid-Sussex Junction line of the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LBSCR) extended from the Petworth line to Littlehampton. The Three Bridges to Horsham branch of the LBSCR was at first the sole access from the north to the Mid-Sussex railways, although a line from Leatherhead was used later.