This article needs additional citations for verification .(June 2015) |
Seaford branch line | |||
---|---|---|---|
Overview | |||
Status | Operational | ||
Owner | Network Rail | ||
Locale | East Sussex South East England | ||
Termini |
| ||
Stations | 5 | ||
Service | |||
Type | Heavy rail | ||
System | National Rail | ||
Services | Southerham Junction–Seaford | ||
Operator(s) | Southern | ||
Rolling stock | Class 377 "Electrostar" | ||
History | |||
Opened | 1864 | ||
Technical | |||
Line length | 7 miles 66 chains (12.59 km) | ||
Number of tracks | 2 (Southerham Junction–Newhaven Harbour) 1 (Newhaven Harbour–Seaford) | ||
Character | Rural | ||
Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge | ||
Electrification | 750 V DC third rail | ||
|
Seaford branch line | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mileage from London Bridge via Redhill |
The Seaford branch line is a rural railway line in East Sussex constructed in 1864 primarily to serve the port of Newhaven and the town of Seaford. It now sees fairly regular trains across the line except for the branch to the closed Newhaven Marine station.
Engineered by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway's Chief Engineer Frederick Banister, [1] the first section of the line was opened in 1847 to aid the transport of goods to and from Newhaven. The line was extended in 1864 to serve the holiday town of Seaford. [2] There used to be extensive sidings at Newhaven Docks and even a railway swing bridge over the River Ouse to connect to the other side. These have now been removed or have become overgrown, as has the defunct Newhaven Marine station, which has been fenced off from the public. Once a thriving station serving ferries to and from France, the walk of just under 1/4 mile to Newhaven Harbour station and the cessation of winter ferries forced its closure. The line was electrified (750 V DC third rail) by the Southern Railway in 1935. The line between Newhaven Harbour and Seaford was reduced to single track to save costs in 1975.
Train services are operated by Southern. Class 377 "Electrostars" are used on the line to transport passengers to Lewes and Brighton.
The normal off peak train service on the line is two trains per hour between Brighton and Seaford calling at London Road, Moulsecoomb, Falmer, Lewes, Southease (1tph only), Newhaven Town, Newhaven Harbour (1 tph only), Bishopstone and Seaford. [5] Services alternate between calling at Southease and Newhaven Harbour.
Currently, there are no regular direct services from the branch line towards London, with passengers needing to change at Lewes in order to travel towards Gatwick Airport and London Victoria.
Comparing the number of passengers in year beginning April 2002 to the year beginning April 2010, Southease has increased by 96%, Newhaven Town by 45%, Bishopstone by 58% and Seaford by 56%. Newhaven Harbour has declined by 51%. [6]
Station usage | ||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Station name | 2002–03 | 2004–05 | 2005–06 | 2006–07 | 2007–08 | 2008–09 | 2009–10 | 2010–11 | 2011–12 | 2012–13 | 2013–14 | 2014–15 | 2015–16 | 2016–17 | 2017–18 | 2018–19 | 2019–20 | 2020–21 | 2021–22 | 2022–23 |
Southease | 6,225 | 7,093 | 7,245 | 8,527 | 8,855 | 8,442 | 9,994 | 12,228 | 13,816 | 11,634 | 18,042 | 20,662 | 17,966 | 13,184 | 18,162 | 22,008 | 22,052 | 10,302 | 23,564 | 23,206 |
Newhaven Town | 216,136 | 232,450 | 234,952 | 261,348 | 302,576 | 302,526 | 308,682 | 313,082 | 318,812 | 318,664 | 306,102 | 320,388 | 326,310 | 236,416 | 280,712 | 307,638 | 342,606 | 123,406 | 283,664 | 319,038 |
Newhaven Harbour | 92,947 | 103,572 | 91,875 | 59,780 | 52,730 | 48,214 | 40,446 | 45,644 | 44,794 | 44,212 | 46,178 | 50,878 | 55,070 | 52,342 | 57,982 | 53,266 | 49,450 | 14,020 | 18,298 | 23,176 |
Bishopstone | 19,282 | 17,128 | 18,099 | 24,041 | 27,542 | 28,784 | 29,632 | 30,432 | 34,556 | 31,852 | 30,876 | 30,934 | 28,982 | 20,320 | 33,686 | 39,422 | 41,660 | 15,878 | 36,450 | 43,104 |
Seaford | 493,247 | 596,021 | 630,624 | 697,956 | 769,510 | 797,008 | 765,776 | 769,870 | 777,108 | 761,888 | 790,062 | 797,914 | 767,482 | 539,322 | 627,538 | 676,442 | 673,764 | 205,142 | 474,382 | 552,902 |
The annual passenger usage is based on sales of tickets in stated financial years from Office of Rail and Road estimates of station usage. The statistics are for passengers arriving and departing from each station and cover twelve-month periods that start in April. Methodology may vary year on year. Usage from the periods 2019-20 and especially 2020-21 onwards have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic |
Newhaven is a port town in the Lewes district of East Sussex, England, lying at the mouth of the River Ouse.
The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1846 to 1922. Its territory formed a rough triangle, with London at its apex, practically the whole coastline of Sussex as its base, and a large part of Surrey. It was bounded on its western side by the London and South Western Railway (L&SWR), which provided an alternative route to Portsmouth. On its eastern side the LB&SCR was bounded by the South Eastern Railway (SER)—later one component of the South Eastern and Chatham Railway (SE&CR)—which provided an alternative route to Bexhill, St Leonards-on-Sea, and Hastings. The LB&SCR had the most direct routes from London to the south coast seaside resorts of Brighton, Eastbourne, Worthing, Littlehampton and Bognor Regis, and to the ports of Newhaven and Shoreham-by-Sea. It served the inland towns and cities of Chichester, Horsham, East Grinstead and Lewes, and jointly served Croydon, Tunbridge Wells, Dorking and Guildford. At the London end was a complicated suburban and outer-suburban network of lines emanating from London Bridge and Victoria, and shared interests in two cross-London lines.
The Oxted line is a railway in southern England and part of the Southern franchise. The railway splits into two branches towards the south and has direct trains throughout to London termini.
The East Coastway line is a railway line along the south coast of Sussex to the east of Brighton, England. Trains to the west of Brighton operate on the West Coastway line. Together with the West Coastway and the Marshlink line to the east, the line forms part of a continuous route from Havant to Ashford. The Brighton Main Line route to Eastbourne and Hastings, via Plumpton and Cooksbridge, shares the East Coastway line east of Lewes station.
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.
Lewes railway station serves the town of Lewes in East Sussex, England. It has five platforms and is on the East Coastway Line, 49 miles 74 chains (80.3 km) from London Bridge via Redhill. Train services are provided by Southern.
Eastbourne railway station serves the seaside town of Eastbourne in East Sussex, England. It is on the East Coastway Line. The station is managed by Southern, who operate all trains serving it. It is one of two railway stations in the town, the other being Hampden Park Station. There are also two other stations in the Eastbourne area, one being Pevensey & Westham, in nearby Westham, the other being Polegate.
London Road (Brighton) railway station is a railway station located in Round Hill, an inner suburb of Brighton in East Sussex. It is the first intermediate station on the Brighton branch of the East Coastway Line, 57 chains (1.1 km) down the line from Brighton station. The station is managed by Southern, who operate all services on the line.
Southease railway station is located 0.5 miles (800 m) east of the village of Southease in East Sussex, England. It is on the Seaford branch of the East Coastway Line, 53 miles 40 chains (86.1 km) measured from London Bridge via Redhill. The station is surrounded by agricultural land. The South Downs Way crosses the Seaford Branch here.
Seaford railway station is in Seaford, East Sussex, England. It is the terminus of the Seaford branch line of the East Coastway line, 58 miles 77 chains (94.9 km) measured from London Bridge. The line to the station has been reduced to a single track and only one platform remains in use, though it is still numbered platform 2. Platform 1 is still visible but the track has been removed.
Bishopstone railway station is on the western side of the town of Seaford, East Sussex, England. It is situated close to the coast, and about 1 mile (1.6 km) from the downland rural village of Bishopstone after which it is named. Train services from the station are provided by Southern, and the station is on the Seaford Branch of the East Coastway Line, 58 miles 3 chains (93.4 km) measured from London Bridge.
Newhaven Town railway station is the main station serving Newhaven, East Sussex, England, the other being Newhaven Harbour. A third station, Newhaven Marine, formally closed in October 2020, but had not had a train service since 2006.
Wivelsfield railway station is a railway station on the Brighton Main Line in West Sussex, England. Located in northern Burgess Hill, it primarily serves the town's neighbourhoods of World's End and Sheddingdean. The station is 40 miles 52 chains (65.4 km) down the line from London Bridge via Redhill. It is situated between Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill stations on the main line, and between Haywards Heath and Plumpton stations on the East Coastway line, which branches off just south of the station at Keymer Junction. The station is managed by Southern which is one of two companies serving Wivelsfield, the other one being Thameslink. Until May 2018, Gatwick Express also served the station with a single early-morning service each weekday towards London.
Newhaven Harbour railway station is a railway station in Newhaven, East Sussex, England. It originally served boat train services to Dieppe, but that was taken over by Newhaven Marine and then Newhaven Town.
Fareham railway station is on the West Coastway Line situated about 0.62 miles (1 km) from the town of Fareham in Hampshire, England. It is 84 miles 21 chains (135.6 km) down the line from London Waterloo.
Public transport in Brighton and Hove, a city on the south coast of England, dates back to 1840. Brighton and Hove has a major railway station, an extensive bus service, many taxis, coach services, and it has previously had trolley buses, ferries, trams, auto rickshaws and hydrofoils.
Bishopstone Beach Halt was a railway station in East Sussex, England that was opened on 1 June 1864 and closed on 1 January 1942. The station was built on the Seaford Branch Line for residents of the Bishopstone and Tide Mills villages and located on the west side of Mill Drove. The company that operated the trains on opening was the London Brighton & South Coast Railway, later merged into the Southern Railway.
Newhaven Marine railway station was a station in Newhaven, East Sussex, England, at the end of a short branch off the Seaford branch line near Newhaven Harbour. It was the last station to open in Newhaven, in 1886, following redevelopment and expansion of the Port of Newhaven and served cross-Channel boat trains to Dieppe, France.
Frederick Dale Banister MICE, was an English civil engineer, best known for his 35 years as the Chief Engineer of the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR).
The Port of Newhaven is a port and associated docks complex located within Newhaven, East Sussex, England, situated at the mouth of the River Ouse.