We also advocate electrification of the Uckfield line to improve reliability and accelerate services.
Our campaign
As long ago as 2017 the government published the London and South Coast Rail Corridor Study report. The study found that there was not a transport-driven need to reopen Lewes - Uckfield, but it recognised that a new approach might be justified on the basis of economic growth.It has not been possible to build a viable case for a second main line to London, but the study pointed the way forward for reopening between Uckfield and Lewes, recommending that the local authorities and Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) commission a review of potential growth scenarios.
The local authorities and LEPs are key to the process as it is they who must agree the economic development and housing plans which will underpin the growth scenarios and so the business case for services on the Tunbridge Wells – Uckfield – Lewes – Brighton axis.
Therefore Railfuture has presented the case to local authorities in 2018 and in 2022 that to encourage modal shift towards more sustainable modes of travel, housing growth must be focused in locations which either are already, or could be, served by rail stations. Development of a "LUcky Garden Village" in the area served by the line would meet the need for new homes to satisfy Brighton's growing employment market, relieve pressure on community services elsewhere and justify reinstating the railway between Uckfield and Lewes to serve it.
Land Value Capture, pioneered by E-Rail, could be used to help fund this new rail link, leaving conventional developer contributions still available for other options, provided that the development area is clearly defined. We have made it clear to local authority stakeholders that they have a choice of how to meet government housing targets – either continuing to add properties to existing towns and villages (which adds pressure to community services) or put all new development in one place with new community services and access to rail transport.
Working with the shadow sub-national transport body Transport for the South East, Railfuture were successful in getting Brighton - Tunbridge Wells identified as a strategic economic corridor. In Rail Thematic Plan Package J, TfSE's Strategic Investment Plan includes bringing the Uckfield - Lewes and Eridge - Tunbridge Wells West - Tunbridge Wells railways back into use to increase the resilience of rail network connectivity and a new east-west link.
Successful rail reopenings have been promoted by a partnership of key stakeholders, including local authorities, local enterprise partnerships, and the rail industry. This is essential to long term success and allows access to new local sources of transport funding. Railfuture will continue to bring together the promoters and stakeholders, including the planned new Sussex Mayoral Combined County Authority, to build a consensus that reopening Tunbridge Wells West-Uckfield-Lewes-Brighton is justified, credible and deliverable, inspire them to actively promote it, and so achieve a successful outcome.
Why it is needed
Travelling across or around Sussex isn't quick or easy. Roads are congested, bus services are slow and finish early, and rail routes do not all link up. Wealden residents can only get work or education in Lewes or Brighton by congested roads and bus services. Brighton cannot create enough homes within the town to match expected employment growth. Reopening Uckfield – Lewes to provide a through service between the Weald and Brighton will address these problems. It would also be an additional Sussex Coast-London route to help relieve the Brighton Main Line during disruption.Railfuture put its money where its mouth is by engaging independent advisor Jonathan Roberts Consulting to assess the evidence of economic and transport needs in Sussex. Key points are that Brighton is the largest employment centre in the South East outside London, the Weald has a very high daily outflow of people for work, Tunbridge Wells is a key destination, and Hastings has a high level of unemployment. His recommendations to promote economic growth in East Sussex included Uckfield-Lewes reopening to achieve affordable and effective journey times between the Weald, the Sussex Coast and Brighton. View or download the JRC report Access and Connections: East Sussex - Opportunities to align railway investment to the economic growth requirements of East Sussex.
What we propose
The route will be determined by the location of housing development, so that it can serve a new station at the "LUcky Garden Village".The track bed between Uckfield and Lewes is uninterrupted except for Station Road in Uckfield (which was previously a level crossing), a minor encroachment by a council depot in Uckfield, the A23 Uckfield bypass, use by the Lavender Line heritage railway at Isfield, and development in Lewes.
To extend the existing Uckfield service to Brighton at half-hourly intervals, a single track railway with dynamic passing loops is required. This would involve:
- Diversion of Station Road over a bridge to the Tesco roundabout to avoid the need for a level crossing
- Creation of a dynamic loop through Uckfield, with a new two-platform station
- Bridging the A23 over the railway
- Either relocating the Lavender line operation or running two parallel single tracks, as is currently done at Eridge with the Spa Valley Railway
- A choice of routes at Lewes to bypass the development on the closed route and to access Brighton, either:
- Diversion south of Isfield via Ringmer to a junction with the line from Eastbourne at Glynde
- Using the original Hamsey route to join the line from Haywards Heath, then either a loop south of Lewes, a loop at Southerham Junction, or reversal east of Lewes.
Background to the Uckfield Lewes campaign
A diary showing how our Bridge The Gap campaign has progressed since we started in 2012, including previous campaign material.If you support our campaign, wish to keep up-to-date with our activities, and find out more about how YOU can play your part, please join us at Sussex and Coastway, and: