Jump to content

Oxted line

Edit links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Oxted line
A Southern Class 171 approaches Uckfield station
Overview
StatusOperational
OwnerNetwork Rail
LocaleGreater London, Surrey,
West Sussex, Kent, East Sussex
Termini
Service
TypeCommuter rail
SystemNational Rail
Operator(s)Southern, Thameslink
Rolling stockClass 171, Class 377, Class 700
History
Opened1868-1888
Technical
Line length42 mi 79 ch (69.2 km)
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification750 V DC third rail (South Croydon–East Grinstead)
None (Hurst Green Junction–Uckfield)
Route map
Oxted Line
Legend
South Croydon
Brighton Main Line
Brighton Main Line
Woodside and
South Croydon Railway
 Selsdon
Sanderstead
Southern Hts Lt Rly to Orpington
Authorised line not built
Purley Downs
Golf Club Halt
Riddlesdown
837 yd
765 m
Riddlesdown
Tunnel
Riddlesdown Viaduct
Upper Warlingham
Woldingham Viaduct
Woldingham
Oxted Tunnel
2266 yd
2072 m
M25
Oxted
Oxted Viaduct
Limpsfield Tunnel
565 yd
517 m
Hurst Green
Hurst Green Junction
Monks Lane Halt
(
1907−
1939
)
Crowhurst Spur
(closed 1965)
Edenbridge Tunnel
319 yd
292 m
Redhill–Tonbridge line
to Redhill
Redhill–Tonbridge line
to Tonbridge
 Edenbridge Town
Lingfield
Hever
Mark Beech Tunnel
1341 yd
1226 m
Dormans
Cowden
2nd
 Ashurst
Ashurst Junction
East Grinstead
High Level│Low Level
LL
1st
to Three Bridges
Three Bridges to Tunbridge Wells
(Spa Valley Railway)
National Rail
Bluebell Railway
Groombridge Junction
Bluebell Railway
East Grinstead
(Bluebell Railway)
Birchden Junction
 Eridge Spa Valley Railway
to Sheffield Park
Redgate Mill Junction
Cuckoo Line
to Eastbourne
 Crowborough
Buxted
Uckfield
Uckfield
(
original
site
)
Wealden Line

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 in Kent and Crowborough in East Sussex to Uckfield. The line is named after 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 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 trains run hourly 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 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 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, the Oxted line was completed with the opening of the section between Hurst Green Junction and Eridge in 1888.

Until the mid-20th century, trains were able to continue south from both termini to Lewes. Passenger services were permanently withdrawn from 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.

Route

[edit]

Overview

[edit]

The Oxted line is a railway line in southern England. It links central London and 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.[1] The name "Oxted Line" was first used in 1989 by Network SouthEast, the then operator of the route.[2][3]

The Oxted line diverges from the Brighton Main Line at South Croydon Junction, immediately to the south of South Croydon station. The route climbs along the eastern side of the Caterham valley, initially parallel to the Caterham line.[4] At Hurst Green Junction, south of Hurst Green station, the line divides, with the electrified tracks running to East Grinstead and the unelectrified tracks diverging towards Uckfield.[5][6] Both routes previously continued south beyond their current termini to Lewes, but the lines were closed in the mid-20th century.[7][8] Although the South Croydon–East Grinstead section is double track throughout, the Uckfield branch was mostly singled south of Hever in 1990.[9][10][11]

Hourly off-peak service pattern

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.[13]

South Croydon–East Grinstead

[edit]
A Class 377 unit crosses Cooks Pond Viaduct between Dormans and East Grinstead.

The South Croydon–East Grinstead section of the Oxted line is 18 mi 26 ch (29.5 km) in length and has 10 stations in total.[5] 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.[5] All stations are managed by Southern.[14] This section of the line serves Lingfield Park Racecourse, around 1⁄4 mi (0.40 km) from Lingfield station,[15] and interchange is available with the Bluebell Railway at East Grinstead.[16]

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.[9] North of Upper Warlingham, the signalling 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.[5][9] The maximum gradient on this section is 1 in 67, south of Dormans.[8] 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).[5][17] There are two other tunnels: the 837 yd (765 m) Riddlesdown Tunnel and the 565 yd (517 m) Limpsfield Tunnel.[5] There are four viaducts on the South Croydon–East Grinstead section at Riddlesdown, Warlingham, Oxted and Cooks Pond (near Lingfield).[18][19] Between Hurst Green and Lingfield, the line passes beneath the Redhill–Tonbridge line, although the Crowhurst spur connecting the two was closed in 1965.[20][21]

Hurst Green Junction–Uckfield

[edit]
Hurst Green Junction: The unelectrified branch to Uckfield diverges to the left and the electrified line to East Grinstead continues ahead.

The Hurst Green Junction–Uckfield section is 24 mi 53 ch (39.7 km) in length and has eight stations in total.[6] 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.[6] All stations are managed by Southern[32] and passenger services are operated using Class 171 diesel multiple units.[12]

This part of the Oxted line is unelectrified and signalling is controlled from Oxted Signal Box. North of Hever, the line is double track, but to the south the line has been singled, although trains may pass at Ashurst and Crowborough stations.[6][10] The maximum speed is 70 mph (110 km/h) and trains typically reach Hurst Green from Uckfield in around 40 minutes.[10] The steepest gradient, 1 in 66, is at Burnt Oak Bridge, to the north of Buxted.[33] 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.[6][34] The other two tunnels are the 1,341 yd (1,226 m)[a] Mark Beech Tunnel (built for double track but containing only a single track) and the 1,022 yd (935 m) Crowborough Tunnel.[6]

History

[edit]

Conception

[edit]

A line was proposed in 1864 from Croydon to Tunbridge Wells via Oxted by a group of former LB&SCR directors. Their proposal for the Surrey and Sussex Junction Railway (S&SJR) was to have the scheme underwritten and then operated by the LB&SCR.[44]

However, the South Eastern Railway (SER) saw the S&SJR, and particularly the involvement of the LB&SCR chairman Leo Schuster, as a significant incursion into its territory. In addition to creating a rival to its own line to Tunbridge Wells, the SER saw the LB&SCR's direct involvement as contravening an 1849 agreement between the two companies.[44] In retaliation, the SER put forward proposals for a 'London, Lewes and Brighton' railway together with the London Chatham and Dover Railway.[44] As a result of these difficulties and the financial crisis of 1866–7, the LB&SCR signed a new agreement with the SER in which it withdrew support for the S&SJR, and the SER abandoned its scheme. Work on the S&SJR immediately ceased, but the holding company remained in existence until 1869, when it was merged with the LB&SCR and then closed.[44]

On 10 March 1884, the LB&SCR and the SER formed a joint venture company, the Croydon, Oxted & East Grinstead Railway. Surveyed and engineered by the LB&SCR's Chief Engineer Frederick Banister, the proposed route in part used trackbed constructed for but never used by the S&SJR.[44] The line was jointly owned and operated until Hurst Green, when it split into three:

Part-electrification

[edit]

The Southern Railway electrified the Woodside and South Croydon Joint Railway in 1935 but the line closed in 1983. Some of the redundant materials were used to electrify the short section between South Croydon and Selsdon railway station in 1984 and a few electric trains then operated from London to Sanderstead via East Croydon. The section beyond Sanderstead to East Grinstead was electrified in 1987 at 750 V DC third rail. However, the Uckfield branch is not electrified, and is worked by Class 171 diesel multiple units, which replaced Class 205 and Class 207 DEMUs.

Passenger rolling stock

[edit]

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.[45] In the first decade of the 20th century, I1 class tank engines, particularly suited to 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.[46] Trains run by the South Eastern Railway via the Crowhurst Spur, were typically hauled by E1 class 2-4-0 and F class locomotives, as well as Q class tank engines.[46][47] After Grouping in 1923, passenger services were hauled by B1, D, E and E1 class locomotives.[47]

Autotrains were introduced to local stopping services in the 1920s. 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 the Second World War.[48]

A Fairburn 2-6-4T tank engine near Sanderstead in 1960

From the mid-1940s onwards, express services were worked by K class, N class and Merchant Navy class tender engines.[49] In the early 1950s, Fairburn 2-6-4T tank engines were introduced, but were criticised by railway staff for being underpowered for the steep gradients on the line. They were replaced in 1958 by Standard Class 3 and 4 tank engines.[49][50]

A Class 205 unit at East Grinstead in 1975

Class 207 diesel-multiple units began working on the Oxted line on 18 June 1962, initially operating the busiest passenger services during peak hours.[51] Steam-hauled passenger trains were withdrawn on 6 January 1964,[52] but there were too few Class 207s to run the full timetable and so Class 33 locomotives were used to haul trains until 1983.[53][54] In the 1970s, the Class 33s were supplemented by Class 47 and Class 73 locomotives,[55] as well as Class 206 "Tadpole" units, normally allocated to the North Downs Line.[56] 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.[57] Further units were transferred in the mid-1970s from other lines and nine were reconfigured to provide more first-class seating for peak commuter services.[58]

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 the trade unions in the mid-1980s, the panels were removed from seven Class 207s[59] and fifteen Class 205s.[58] 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.[59] The arrival of the Class 171 units in 2004 allowed the Class 207 units to be withdrawn that August, although the Class 205s continued in passenger service until November of that year.[58][59][b]

A Class 421 "4-CIG" unit at the Oxted "Electrification Gala" in September 1987

Following 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.[53][61] Class 700 units, operated by Thameslink, began running services at peak times in May 2018..[62][63]

Freight services

[edit]

The first goods trains began running on 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,[64] and trains could access the lower and upper yards at East Grinstead from the outset.[65] Additional sidings were provided in the 1890s at Woldingham,[66] Lingfield[15] and Oxted, where a goods shed was built in 1902-03.[66][c]

A Class 33 locomotive at Selsdon Oil Depot in 1980

The withdrawal of freight facilities began in the mid-1950s, with the yard at Hever closing in 1955.[68] The goods yard at Woldingham closed on 4 May 1959[69] and those at the south end of Mark Beech Tunnel, at Cowden and at Ashurst closed the following year.[68][70] Also in 1960, rail deliveries to a factory between Selsdon and Sanderstead ceased, although the points to the sidings were not removed until 1969.[71] Freight facilities were withdrawn at East Grinstead in 1967[72] and at Crowborough in 1968.[68] Tanker train deliveries to the Anglo-American Oil Company depot at Selsdon took place between 1894 and 1993.[73]

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.[74][75][76] Shipments via 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.[77] 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.[74]

Oxted gas holder at Oxted station in 2004

The Oxted Gas Works, opened in 1885 and closed in June 1933, were served by sidings from the Oxted line.[4] By 1920, the works were consuming around 1,750 t (1,930 tons) of coal every year, all delivered by rail.[78] The sidings were lifted in May 1986, as part of the electrification works.[79]

Crowhurst brickworks (also known as Lingfield brickworks) opened with the Oxted line in 1884. Coal was delivered to a purpose-built siding until the 1950s, when the brick kilns were converted to use gas.[74][80] In the 1960s, some of the claypits were used for landfill and domestic waste was delivered to the site by rail.[74] The brickworks closed in 1980.[81] A banana ripening shed opened at Lingfield in 1958 and fruit was delivered by rail in refrigerated vans until 1971. The sidings serving the ripening facility were removed in the mid-1970s.[82][83]

Proposals

[edit]
A Class 171 diesel multiple unit at the buffer stop at the current Uckfield station, opened on 13 May 1991[43]

Electrification of the Hurst Green Junction–Uckfield section of the Oxted line, currently operated by Class 171 diesel multiple units, was identified as a priority by Network Rail in 2022.[12][84] The East Sussex Rail Strategy and Action Plan, published in November 2013, favoured electrification as well as redoubling the single-line sections. It suggested that these infrastructure improvements would reduce journey times and allow a more efficient use of rolling stock, which could lead to an increase in service frequencies.[85] The Surrey Rail Strategy, published in March 2021, was also supportive of electrification, noting that it would increase capacity and reduce carbon emissions.[86]

An independent report, authored by Chris Gibb and published in March 2017, estimated that electrification of the line between Hurst Green Junction and Uckfield would cost £75-95 million and indicated that the existing infrastructure could support a half-hourly service without the need for redoubling.[11] A July 2023 conference reported that the Office of Rail and Road was considering a form of third-rail electrification for the line, in which the conductor rail would be switched off in stations unless a train is present.[87] In March 2024, Govia Thameslink Railway suggested that battery-powered trains could be suitable for the route.[88]

The former Uckfield station in June 1994, looking along the disused track bed towards Lewes

There have been several proposals to reopen the Uckfield–Lewes line, including as part of longer-distance high-speed route dubbed "Brighton Main Line 2", intended to relieve the direct rail route between London and Sussex via Gatwick Airport.[89][90][91] Although the track bed has been protected from development since May 1980,[92] the rail infrastructure operators and the British government have repeatedly refused to authorise the schemes.[93][94][95] The report published by Chris Gibb in March 2017 indicated that there would be no business case for rebuilding the Uckfield–Lewes line unless there was strong housing growth in the area. Furthermore, Gibb suggested that works to increase the capacity of the Brighton Main Line should be prioritised ahead of the construction of a new high-speed link.[11]

Accidents and incidents

[edit]
  • 1 August 1882: Two trains, one transporting navvies and the other carrying ballast, collided in Riddlesdown Tunnel while the line was still being constructed. Ten of the workers were seriously injured.[96][97]
  • 3 January 1909: A locomotive collided with a broken-down passenger train, which it had been sent to assist, between Crowborough and Buxted. Eight people were injured.[98][99]
  • 5 April 1916: A passenger train derailed between Crowborough and Buxted.[100] Seven people were injured, including the driver and fireman.[101]
  • 7 December 1948: A driver was injured in Mark Beech Tunnel when part of his locomotive's boiler failed.[102]
  • 21 April 1988: A track maintenance worker was killed and a second was injured when they were hit by a train in a tunnel near Crowborough.[103]
  • 15 October 1994, Cowden rail crash: Two trains collided on the single-line section south of Cowden station after one passed a red signal. Five people were killed, including the drivers of both trains and a guard.[104][105][106]
  • 13 February 2020: A landslip near Lingfield closed the Oxted line between Hurst Green and East Grinstead for six weeks. Passenger services resumed on 30 March 2020.[107][108]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ An out-of-station interchange is available between Edenbridge Town station (on the Uckfield branch of the Oxted line) and Edenbridge station (on the Redhill–Tonbridge line), but there is a distance of 1 mi (1.4 km) between the two.[35]
  2. ^ 24 September 2004 was final scheduled day of service for Class 205 units, but they continued to be used until November 2004 when Class 171 units were unavailable.[58][59] Additional Turbostars were cascaded to Southern from ScotRail in June 2015.[60]
  3. ^ In 1933, the crane at Oxted goods yard had a lifting capacity of 6 long tons 0 cwt (13,400 lb or 6.1 t).[67]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "London's rail & tube services" (PDF). London: Transport for London. December 2023. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  2. ^ Brown & Jackson 1990, p. 11.
  3. ^ Green & Vincent 2014, p. 116.
  4. ^ a b Jackson 1999, pp. 73–74.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g "Sectional Appendix" 2009, SO530.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g "Sectional Appendix" 2009, SO540.
  7. ^ Gould 2003, p. 58.
  8. ^ a b Fellows, E.W. (March 1982). "The Oxted Lines: Present and future". Railway World. Vol. 43, no. 508. pp. 118–122. ISSN 0033-9032.
  9. ^ a b c d "Route Specifications" 2016, pp. 109–112.
  10. ^ a b c d "Route Specifications" 2016, pp. 101–104.
  11. ^ a b c "Wires through The Weald". Modern Railways. 24 August 2017. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  12. ^ a b c "Govia Thameslink Railway eyes diesel elimination". RAIL. 30 January 2024. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  13. ^ "N: Uckfield, East Grinstead and Oxted to Croydon and London". Govia. 3 June 2024. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  14. ^
  15. ^ a b Gould 2003, p. 45.
  16. ^ "Sussex sees first steam train on extended Bluebell Railway". BBC News. 23 March 2013. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  17. ^ Gould 2003, p. 14.
  18. ^ Gray 1990, p. 218.
  19. ^ Gould 2003, p. 13.
  20. ^ Oppitz 1988, p. 85.
  21. ^ Mitchell & Smith 1990, Fig. 27.
  22. ^ Quick 2023, p. 421.
  23. ^ Quick 2023, p. 404.
  24. ^ Quick 2023, p. 389.
  25. ^ Quick 2023, p. 463.
  26. ^ Quick 2023, p. 492.
  27. ^ Quick 2023, p. 354.
  28. ^ Quick 2023, p. 252.
  29. ^ Quick 2023, p. 283.
  30. ^ Quick 2023, p. 165.
  31. ^ Quick 2023, p. 176.
  32. ^
  33. ^ Mitchell & Smith 1986, Fig. 52.
  34. ^ Mitchell & Smith 1990, Fig. 29.
  35. ^ "Kent–Gatwick Rail Connectivity" (PDF). Network Rail. 2024. pp. 42–43. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  36. ^ Quick 2023, p. 179.
  37. ^ Quick 2023, p. 240.
  38. ^ Quick 2023, p. 146.
  39. ^ Quick 2023, p. 58.
  40. ^ Quick 2023, p. 185.
  41. ^ Quick 2023, p. 151.
  42. ^ Quick 2023, p. 113.
  43. ^ a b Quick 2023, p. 452.
  44. ^ a b c d e Turner, John Howard (1978). The London Brighton and South Coast Railway 2 Establishment and Growth. Batsford. ISBN 0-7134-1198-8.
  45. ^ Gould 2003, p. 107.
  46. ^ a b Kidner 1975, p. 25.
  47. ^ a b Gould 2003, p. 109.
  48. ^ Kidner 1975, p. 26.
  49. ^ a b Kidner 1975, p. 27.
  50. ^ Heaton, John (January 2021). "Oxted Line Steam: 1961". Railway Magazine. pp. 14–21.
  51. ^ Gould 2003, p. 138.
  52. ^ Jackson 1999, p. 92.
  53. ^ a b Phillipson, George (Summer 1988). "The Oxted Line". Railways South East. Vol. 1, no. 2. pp. 62–71.
  54. ^ Gould 2003, p. 149.
  55. ^ Gould 2003, p. 156.
  56. ^ Kidner 1975, p. 34.
  57. ^ Welch 2005, p. 16.
  58. ^ a b c d Welch 2005, p. 17.
  59. ^ a b c d Welch 2005, p. 20.
  60. ^ Dunn, Pipp (2 January 2019). "Twenty years of the Turbo Terrifics". RAIL. No. 869. pp. 50–55.
  61. ^ Gould 2003, p. 167.
  62. ^ "Thameslink ramp-up begins". Modern Railways. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  63. ^ "Final Class 700 completed". Modern Railways. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  64. ^ Jackson 1999, p. 72.
  65. ^ Kidner 1975, p. 15.
  66. ^ a b Jackson 1999, pp. 74–75.
  67. ^ Mitchell & Smith 1995, Fig. 66.
  68. ^ a b c Body 1989, pp. 199–200.
  69. ^ Mitchell & Smith 1995, Fig. 62.
  70. ^ Mitchell & Smith 1986, Figs 19, 22.
  71. ^ Kidner 1975, p. 12.
  72. ^ Body 1989, pp. 87–88.
  73. ^ Mitchell & Smith 1995, Fig. 30.
  74. ^ a b c d Jackson 1999, p. 200.
  75. ^ Mitchell & Smith 1995, Fig. 64.
  76. ^ Kidner 1975, p. 39.
  77. ^ Kidner 1975, p. 40.
  78. ^ Mitchell & Smith 1995, Fig. 65.
  79. ^ Gould 2003, p. 39.
  80. ^ Kidner 1975, pp. 13–14.
  81. ^ Mitchell & Smith 1984, Fig. 12.
  82. ^ Gould 2003, p. 51.
  83. ^ Jackson 1999, p. 206.
  84. ^ "Uckfield third rail is NR priority". Modern Railways. 24 March 2022. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  85. ^ "East Sussex Rail Strategy and Action Plan" (PDF). East Sussex County Council. November 2013. p. 18. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 October 2022. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  86. ^ "A new rail strategy for Surrey" (PDF). Surrey County Council. March 2021. p. 54. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  87. ^ Shirres, David (10 July 2023). "The future of electrification". RailEngineer. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  88. ^ "Third rail or batteries could replace Southern diesel trains". Rail Business UK. 6 March 2024. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  89. ^ "Fresh hope of railway reopening". BBC News. 14 June 2007. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
  90. ^ "Brighton mainline 2 campaigners optimistic as feasibility report delayed until autumn". Brighton and Hove News. 24 March 2016. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  91. ^ Pole, Sam (23 March 2023). "New rail line with 'fast services' from Sussex to London to be built". Sussex World. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  92. ^ "Axed rail-link plan". Tunbridge Wells Courier. 16 May 1980. p. 7.
  93. ^ "Railway line defeat 'just a blip'". BBC News. 23 July 2008. Retrieved 23 July 2008.
  94. ^ "Study dismisses BML2 plan". Modern Railways. 23 March 2017. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  95. ^ Harris, Mary (3 June 2023). "Network Rail's damning verdict on fast train from Tunbridge Wells to Brighton". Kent Live. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  96. ^ "Railway accident near Croydon". The Times. No. 30576. London. 3 August 1882. p. 4.
  97. ^ "Town and country talk". Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper. No. 2073. 13 August 1882. p. 12.
  98. ^ "Railway mishap". Kent & Sussex Courier. No. 3295. 8 January 1909. p. 10.
  99. ^ von Donop, P.G. (9 March 1909). "London, Brighton and South Coast Railway" (PDF). London: Board of Trade (Railway Department). Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  100. ^ "Brighton train accident : Engine and three coaches leave the line". Evening Standard. No. 28618. 5 April 1916. p. 5.
  101. ^ von Donop, P.G. (22 May 1916). "London, Brighton and South Coast Railway" (PDF). London: Board of Trade (Railway Department). Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  102. ^ Moore, J.L.M. (11 April 1949). "Report on the accident which occurred on 7th December 1949 between Cowden and Hever in the Southern Region, British Railways" (PDF). London: Ministry of Transport. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  103. ^ "Train kills BR worker". The Guardian. 22 April 1988. p. 2.
  104. ^ Wolmar, Christian; Bennett, Will (16 October 1994). "Five die in head-on rail crash". The Independent on Sunday. No. 246. p. 1.
  105. ^ Fleet, Michael (17 October 1994). "Couple killed on trip to see daughter". Daily Telegraph. No. 43333. p. 4.
  106. ^ Moore, Toby (10 June 1995). "'Distracted' driver blamed for death crash". Daily Telegraph. No. 43535. p. 8.
  107. ^ Fleming, Eleanor (13 February 2020). "No timescale for reopening Southern train line near East Grinstead after landslip". Surrey Live. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
  108. ^ McCrum, Kirstie (13 March 2020). "Aerial view of East Grinstead landslip as Network Rail confirms reopening date". Kent Live. Retrieved 30 September 2024.

Bibliography

[edit]
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Oxted line.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Oxted_line&oldid=1248638053"