Відео

Thank you Jack :)

Guilty M'Lord :)

That's the remnants of the Dyke Branch from Aldrington Halt, through the yards of Harrington Coachbuilders. Another line that is very traceable. Even a bridge over the A27 dual carrigeway to continue up to the Devil's Dyke.

Thank you for your comment, I will do as you mentioned in the following parts to this trip.

Thank you for your comment, I will endeavour to do so in future videos.

Actually it wasn't really a branch line, it was double-track all the way from Shoreham to Christ's Hospital, it was scheduled for electrification by SR but WWII got in the way. The cement works was a very important part of the line. Until the early 1960's K class 2-6-0s worked the morning cement trains, then Q1s after the Ks were withdrawn, although sometimes there was a Q or a Maunsell 2-6-0. From 1963 it was generally Ivatt 2-6-2T on the passenger, but towards closure the SR dmus took over. Ironically the whole area has grown considerably after closure, the buses are shite and it would have been a great line to keep open for when engineering works were going on - on the main line from London to Brighton.

The same as Moat Lane to Builth Road. Apparently the short stretch of road at Llanidloes makes it out of the question.

Were it still open, it would doubtless be well used. The Beeching methodology was questioned at the time, as season tickets and school journeys weren't counted. Allegedly, immediately before the traffic samples ordered by Beeching, the line was pegged out pending the onset of electrification, though how far that really got is moot. Regrettably, recent developments at the Shoreham end removed the embankment west of the A283, putting the final nail in the coffin. Network Rail did examine the route as a reopening candidate about 12 years ago and concluded too much formation had been lost, principally around Henfield where the water table makes any diversion unfeasible (unless YOU want to try and tell the locals their common and cricket ground don't matter!!). The other issue is level crossings on the extant Coastway line, which frequently snarl up traffic, backing up to the A270 (Old Shoreham Road) and A259, the coast road. Some hold, with only two full length platforms accesible from the West, that Brighton's ability to handle much more from that direction is in question. A far better candidate is reinstating the Uckfield Lewes line, unless the cycling lobby in Lewes Council get their way and total the much needed 2nd mainline to London for an overengineered cycle path.

My folks lived at Steyning for years after the closure but as with Cranleigh, north of Horsham, there was a movement to reopen just the northern part from there but the (by then) extremely wealthy inhabitants who had replaced the former generations would not countenance a new railway. I guess the same opposition would arise from Steyning. Certain sectors of Society look down on anything with rails and that goes for trams as well.

The same is often said of the Horsham-Guildford branch through Cranleigh (where I now live), which converged with the Steyning branch at Christ's Hospital. Every few years there's a flurry of excitement when someone in a 'high place' suggests that restoration of the Cranleigh branch ought to be looked into. The last time I remember that happening was 2019/early 2020. The newly elected MP for Guildford, Angela Richardson, made a few noises about it. She later admitted that there was really no prospect of it ever happening, though. The restored line would have to diverge at several places from the original route, as much of it is built over with new housing etc. I think Slinfold is one such place. I remember at the age of 4, when my family lived in Guildford, we had a summer holiday in Hove at some boarding house. We travelled to Christ's Hospital by rail, then changed for a Brighton train, via Steyning. The main thing I remember about that journey was that we travelled on two trains - one engine was pushing and the other was pulling.

​​​​@@tocaat2410Developments at Cranleigh mean the only realistic reopening would be between a resited station at Cranleigh and Guildford (the section nearly retained and sparked up back in the 60s). It's an option still brought up at times and I feel may grow legs as the A281's traffic issues between Guildford and Bramley are truly dreadful at times.

The Brighton ML desperately needs a ‘diversionary route’ to provide capacity and well as offering another way when the service gets disrupted - given there seems to be little chance of re-opening the Lewes - East Grinstead line!

@@andrewbrown6786 Well, the 'Bluebell' part of the Lewes East Grindstead line still operates. The last journey I took on that line was behind the Flying Scotsman. But there's little chance of the Lewes-Sheffield Park section being re-built - about as much as there is for Horsted Keynes- Haywards Heath (taking in Ardingly). Come to think of it, theoretically, the Haywards Heath- Horsted Keynes section could be re-built and electrified. Then if the HK-East Grinstead bit of the Bluebell is electrified, that might provide the diversionary route you mention. There would be obstacles, though. The Hanson Aggregates company occupies the land around Ardingly (and what is left of the station) so they would have to be incentivised to move. And I wonder what reaction the Bluebell Railway would have to electrifying part of their route. Maybe something for future generations to think about.

@@TheHoveHeretic You make good points. Certainly it's not feasible to re-build Craneligh station where it used to be, but there's probably space for it to the south of the original site. Your comment about traffic on the A281 is certainly valid. It's all very well to put up ever more residential property around Cranleigh, but what effect is it going to have on the capacity of main roads to handle the increased traffic?

The platforms and a running-in board remain beneath the undergrowth at West Grinstead. It's immediately south of where the A272 crosses the formation.

The main road is still the A27 at this point (from which the motorway separates Cosham, just north of Pompey) When I worked at Lancing (actually the site of the erstwhile C&W works), the one remaining line to the cement works had been OOS for a couple of years, but was still very much there. I believe the last working to visit the line was a tour special for either the SLS or RTCS. I've seen a photo of the working about to rejoin the coastay, but can't recall the class of loco used. Probably either a 33 or 73. The shell of the cement works stil stands. In an area notoriously short of building land, it's amazing this large site (straddling the A283) is standing idle. Perhaps cement production involves some toxic substances which mean the site needs extensive decontamination? I didn't mention the reuse of the formation to create the Steyning by-pass as preventing any reopening, as I'm actually certain the line could be reinstated beneath a raised roadway, but conditions at Shoreham and Henfield mentioned in my reply to the first post unfortunately DO kybosh any viable route. I've not been to Southwater for many moons, but a swift look at Google Earth suggests too much redevelopment for restoration through this village too.

There was a preservation bid, but it was too awkward with the junction at Shoreham, and would only have gone to the cement works anyway.