R A I LT R AC K - The Railways Archive

Route characteristics
DESCRIPTION This route predominantly carries passenger services operating
along the coast as well as services that operate for a short distance and then turn
north towards London.
The route is almost entirely two track, although the short Ore–Appledore
and Newhaven Harbour–Seaford sections are single track. Linespeed is
Route vision
Our vision is to improve linespeeds along the route so that, for the majority of
journeys over 50 miles, rail has a journey-time advantage over road as well as
significant environmental benefits. At the same time, freight connections will be
improved in order to stimulate the freight market, although on this route there
are a number of limitations.
Journey times for both rail and road in this transport corridor are slower
than for the routes from the coast to London. For rail this is due to both
configuration and linespeeds. The configuration – two track with overtaking
possible only at Lewes, Hove, Worthing and Barnham, and a length of single
track with only one passing place at Rye – gives little opportunity for faster
services. Linespeeds along this route are constrained by several factors
including signalling, track curvature, 54 level crossings, the need for services to
reverse at Brighton and Eastbourne and the substandard clearances in some
of the eight tunnels.
We, with a consortium of local authorities, funded a preliminary study of
the line between Weymouth and Dover, comprising this route as well as parts of
Routes 6 and 21. This report identified a large number of improvements which, if
all were implemented, would improve the fastest journey time from Weymouth
to Dover by 37% at an estimated cost of between £300M and £500M. Lower-
Route development and customer requirements
At Eastbourne, Phase 2 of the SRP is well under way which will see extensive
repairs to this listed station. At Lewes, the local authority has resolved to grant
listed-building consent for major refurbishment, and construction works will begin
this year including rebuilding part of Platform 1 and providing new toilet
predominantly 75mph with notable exceptions being 90mph from Southerham
Junction to Willingdon Junction and 60mph from St Leonard’s Warrior Square to
Ashford. Apart from the Ore–Ashford section, the route is electrified.
Capacity on some parts of the route is constrained by the lack of
passing places.
cost improvements that provide journey-time savings were also identified. The
report concluded that, even when measures designed to reduce demand for car
travel were considered, insufficient passengers would be attracted to the route to
fund the infrastructure improvements. This scheme also needs to be assessed
against other proposed transport schemes in this corridor.
We are wo rking with the Gove rnment Office for the South East to agree
h ow the benefits to the wider community of the altern a t i ve rail and road schemes
can be assessed. This assessment will then be used to agree whether there is
scope to progress a rail scheme. The current timing of the multimodal study fo r
this corridor means that it is unlike ly that any decision will be reached in the next
three ye a rs. We support the position of other stake h o l d e rs that this mu l t i m o d a l
study should be brought forward in order that a decision be reached far more
q u i c k ly. In part i c u l a r, we note that the South East Regional Planning Confe r e n c e
has identified the South Coast Corridor as one of the fi ve areas or corri d o rs in
the whole of the South East of England considered to be of regional signifi c a n c e.
It is our determination that the Ore–Ashford section will be electrified,
although there is still a funding gap to be overcome. The timing will be heavily
dependent on issues relating to the life of the current rolling stock.
accommodation. At Hastings, planning permission is being sought for a
multimillion-pound scheme to construct a new station building and refurbish
platform facilities. Included within the proposals is an improved public
transport interchange .
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