Lewes railway station

Infobox UK station
name = Lewes
manager = Southern
locale = Lewes
borough = Lewes
platforms = 5


code = LWS
usage0405 = 2.406
usage0506 = 2.494
usage0607 = 2.564
years = 1846
events = Opened
years2 = 1857
events2 = Resited
years3 = 1889
events3 = Rebuilt

Lewes railway station serves the town of Lewes in East Sussex, England. It has five platforms and is on the East Coastway Line. Train services are provided by Southern.

The station has a café and a newsagent, and there is a taxi office on the main forecourt.

Layout

The station platforms are arranged in a 'V' shape, with the main buildings in between. The typical arrangement for services is:
Northern platforms
Platform 1 is an eastbound platform for trains towards Eastbourne, Seaford and Hastings, from London
Platform 2 is a westbound platform for trains towards London Victoria via Haywards Heath
Southern platforms
Platform 3 is an eastbound platform for trains towards Eastbourne, Seaford and Ashford, from Brighton
Platform 4 is a westbound platform for trains to Brighton from Eastbourne and Ashford
Platform 5 is a bi-directional through platform for terminating trains towards Brighton and Seaford

Services

The typical off-peak service is:
*5tph (trains per hour) to Brighton
*2tph to London Victoria via Gatwick Airport
*1tph to Ore via Eastbourne
*2tph to Seaford
*1tph to Ashford International via Hastings

rail line two to two|previous1=Cooksbridge|previous2=Falmer
next1=Glynde|next2=Southease|route=Southern
East Coastway Line|col=A7CE38

History

The station has a complex history, having begun as a terminus on the Brighton line. The original station became inconvenient after extra tracks were laid to Hastings, meeting the Brighton line at a junction just west of Lewes Station, necessitating reversals. Capacity increases also became desirable because of new direct links to London. This first station was soon replaced; however the structure with grand classical columns outside survived until the 1960s but was then demolished.

The new station was itself extensively remodelled some time after a new through line was laid, effectively extending what had been the spur to the original station.

Not all of these lines survived extensive cuts in the 20th century. There used to be a line heading north to Uckfield and on to London via Eridge — this line also had trains to Tunbridge Wells West. This line, the Wealden Line, has been closed and lifted between Lewes and Uckfield, although there are recurring campaigns to re-open it [http://home.clara.net/wealdenline/] . Branching off the Lewes to Uckfield section at Culver Farm was the lower portion of the Bluebell Railway, and a portion of this remains as a preserved railway.

Evidence of the line closures remains in the form of filled-in trackbeds at former, now redundant platforms in the station.

References

External links