Uckfield railway station

Infobox UK station
name = Uckfield


manager = Southern
locale = Uckfield
borough = Wealden
code = UCK
usage0405 = 0.147
usage0506 = 0.217
platforms = 1
years = 1868
13 May 1991
events = Opened
Relocated

Uckfield railway station serves Uckfield in East Sussex, England. Train services from the station are provided by Southern, and the station is the terminus for the Uckfield branch of the Oxted Line.

History

The present Uckfield station opened in 1991 replacing the original structure which was sited 50 metres to the south. With the closure of the line south to Lewes (where a junction allowed trains to continue on to Eastbourne or Brighton), the original station found itself stranded on the wrong side of a level crossing on the High Street which created traffic congestion whenever a train was arriving or departing from the station. The decision was therefore made to close the original station (which had been opened in 1868) and to open a new station on the other side of the road. The original station was demolished on 9 December 2000 after it had been damaged by vandals. [ [http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/stations/u/uckfield/index.shtml "Uckfield" at Subterranea Britannica] ]

A campaign to re-open the line south of Uckfield through to Lewes, known as the Wealden Line, has been ongoing since 1986 and has attracted cross-party support. [ [http://home.clara.net/wealdenline Wealden Line Campaign website] ] In 2008 the "Wealdenlink" presentation was published which gave new impetus to the campaign for reinstatement. [ [http://www.wealdenlink.org.uk/ Wealdenlink] ] . On 23 July 2008 the Central Rail Corridor Board (a joint group of local councils and stakeholders) commissioned study by Network Rail reported that there was not an economic case for reopening, citing a £141 million cost and a low "Benefit To Cost ratio" of 0.64 to 0.79 when a BCR of 1.5 is the minimum needed to make a scheme viable [ [http://www.eastsussex.gov.uk/roadsandtransport/roads/roadschemes/rail/default.htm The full report by Network Rail, at East Sussex CC] - 23 July 2008] .

Whereas the neighbouring East Grinstead line is electric, the Uckfield line is run only by diesel trains. It has been proposed many times that the line be electrified, but this is considered too expensive.

Services

The typical off-peak service is one train per hour to London Bridge, calling at Buxted, Crowborough, Eridge, Ashurst (Kent), Cowden, Hever, Edenbridge Town, Hurst Green, Oxted and East Croydon. On Sundays this is reduced to an hourly shuttle to Oxted calling at all stations.Previously, trains from Uckfield only went as far as Oxted every day but since Southern took over the service it has been extended, increasing the amount of passengers.

References

External links