Direct London to Rye trains?

[NorthKent1989]

A couple of videos I watched recently in regards to the Tonbridge to Redhill & Marshlink lines

Could there be room for a direct London (Victoria) to Rye service using diesel or battery operated trains, I know HS1 was projected to be extended from Ashford to Hastings but this has been shelved.

 

[Farigiraf]

At some point in the future Southern will want to replace their 171s, most likely with battery/bi-mode units, due to significant amounts of diesel under wires at Eastbourne and London Bridge - Oxted. At that point, with enough campaigning, it should be possible for at least some Marshlink services to be extended into London via Gatwick Airport either as new services or extensions of Victoria to Ore services.
Ideally it should be a Southeastern service via HS1 or Tunbridge Wells, but Southeastern's fleet is entirely electric, so in the event of Marshlink never being electrified, I don't see them ordering new trains just for a route that they didn't even serve before.

 

[NorthKent1989]

At that point, with enough campaigning, it should be possible for at least some Marshlink services to be extended into London via Gatwick Airport either as new services or extensions of Victoria to Ore services.

That would be an awfully long journey, the Victoria to Ore is already two hours, it really would be quicker changing at Ashford for the HS1 which takes one hour

I was thinking it could be a Victoria (or London Bridge) - Clapham - Croydon - Redhill - Ashford Intl - then all stops to Rye

Ideally it should be a Southeastern service via HS1 or Tunbridge Wells,

Agreed, this would be ideal, I know that it’s difficult to get from the HS1 tracks over to the Marshlink, another alternative is via Tonbridge & Sevenoaks to Charing Cross

 

[JonathanH]

I was thinking it could be a Victoria (or London Bridge) - Clapham - Croydon - Redhill - Ashford Intl - then all stops to Rye

While I can see the attraction of such a service, in providing
* a fast link from Victoria to Redhill
* better connections to Gatwick (at Redhill) from Kent
* journey opportunities from South West London to Kent

it hits realities such as

* no capacity to go through Croydon
* limited demand between Redhill and Tonbridge and on to Ashford
* not being the obvious route for a Ashford to Tonbridge fast service to take into London
* duplication of existing services over all of the corridors it serves

No connections a passenger could make at Clapham Junction or Victoria are that much easier than using Waterloo East / Waterloo. East Croydon is one change from London Bridge.

It is incredibly difficult to see how it could support itself on top of the existing service provision in the area without the need for increased subsidy.

Agreed, this would be ideal, I know that it’s difficult to get from the HS1 tracks over to the Marshlink, another alternative is via Tonbridge & Sevenoaks to Charing Cross

I can't see those services being diverted away from their existing extensions to Canterbury and the Coast. Rye is just too small and there isn't much reason to run more trains between Tonbridge and Ashford.