That's a bit of damning with faint praise, because it will be busier because the additional trains stop there!
Ironically I think the car park is smaller than both the other, although it's the only one of the three I have never had a train terminate at so haven't actually seen it!
OK, I know what you mean!
The car park is indeed quite small, and you will know as well as I do that cars often end up cramming into the relatively narrow lane outside the station. I believe it is advertised from the road as a free car park, which may mean it's fairly well-known for that. I wonder if some of the little Network Rail yard (behind the new platform extension, at the London end of the station) could be converted to parking, though it does have a tendency to get a bit waterlogged.
It's quite hard to get anyone to agree to terminate trains at Cowden because it can take up quite a bit of time occupying the single line, plus changing ends and going the other way also annoys Oxted box quite a lot, because they have to reset the equipment monitoring the direction of trains on the single line. The same applies to Eridge, and to a lesser extent Buxted (as that's on the bit of the single line which is at the end of the route).
Only in the most extreme circumstances would you not struggle on as far as Ashurst or Crowborough, where, as you know, you can turn a train round. In the case of Ashurst you do need a pilotman so it's a bit rarer.
The appearance of Roadrunners branding was quite a surprise. I am not sure if it was a deal over a certain area or what. I think Roadrunners may have tried to move in to the Crowborough taxi market but it was a half hearted effort and I only ever saw one of their taxis and that I only ever saw parked up outside a residential dwelling. I now see a taxi branded with one of the traditional Crowborough taxi firms outside the same dwelling, so I assume Roadrunners are no longer active in Crowborough if they ever were.
That's interesting to know. I use Roadrunners around Surrey and Gatwick quite a lot, but I'll be honest, the drivers never say much about going down that far into Sussex.
I think I know the conductor you mean. However have to say that most of the conductors on the line are friendly, helpful, willing to have a chat, and offer a perspective that is appreciated by the stalwarts of the line who have seen cancellations and delays for every reason ever heard!
It wasn't aimed to portray any particular conductor, I think everyone at Selhurst and Norwood has their moments when it comes to muttering about the Turbostars! Yep, it's a good team really.
Don't mention the flight paths, there is an active group in Crowborough complaining about flight paths from Gatwick and the noise. No idea why as I rarely notice it, indeed the only memorable time I do recall aircraft noise was a Virgin flight to Las Vegas which had an issue with the undercarriage and had to do a low flyby the airport to allow it to be inspeacted from the ground. That flew very low over my house, but is the only memorable plane, well other than an occasional military jet.
I'd agree with you on that one. But, to be fair, I don't live in Crowborough anyway!
The turbostars also have a much more generous seating layout and design than the 377s complete with magazine nets in the backs if the seats! The ouggage racks are also carpeted and there are partition screens.
I presume they were built to this specificatin because all other turbistars being built at that time had that interior or was it in recognition if the longer distance work these units would be on?
I believe it was a combination of both of those reasons, plus the knowledge they would be cleared for contingency arrangements for the BML, where regional express quality was wanted. As it happened, the fleet has been massively in demand due to the ever-growing passenger numbers on the Marshlink and Uckfield lines, such that there is virtually no capacity to help with London-Brighton in emergencies anyway.
If they were built now maybe they would be similar to 172s
Perhaps. I can well imagine a layout similar to one or other variant of the 377s, perhaps with the same variety of types of seats.
I traveled down the line with my wife a couple of years a go to buy a car for our children from a bloke at Crowborough. At the time it appeared that the line had recently been singled which seemed surprising for a line so close to London.
It still looks like it was fairly recently singled in places, because (especially between Eridge and Crowborough Jn) there are still bits of derelict track left in parallel with the single line which is in use. This derelict track may not be usable, but it's surprisingly visible and small parts are in a fairly good state.
It seems that Network Rail have been quite sensible in keeping the full double trackbed clear of most vegetation throughout the majority of the singled sections, most likely to maintain the structures along the alignment (such as the numerous small bridges and culverts) and allow access to signalling equipment.
I was told that the candle is a memorial to someone that was killed by a train at that point.
That's interesting and also quite poignant to know. However, I seem to remember there are another one or two candles in addition to the one I reckon you're thinking of. Off the top of my head, I think they're around Greenhurst Junction somewhere. Perhaps they're for the same purpose, perhaps not.
Do need to do a pub crawl down there at some point. Got to sample the area around the station last year with the crowborough terminating trains due to the platform extensions, and i must say that coffee shop just clost to the station is excellent and the staff really good and the bakers up the road is also lovely lol. Sadly wasnt allowed to have a beer!
Jarvis Brew (the relatively new cafe) is indeed fantastic. I think I've mentioned it before.
I found the line very pleasant to travel on. Even during the afternoon peak out of London I managed to get a seat!
You evidently had good luck in choosing the right time! Several trains out of London Bridge in the afternoon and evening are rammed full, especially the 1538 / 1708 / 1806 / 1908 departures. Nonetheless, you'd still probably get a seat somewhere aboard those trains after Oxted anyway.
The whole line was proposed for closure in the late 1960s and with heavy public protests it was reprieved except for the section between Uckfield - Lewes. Following this the line was run down with little investment or marketing. By the 1980s it was feared that closure was again a possibility but in the event Eridge- Tunbridge Wells closed.
The whole line was resignalled and partial singling took place in January 1990 which at the time was sufficient for train service was required. The sections of single line are..
Hever to Blackham Jn.(north of Ashurst)
Ashurst Jn (about 1 mile south of Ashurst) - Crowborough
Greenhurst Junction ( about one mile north of Buxted) - Uckfield.
In 1991 a new resited station was opened at Uckfield.
With the rapidly increasing passenger useage maybe the double track could be reinstated and the one mile section between Eridge and Birchden Jn retained as a single line to accommodate the Spa Valley Railway. At Eridge the second track could be reinstated along the route of the former up loop platform. A short section of single line would not be too much of a problem as the parallel Tonbridge- Hastings line accommodates a frequent service with four sections of single line.
With the investment in the new platform extensions, TVMs and other contractually-required station facilities, and the extensive structures works in places, it's a great shame nobody's come up with a decent plan to re-double between Hever Jn and Blackham Jn via Cowden. This is undoubtedly the bit of single line with the greatest performance hit. Apart from errant ECSs running late in the morning peak, and very lightly-loaded Up trains waiting for delayed Down workings in the evening peak, the section through Eridge can usually be accommodated fairly well, and the Greenhurst Jn-Uckfield section is rarely something which causes major disruption.
