What should we do about Uckfield to Lewes?

[zwk500]

I admire your attempt to battle the "We Must Re-open Everything" argument with logic and practical examples at ground level of why this will be significantly more complicated than just sticking down a couple of miles of track from Uckfield to Lewes...
I just don't think that *evidence* has much success in dampening the enthusiasm that some people have for rebuilding some failed line from fifty years ago (based on various threads on here) - always worth a try thought!

It wasn't a failed line - it was actually covering its operating costs (or close to it), and something like 60-70% of the traffic from Uckfield was southbound. As it happens, the line from Lewes to Uckfield opened before the connection from Uckfield to London. BR even applied to parliament for funding to keep the line open via Hamsey - Oh what might have been! It was a perfect storm of a flood damaging the viaduct, political pressure on the railways to cut costs, and the pressure from ESCC for the insane relief road through the town centre (subsequently abandoned, of course, and leading to the Bypass tunnel through Cliffe hill and the vast gouge out of the downs south of the town).
Even today, reopening the line would have substantial benefit to Brighton, Lewes, Uckfield and beyond. The problem is, as you say, that it's more complicated than just sticking down 10 miles of track where there happened to be a railway half a century ago. There is a technically feasible route of c.12-15 miles that would connect 30,000+ people in 3 towns all scheduled for development, and those towns with Brighton. But it's a brand new route so will have explosive planning and development costs, and almost certainly a public inquiry. It also requires substantial intervention at Brighton, redoubling and upgrading of the Uckfield-Hurst Green section, and paths through the rebuilt East Croydon. In the scenario we are now in of limited opportunity for investment, there are better places for the government to put its money in.

If we go full croyons, and build the following connections:

• Lewes - Uckfield
• Eridge - Tunbridge Wells - Paddock Wood
• Cuxton - Rochester

How many people would use a half hourly Brighton to Gillingham service?

A tempered-crayon proposal (i.e. one that is theoretically possible) is to reinstate Tunbridge Wells-Eridge and Lewes-Uckfield via Ringmer, and you would run 1tph Brighton-Uckfield-London (Calling Falmer, Lewes and Uckfield then all stations), 2tph Brighton-Uckfield-Tunbridge Wells West (all stations from Brighton), accepting that you'll never get more than the current 1 path per hour through Croydon, and Extend the SE Tunbridge wells terminators round the corner to West, where you would sweep away Sainsbury's & Homebase to rebuild a 3-platform 12-car station. The theoretical line even leaves the Lavender line untouched (in one option), although there's no way of reopening Tunbridge Wells to Eridge without sacrificing the SVR. Thank god it'll never have the business case to move forward....

It's possible that a standalone branch to Ringmer, from Glynde, and extension of the Brighton-Lewes all stations has a better BCR than Lewes-Uckfield.

 

[JamesRowden]

A tempered-crayon proposal (i.e. one that is theoretically possible)...

What's theoretically impossible about building new platforms underneath Tunbridge Wells Station for a new unconnected line between Eridge and Paddock Wood? Crossrail/HS2 seem to be possible

 

[Bald Rick]

You might kill off the public, and therefore politicians, appetite for any rail projects if you pick a known dud. This tiny gain to such a small population might cost you far greater gains to far more people, who may be more deserving.

This is absolutely bang on. Her Majesty’s Treasury has a very long memory. If they are beaten up and told to fund a reopening that turns into a waste of money, it will be the last one. And it will also stop other investment on the existing railway, as Treasury will not believe what they are being told, and require extra checks and a higher ‘bar’. It’s bad enough as it is now.

That’s why it is so important that any new line proposals can demonstrate, beyond all reasonable doubt, when tested against all manner of scenarios, a strong positive socio-economic case.

I’m not singling out Lewes - Uckfield here, there’s far worse examples that are being banded about elsewhere.

Although Lewes - Uckfield does have the disadvantage of being in the South. Doesn’t really help with ‘levelling up’, dropping around £300m on a line that doesn’t connect anywhere new to the network.

But it's a brand new route so will have explosive planning and development costs, and almost certainly a public inquiry.

The simple act of diverting a footpath can (and often does) lead to a public inquiry! Building a new railway, whether on the route of a long since closed one or not, is guaranteed to require one.