Oxted line
SouthernClass 377 units crossing Riddlesdown Viaduct with a service toEast Grinstead
Overview
Status	Operational
Owner	Network Rail
Locale	Greater London,Surrey, West Sussex,Kent,East Sussex
Termini	South Croydon East Grinstead /Uckfield
Service
Type	Commuter rail
System	National Rail
Operator(s)	Southern,Thameslink
Rolling stock	Class 171,Class 377,Class 700
History
Opened	1868–1888
Technical
Line length	42 mi 79 ch (69.2 km)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)standard gauge
Electrification	750 V DC third rail (South Croydon–East Grinstead) None (Hurst Green Junction–Uckfield)
Route map Show static map Show zoomable map Legend South Croydon Brighton Main Line Brighton Main Line Woodside and South Croydon Railway Selsdon Sanderstead Southern Hts Lt RlytoOrpington Authorised line not built Purley Downs Golf Club Halt Riddlesdown 837 yd 765 m Riddlesdown Tunnel Riddlesdown Viaduct Upper Warlingham Woldingham Viaduct Woldingham Oxted Tunnel 2266 yd 2072 m M25 Oxted Oxted Viaduct Limpsfield Tunnel 565 yd 517 m Hurst Green Hurst Green Junction Monks Lane Halt ( 1907− 1939 ) Crowhurst Spur (closed 1965) Edenbridge Tunnel 319 yd 292 m Redhill–Tonbridge line toRedhill Redhill–Tonbridge line toTonbridge Edenbridge Town Lingfield Hever Mark Beech Tunnel 1341 yd 1226 m Dormans Cowden 2nd Ashurst Ashurst Junction East Grinstead High Level│Low Level LL 1st toThree Bridges Three Bridges to Tunbridge Wells (Spa Valley Railway) National Rail Bluebell Railway Groombridge Junction East Grinstead (Bluebell Railway) Birchden Junction Eridge to Sheffield Park Redgate Mill Junction Cuckoo Line toEastbourne Crowborough Buxted Uckfield Uckfield ( original site ) Wealden Line Show line diagram

TheOxted line is a railway line in southern England. It runs from theBrighton Main Line atSouth Croydon inGreater London to Hurst Green Junction inSurrey, where its two branches diverge. The western branch continues viaLingfield toEast Grinstead inWest Sussex, whereas the eastern branch runs viaEdenbridge Town inKent toUckfield inEast Sussex. The line is named after the town ofOxted in Surrey and also serves parts of theLondon Borough of Croydon. The 18-mile-26-chain (29.5 km) South Croydon–East Grinstead section iselectrified using the 750VDCthird-rail system and is double track throughout. The unelectrified Hurst Green Junction–Uckfield section is 24 mi 53 ch (39.7 km) in length and, south ofHever, is mostly single track.

Most trains on the Oxted line are operated bySouthern, althoughThameslink services also run to-and-from East Grinstead at peak times. During off-peak periods on weekdays, there is a half-hourly service betweenLondon Victoria and East Grinstead, and an hourly service betweenLondon Bridge and Uckfield. Services operated byClass 377 electric multiple units generally call at all stations betweenSanderstead and East Grinstead; services operated byClass 171 diesel multiple units call at all stations between Oxted and Uckfield, but generally run non-stop betweenEast Croydon and Oxted.

The first part of the route to be completed, betweenEridge and Uckfield, was opened by theLondon, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR) in August 1868. Although construction work was also carried out on the northern part of the Oxted line, the unfinishedtrack bed was abandoned in 1869. In 1878,Parliament authorised the South Croydon–East Grinstead line, part of which would be built as a joint venture between the LB&SCR and theSouth Eastern Railway. The first trains between London and East Grinstead via Oxted ran in March 1884. Four years later, in 1888, the Oxted line was completed with the opening of the section between Hurst Green Junction and Eridge.

Until the mid-20th century, trains were able to continue from both southern termini toLewes. Passenger services were permanently withdrawn from the East Grinstead–Lewes section in March 1958 and from the Uckfield–Lewes section in May 1969. Steam haulage on the Oxted line was replaced bydiesel traction in 1965 and the electrification of the South Croydon–East Grinstead section was completed in 1987. Much of the line between Hever and Uckfield was converted to single track in 1990. TheCowden rail crash occurred on 15 October 1994, when two trains collided on a section of single line that had previously been double track.

The Oxted line is a railway line in southern England. It links central London and theborough of Croydon with the towns ofOxted,East Grinstead,Edenbridge,Crowborough andUckfield. The route passes through the counties ofGreater London,Surrey,Kent,East Sussex andWest Sussex.^[1][2] Four stations are in theLondon fare zones:South Croydon station is in Zone 5;Sanderstead,Riddlesdown andUpper Warlingham are in Zone 6.^[3] The name "Oxted Line" was first used in 1989 byNetwork SouthEast, the then operator of the route.^[1][2]

The Oxted line diverges from theBrighton Main Line at South Croydon Junction, immediately to the south of South Croydon station, and climbs along the eastern side of theCaterham valley, initially parallel to theCaterham line.^[4][5] At Hurst Green Junction, south ofHurst Green station, the line line splits into two, with anelectrified branch running toEast Grinstead and an unelectrified branch running toUckfield.^[6][7][8] Both routes previously continued south beyond their current termini toLewes, but these lines were closed in the mid-20th century.^[9][10] Although the South Croydon–East Grinstead section is double track throughout, the Uckfield branch was mostly converted to single track south ofHever in 1990.^[11][12][13]

Three distinct services operate on the Oxted line:

• London Victoria–East Grinstead operated bySouthern usingClass 377 electric multiple units;^[11]
• London Bridge–Uckfield operated by Southern usingClass 171 diesel multiple units;^[12][14]
• Thameslink services to-and-from East Grinstead during weekday peak hours only, operated byClass 700 electric multiple units.^[15][16]

With the exception of the Thameslink services, Oxted line trains do not call at South Croydon. North ofEast Croydon, trains to London Victoria call only atClapham Junction, whereas those operated by Class 171 and 700 units run fast to London Bridge. In general, trains to-and-from Uckfield do not call at Sanderstead, Riddlesdown, Upper Warlingham andWoldingham.^[17]

The South Croydon–East Grinstead section of the Oxted line is 18 mi 26 ch (29.5 km) in length and has 10 stations in total.^[6] South Croydon station has five platforms, of which only three are accessible for Oxted Line trains; Oxted station has three platforms, one of which is a south-facingbay; all other stations (Sanderstead, Riddlesdown, Upper Warlingham, Woldingham, Hurst Green,Lingfield,Dormans and East Grinstead) have two platforms each.^[6] All stations are managed by Southern.^[18] This section of the line servesLingfield Park Racecourse, around1⁄4 mi (0.40 km) from Lingfield station,^[19] and interchange is available with theBluebell Railway, aheritage railway, at East Grinstead.^[20]

The South Croydon–East Grinstead section of the Oxted line is electrified using the 750VDCthird-rail system and is double track throughout.^[11] North of Upper Warlingham, the signalling is controlled by Three Bridges Area Signalling Centre, but the rest of the line is controlled from Oxted Signal Box. The maximum line speed is 85 mph (137 km/h) and trains typically reach East Croydon from East Grinstead in around 35–40 minutes.^[6][11] The maximum gradient on this section is 1 in 67, south of Dormans.^[10] The summit of the line is on the north side of Oxted Tunnel, the longest on the line at 1 mi 501 yd (2.067 km).^[6][21] There are two other tunnels: the 837 yd (765 m) Riddlesdown Tunnel and the 565 yd (517 m) Limpsfield Tunnel.^[6][5][8] There are four viaducts on the South Croydon–East Grinstead section at Riddlesdown, Warlingham, Oxted and Cooks Pond (near Dormans).^[22][23] Between Hurst Green and Lingfield, the line passes beneath theRedhill–Tonbridge line, although the Crowhurst spur connecting the two was closed in 1965.^[24][25]

The Hurst Green Junction–Uckfield section is 24 mi 53 ch (39.7 km) in length and has eight stations in total.^[7][8][36]Eridge station has three platforms, of which one is used by the Oxted line and the other two by theSpa Valley Railway.Edenbridge Town, Hever,Ashurst andCrowborough stations have two platforms each; the remaining three stations (Cowden,Buxted and Uckfield) have a single platform.^[7][36] All stations are managed by Southern^[37] and passenger services are operated using Class 171 diesel multiple units.^[14]

This part of the Oxted line is unelectrified and signalling is controlled from Oxted Signal Box. North of Hever is double track, but to the south the line has been singled, although trains may pass at Ashurst and Crowborough stations.^[7][12] The maximum speed is 70 mph (110 km/h) and trains typically reach Hurst Green from Uckfield in around 40 minutes.^[12] The steepest gradient, 1 in 66, is at Burnt Oak Bridge, to the north of Buxted.^[38] There are three tunnels on the Hurst Green Junction–Uckfield section of the line. The double-track Edenbridge Tunnel (sometimes known as Little Browns Tunnel) is 319 yd (292 m) long and opens out in the middle to allow the Redhill–Tonbridge line to cross over on a bridge.^[7][39][a] The other two tunnels are the 1,341 yd (1,226 m) Mark Beech Tunnel (built for double track but containing only a single track) and the 1,022 yd (935 m) Crowborough Tunnel.^[7][36]

The first part of the Oxted line to be completed was the section from Eridge to Uckfield. It was built to join the existingEast Grinstead–Tunbridge Wells line atGroombridge (opened on 1 October 1866) to the Uckfield–Lewes line (opened on 11 October 1858).^[49] It was proposed by the Brighton, Uckfield & Tunbridge Wells Railway and was supported by theLondon, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR), which owned the other two lines. The new link not only enabled trains from east Kent to reachBrighton, but was also intended to block a rival scheme from theLondon, Chatham and Dover Railway, which would have followed a similar route.^[50]

The Brighton, Uckfield & Tunbridge Wells Railway was authorised byParliament in 1861 and construction had begun by 1863. The LB&SCR purchased the line before completion and opened the section from Groombridge to Uckfield on 3 August 1868. The railway was initially built with a single track, although the bridges and Crowborough Tunnel were engineered to allow a second to be laid at a later date. The firstpassing loop was installed at Crowborough in 1879^[50] and doubling from Eridge to Uckfield was completed in 1894.^[51]

The LB&SCR also supported theSurrey and Sussex Junction Railway (SSJR), which proposed a line linking the Brighton Main Line at South Croydon to the East Grinstead–Tunbridge Wells line at Groombridge. The new line was authorised by theSurrey and Sussex Junction Railway Act on 6 July 1865. Work began the following year, but progress was slow due to thefinancial panic of 1866 caused by the failure ofOverend, Gurney and Company. In 1869, there was a riot at Edenbridge in opposition to the Belgiannavvies who were being employed in preference to local labourers.^[52]

In 1869, the LB&SCR obtained anact of Parliament to allow it to acquire the partially built SSJR line.^[53] Construction ceased immediately and the company paid a fine of £32,250 (equivalent to £3.76 million in 2023) to allow it to abandon the project. By the time the works were halted, the viaduct at Woldingham had been completed and substantial progress had been made on the tunnels at Riddlesdown, Oxted and Limpsfield.^[4][22][54] Nevertheless, the LB&SCR estimated that a further £1.5–£2 million (£180–£230 million in 2023) would be required to finish the line.^[55]

London, Brighton, and South Coast Railway (Croydon, Oxted, and East Grinstead Railways) Act 1878
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Citation	41 & 42 Vict. c. lxxii

Under theLondon, Brighton, and South Coast Railway (Croydon, Oxted, and East Grinstead Railways) Act 1878, the northern part of the SSJR scheme was resurrected. The act authorised the construction of a double track railway from South Croydon to East Grinstead. The line was to use the partially built track bed as far south as Limpsfield Tunnel, from where it would continue to meet the Lewes and East Grinstead Railway, authorised the previous August.^[56] The new line would be jointly owned and operated by the LB&SCR andSouth Eastern Railway (SER) between South Croydon and Crowhurst Junction, from where a spur would lead to the SER Redhill–Tonbridge line. The section south of Crowhurst Junction to East Grinstead would be solely owned by the LB&SCR.^[57][58]

Work on the new line began in 1881.^[56] Under the terms of their ownership agreement, the SER was responsible for providing stations at Upper Warlingham and Oxted, while the LB&SCR built those at Lingfield and Dormans.^[59] At East Grinstead, two new "low level" platforms were constructed below and at right angles to the "high level" station on the Three Bridges–Tunbridge Wells line.^[60][b]

The LB&SCR had hoped to open the South Croydon–East Grinstead line on 1 March 1884, but public services were delayed until 10 March for strengthening work on Riddlesdown Viaduct.^[61] The spur at Crowhurst was opened on 1 August, allowing the SER to run trains between Oxted and Tonbridge viaEdenbridge.^[58] The first new station on the line was at Woldingham, which opened as "Marden Park" on 11 June 1885.^[30][62] The cost of building the station was part-funded by a local landowner.^[63]

Oxted and Groombridge Railway Act 1881
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Citation	44 & 45 Vict. c. clxxxix

London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (Various Powers) Act 1884
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Citation	47 & 48 Vict. c. xcvii

The final part of the Oxted line to be constructed was the Hurst Green Junction–Eridge section.^[21] It was proposed by the Oxted and Groombridge Railway (O&GR) company and was authorised by theOxted and Groombridge Railway Act 1881.^[56] Three years later, under theLondon, Brighton and South Coast Railway (Various Powers) Act 1884, the LB&SCR was authorised to acquire the O&GR.Points were laid at Hurst Green Junction on 14 November 1887^[64] and the new line opened on 2 January the following year.^[58] As part of the works, a single track link, known as the Withyham Spur, was constructed to allow trains from Oxted to access Uckfield without a reversal at Groombridge. The link was primarily used for light locomotive and empty stock moves, and was not regularly used by passenger services until the First World War.^[65]

Two railways connecting to the Oxted line were completed in the 1880s. The first was the Eridge–Polegate line, commonly called theCuckoo Line, which was opened in stages between 1849 and 1880.^[66] The second was theWoodside and South Croydon Joint Railway, opened on 2 January 1888. Built by the LB&SCR and SER, it ran from theMid-Kent line atElmers End to a junction with the Oxted line atSelsdon, a four-platform station serving both lines.^[67]

The arrival of the railway stimulated development in the Lingfield area of south-east Surrey in the late 19th century.[68] Development at Dormans Park began in 1887 and, by 1891, a hotel and around 40 high-class "bungalow residences" had been built, set in grounds that includedcricket andpolo fields, agolf course and a fishing lake.^[68] Lingfield Park Racecourse, around1⁄4 mi (0.40 km) from Lingfield station, opened in November 1890^[69][70] and four years later, in May 1894, the station was enlarged with an additional bay platform for the use of racegoers.^[10][19][61]Sidings were added in 1898 to allow horses to be transported to the course and special trains ran on racedays until the 1970s.^[19][71]

Four new stations were constructed on the Oxted line in the early part of the 20th century. Hurst Green Halt andMonks Lane Halt, both between Oxted and Edenbridge Town, were opened on 1 July 1907.^[72][73] The latter was closed on 11 September 1939,^[74] but significant housing development in the Oxted area ensured the survival of the former.^[75]Purley Downs Golf Club Halt, which did not appear in public timetables, opened in 1914 between Sanderstead and Upper Warlingham. It had closed by 1927.^[76] Riddlesdown station opened on 5 June 1927, with the intention of stimulating housebuilding in the local area. Initiallytimber platform shelters were provided, but were replaced by brick structures in the 1950s.^[28][77]

Shortly before the start of the First World War, the Withyham spur was doubled, allowing regular passenger services from Uckfield to reach London via Oxted.^[78] The upgraded link also allowed troops to be transported to a newarmy camp that had been established at Crowborough.^[79][c] Wartime economy measures affecting the line included the temporary withdrawal of passenger services on the Woodside and South Croydon line between January 1917 and March 1919.^[79][81] Trains on the Oxted line were disrupted on 22 April 1918 when an aircraft crashed on the tracks between Sanderstead and Upper Warlingham,^[79] and roof collapses occurred in Oxted Tunnel in both June 1917 and May 1919.^[79] A programme of repair was initiated involving a partial closure of the line between 7 February and 1 December 1921.^[79]

The first proposals to electrify the route, usingoverhead lines energised to1,500 V DC, were put forward by the LB&SCR in the late 1910s and early 1920s. However, as a result of theRailways Act 1921, the Oxted line became part of theSouthern Railway (SR) in 1923,^[79] which decided to implement the third-rail electrification system instead. The Oxted line was omitted from the schemes of the mid-1920s, which prioritised electrification work on other routes.^[82][83]

The first part of the Oxted line was electrified in the mid-1930s, when third rail was installed between Selsdon and Sanderstead stations for trains running via the Woodside and South Croydon line. Half-hourly electric services began operating betweenCharing Cross and Sanderstead viaElmers End on 30 September 1935.^[84] Electrification of the line from South Croydon toHorsted Keynes via East Grinstead was approved by the board of the SR in June 1939, but the project was postponed owing to the outbreak of the Second World War. In July 1946, the company announced that the work would be undertaken when sufficient labour and materials were available.^[85]

In October 1946, the SR announced that all former LB&SCR routes would be electrified by 1955,^[86] but two years later, the railways were nationalised. Under theTransport Act 1947, the Oxted line became part of theSouthern Region ofBritish Railways (BR).^[87] BR cancelled the SR's plans for the Oxted line, making an unfulfilled promise to electrify the route by 1964.^[83]

The population of Oxted grew in the mid-1950s, with housing development south of the town centre. Work to expand and relocate Hurst Green Halt to better serve this area of development began in 1960. The replacement station, renamed simply "Hurst Green", opened on 12 June 1961.^[75][88] It was provided with 12-carriage platforms to enable East Grinstead trains to be split from or joined to those serving Uckfield, but instead these operations were carried out at Oxted.^[75][89]

Diesel multiple units were introduced to the Oxted line on 18 June 1962, when the first of nineteenClass 207 units, built specifically for the route, were introduced to peak-hour services.^[90][91] Steam-hauled passenger trains were withdrawn on 6 January 1964,^[92] but there were too few Class 207s to run the full timetable and so locomotive-hauled trains, operated byClass 33 diesels, were also used, especially at peak times.^[93] Additional capacity was introduced with the arrival ofClass 205 units from 1970 onwards,^[94] although locomotive-hauled passenger trains continued to run until the mid-1980s.^[93]

BR began a programme of line closures in the 1950s. In mid-1955, the railway between East Grinstead and Lewes was shut, but following legal action it temporarily reopened in August the following year, before permanently closing on 17 March 1958.^[9] TheBeeching report, published in March 1963, proposed the closure of several routes in Sussex and Kent, including the Three Bridges–Tunbridge Wells, Eridge–Tunbridge Wells and Eridge–Polegate lines. The railway between Crowborough and Lewes via Uckfield was also to be closed and passenger services between Woodside and Selsdon were to be withdrawn.^[95][96] The first to be shut was the Eridge–Hailsham section of the Cuckoo Line on 14 June 1965,^[66][97] followed by the Three Bridges–Ashurst Junction line on 2 January 1967.^[95][98] Following local campaigns, the other routes were given a reprieve, with the exception of the Uckfield–Lewes line, which closed in May 1969.^[10][95]

Two further line closures took place in the early 1980s. The electrified line between Woodside and Selsdon closed on 13 May 1983; the track bed north ofCoombe Road station would be used in the 1990s forTramlink.^[99][100][d] The withdrawal of passenger services on the line between Eridge and Tunbridge Wells was announced in September 1982, although trains continued to operate until 6 July 1985.^[99][101] Since December 1996, part of the track bed has been used for the Spa Valley Railway.^[102][103] Although the Hurst Green Junction–Uckfield section of the Oxted line was not threatened with closure again, Sunday services were withdrawn in June 1981.^[104] From 1982, the railways in Surrey, Kent and Sussex came under the control of the London and South East sector of BR, which was rebranded to Network SouthEast in June 1986.^{[105][106][107]} As part of an initiative to provide passenger routes with individual identities, Nework SouthEast introduced the name "Oxted Line" in 1989.^[1][2]

In the early 1980s, BR reached agreement with the railwaytrade unions to removeasbestos from the Class 205 and Class 207 diesel multiple units that worked passenger services on the Oxted line. The cost of refurbishing the trains was estimated at £4 million (equivalent to £15 million in 2023) and BR instead decided to electrify the South Croydon–East Grinstead section, at a cost of £7 million (£27 million in 2023), and to dispose of most of the contaminated units.^[61][83] In March 1983, third-rail electrification between South Croydon and Sanderstead was commissioned and electric trains began running on this short section of the Oxted line in May of that year.^[83]

The main phase of electrification, between Sanderstead and East Grinstead, was authorised in May 1985^[61] and was completed in October 1987. The works included resignalling of the line south of Woldingham, transferring control to a newpanel box at Oxted^[108] and constructing new station buildings at Sanderstead, Oxted and East Grinstead.^[61] Electric trains began running in public service on 5 October 1987,^[109][110] and the new timetable included an all-day, half-hourly service between London and East Grinstead for the first time.^[111] The new electric services proved popular with the public, and passenger numbers increased by around 12% in the first year of operation.^[112]

In contrast, the Hurst Green Junction–Uckfield section was not electrified. After the East Grinstead electrification scheme had been completed, most trains from Uckfield terminated at Oxted and only four per day continued to London.^[113] Much of the branch south of Hever was converted to single track in 1990, although the associated resignalling reduced journey times by around five minutes.^[13][114] A Sunday service was reintroduced in May of that year, with an all-stationsshuttle between Oxted and Crowborough every two hours.^[114] A full, hourly Sunday service, which included trains to Buxted and Uckfield, was introduced in May 1991.^[115] In the same month, the original Uckfield station was closed and its single-platform replacement, on the east side of the High Street, was opened.^[116] On 1 April 1994, the Oxted line came under theNetwork South Central shadow franchise in preparation forprivatisation.^[107]

Connex was awarded a seven-year franchise to operate passenger trains on the Oxted Line asConnex South Central, starting on 12 April 1996.^[107][117] Following concerns over the company's management and performance, theShadow Strategic Rail Authority decided to re-tender the franchise in 2000. In October that year, the competition was won byGovia,^[118] which took over the running of trains in August 2001, having bought out the final two years of Connex's contract for £30 million (equivalent to £63M in 2023).^{[107][119][120]} Govia's ten-year franchise formally began in May 2003, when it introduced the "Southern" brand name. The agreement required the company to introduce an hourly service service between London Bridge and Uckfield by mid-2004, to retire the finalslam-door trains and to invest £853 million (£1.7 billion in 2023) in newrolling stock.^[121][122] Class 171 units were introduced to Uckfield services in December 2003,^[123] allowing the Class 207 and Class 205 units to be withdrawn by the end of 2004.^[93][124]

In the early 2010s, interchanges between the Oxted line and two heritage railways were created. In March 2011, the Spa Valley Railway was extended from Groombridge to the disusedisland platform at Eridge.^[125][126] A year later, in March 2012, the Bluebell Railway opened its extension to a new station at East Grinstead.^[20] A new station building for Oxted line trains at East Grinstead was first used by the public in December 2012 and was officially opened on 8 March the following year.^[127] Improvement works at other stations in the same decade included the lengthening of platforms between Edenbridge Town and Uckfield in preparation for the introduction of 10-coach trains.^[128]

Peak-hour Thameslink services, operated by 12-coach Class 700 units, began running to-and-from East Grinstead in May 2018.^[16][129] Station improvements in the 2020s have included the installation of new footbridges at Eridge in 2020,^[130] East Grinstead in 2022^[131][132] and Crowborough in 2023.^[133] A two-year project to repair and refurbish Oxted Viaduct was completed in July 2022.^[134]

The first steam locomotives known to have worked on the Oxted line,2-2-2 tender engines built byCravens, were in use in the late 1880s. AD2 class is known to have hauled freight trains in 1888 andG class locomotives, designed byWilliam Stroudley, worked passenger services from the mid-1890s to 1909.^[135] In the first decade of the 20th century,I1 class tank engines, particularly suited to the steep gradients on the line, were introduced. Some members of the I1 class were rebuilt into the I1x class in the late 1920s and worked on the Oxted line until the start of the Second World War.^[136] Trains run by the South Eastern Railway via the Crowhurst Spur, were typically hauled by E1 class 2-4-0 andF class 4-4-0 locomotives, as well asQ class tank engines.^[136][137] After the formation of the Southern Railway in 1923, passenger services were hauled byB1,D,E and E1 class locomotives.^[137]

Autotrains were introduced to local stopping services in the late 1910s. Thesepush-pull trains consisted of a tank engine coupled to aballoon trailer, a type of passenger carriage. The train would be driven from the locomotive in one direction and, in the other, from a driving position at the front of the carriage. Initially the autotrains were worked byD1 class locomotives, but these tank engines were replaced byD3,H andM7 class locomotives after the Second World War.^[138]

From the mid-1940s onwards, express services were worked byK class,N class andMerchant Navy class tender engines.^[139] In the early 1950s,Fairburn 2-6-4T tank engines were introduced to the Oxted line, but were criticised by railway staff for being underpowered for the steep gradients. They were replaced in 1958 byStandard Class 3 and4 tank engines.^[139][140]

Class 207 diesel multiple units began working on the Oxted line on 18 June 1962, initially operating the busiest passenger services during peak hours.^[91] Steam-hauled passenger trains were withdrawn on 6 January 1964,^[92] but there were too few Class 207s to run the full timetable and soClass 33 locomotives were used to haul trains until 1983.^[61][141] In the 1970s, the Class 33s were supplemented byClass 47 andClass 73 locomotives,^[142] as well asClass 206 "Tadpole" units, normally allocated to theNorth Downs Line.^[143] The firstClass 205 unit was trialled on the Oxted line in 1970 and two years later there were three in service on the route.^[94] Further units were transferred from other lines in the mid-1970s, and nine were reconfigured to provide more first-class seating for peak commuter services.^[124]

When they were built in the late 1950s and early 1960s, the Class 205 and Class 207 units were fitted with blue asbestos insulation panels. Following an agreement with thetrade unions in the mid-1980s, the panels were removed from seven Class 207s^[93] and fifteen Class 205s.^[124] Units still contaminated with asbestos were scrapped and the remainder were used to operate services on the Uckfield branch, mostly as shuttles to-and-from Oxted.^[93]Class 171 units were introduced in passenger service in December 2003,^[123][e] allowing the Class 207 units to be withdrawn in August 2004. The Class 205s continued in passenger service until November of that year.^[93][124][f]

After the electrification of the South Croydon–East Grinstead section in 1987, services were run byClass 423 "4-VEP" andClass 421 "4-CIG" electric multiple units, supplemented withClass 416 "2-EPB" units on peak services.^[61][145] Passenger numbers increased as a result of the electrification andClass 415 "4-EPB" units, with standard class-only seating, were introduced in late 1988 to provide additional capacity at peak times.^[112] Following concerns over thegauge clearance in Oxted Tunnel, the Class 421s were withdrawn from the line in mid-1989 and window restrictors were fitted to the Class 423s.^[146][147]

Class 377s took over the vast majority of services on the electrified part of the Oxted line in December 2004,^[148] and the final service operated by a Class 423 unit ran on 27 September 2005.^[149] In May 2018,Class 700 units began operating Thameslink services to-and-from East Grinstead at peak times.^[15][16]

Goods trains began running on the Oxted line when the South Croydon–East Grinstead section opened in 1884. Facilities for handling freight were provided at Upper Warlingham (then Warlingham), Oxted and Lingfield,^[59] and trains could access the lower and upper yards at East Grinstead from the outset.^[72] Additional sidings were provided in the 1890s at Woldingham,^[62] Lingfield^[19] and Oxted, where a goods shed was built in 1902–03.^[62][g]Tanker train deliveries to theAnglo-American Oil Company depot at Selsdon took place between 1894 and 1993.^[151]

The Oxted Greystone Lime Company was founded shortly before the opening of the South Croydon–East Grinstead section in 1884. From 1886, a standard-gauge, single-track branch ran from the Oxted line to three sidings at the base of the quarry, wherelime could be transferred from the internal2 ft (610 mm) system.^{[152][153][154]} Shipments via the railway ended around the start of the Second World War, but the standard-gauge branch was maintained until the rails were lifted in 1969.^[155] The majority of the narrow-gauge system was closed in 1953, but a length of around 50 m (160 ft) was retained until the 1970s to feed thelime kilns.^[152]

The Oxted Gas Works, opened in 1885 and closed in June 1933, were served by sidings from the Oxted line.^[4] By 1920, the works were consuming around 1,750 t (1,930 tons) ofcoal every year, all delivered by rail.^[156] The sidings were lifted in May 1986, as part of the Sanderstead–East Grinstead electrification works.^[157]

Crowhurst brickworks (also known as Lingfield brickworks) opened with the Oxted line in 1884. Coal was delivered to a purpose-built siding until the 1950s, when thebrick kilns were converted to usegas.^[152][158] In the 1960s, some of the claypits were used forlandfill, anddomestic waste was delivered to the site by rail.^[152] The brickworks closed in 1980.^[159] A bananaripening shed opened at Lingfield in 1958 and fruit was delivered by rail inrefrigerated vans until 1971. The sidings serving the ripening facility were removed in the mid-1970s.^[71][160]

The withdrawal of station freight facilities began in the mid-1950s, with the yard at Hever closing in 1955.^[161] The goods yard at Woldingham shut on 4 May 1959^[162] and those at the south end of Mark Beech Tunnel, at Cowden and at Ashurst closed the following year.^[161][163] Also in 1960, rail deliveries to a factory between Selsdon and Sanderstead ceased, although the points to the sidings were not removed until 1969.^[164] Freight facilities were withdrawn at East Grinstead in 1967^[165] and at Crowborough in 1968.^[161]

Electrification of the Hurst Green Junction–Uckfield section of the Oxted line, currently operated by Class 171 diesel multiple units, was identified as a priority byNetwork Rail in 2022.^[14][166] The "East Sussex Rail Strategy and Action Plan", published in November 2013, favoured electrification as well as redoubling the single-line sections. It suggested that these infrastructure improvements would reduce journey times and allow a more efficient use of rolling stock, which could lead to an increase in service frequencies.^[167] The Surrey Rail Strategy, published in March 2021 under the title "A new rail strategy for Surrey", was also supportive of electrification, noting that it would increase capacity and reducecarbon emissions.^[168]

An independent report, authored by Chris Gibb and published in March 2017, estimated that electrification of the line between Hurst Green Junction and Uckfield would cost £75–95 million (equivalent to £100–£130 million in 2023), and indicated that the existing infrastructure could support a half-hourly service without the need for redoubling.^[13] A July 2023 conference reported that theOffice of Rail and Road was considering a form of third-rail electrification for the line, in which the conductor rail is switched off in stations unless a train is present.^[169] In March 2024,Govia Thameslink Railway suggested that battery-powered trains could be suitable for the route.^[170]

There have been several proposals to reopen the Uckfield–Lewes line, including as part of a longer-distance high-speed route dubbed "Brighton Main Line 2", intended to relieve the direct rail route between London and Sussex viaGatwick Airport.^{[171][172][173]} Although the track bed has been protected from development since May 1980,^[174] the rail infrastructure operators and the British government have repeatedly refused to authorise the schemes.^{[175][176][177]} The report published by Chris Gibb in March 2017 indicated that there would be no business case for rebuilding the Uckfield–Lewes line unless there was strong housing growth in the area. Furthermore, Gibb suggested that works to increase the capacity of the Brighton Main Line should be prioritised ahead of the construction of a new high-speed link.^[13]

• 1 August 1882: Two trains, one transporting navvies and the other carryingballast, collided in Riddlesdown Tunnel while the line was still being constructed. Ten workers were seriously injured.^[178][179]
• 3 January 1909: A locomotive collided with a broken-down passenger train, which it had been sent to assist, between Crowborough and Buxted. Eight people were injured.^[180][181]
• 5 April 1916: A passenger train derailed between Crowborough and Buxted.^[182] Seven people were injured, including thedriver andfireman.^[183]
• 7 December 1948: A driver was injured in Mark Beech Tunnel when part of his locomotive'sboiler failed.^[184]
• 21 April 1988: A track maintenance worker was killed and a second was injured when they were hit by a train in a tunnel near Crowborough.^[185]
• 15 October 1994,Cowden rail crash: Two trains collided on the single-line section south of Cowden station after onepassed a red signal. Five people were killed, including the drivers of both trains and aguard.^{[186][187][188]}
• 13 February 2020: Alandslip near Lingfield closed the Oxted line between Hurst Green and East Grinstead for six weeks. Passenger services resumed on 30 March 2020.^[189][190]

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