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Marshlink line
The Marshlink line is a railway line in South East England. It runs from Ashford, Kent via Romney Marsh, Rye and the Ore Tunnel to Hastings where it connects to the East Coastway line towards Eastbourne and Brighton.
The line was constructed by the South Eastern Railway (SER) in the late 1840s as a priority for military traffic. The SER clashed with the rival London, Brighton and South Coast Railway, leading to disputes over the route, planning and operation. After delays, the line opened in February 1851, followed by branch lines to Rye Harbour in 1854, Dungeness in 1881 and New Romney in 1884. The line struggled to be profitable and it seemed likely that it would close as recommended by the Beeching Report. All branch lines were closed to passengers by 1967 but the main line was kept open because of poor road connections in the area, and the branch to Dungeness remained open for freight. Though the line has been partially single-tracked and was slow to be modernised, it has survived into the 21st century.
The Marshlink line is one of the few in South East England that has not been electrified, despite regular proposals to do so, and uses British Rail Class 171 DMUs.
The name "Marshlink" was first used in the 1970s by the Southern region of British Rail in an attempt to improve marketing. Some trains had the name painted on the side. The line from Tunbridge Wells to Hastings was branded the "1066 line" at the same time.
The line starts at Ashford International, a major interchange in Kent connecting it to High Speed 1 and the South Eastern Main Line. Services run southwards from Platforms 1 and 2. Following a brief section of single-track immediately after a branch from the South Eastern Main Line, the line is then double-track. After 6+1⁄2 miles (10.5 km), it descends on a 1 in 100 (10 ‰) gradient towards Ham Street (previously Ham Street & Orlsetone), crossing the Royal Military Canal and entering Romney Marsh towards Appledore. The next 13 miles through Romney Marsh and the Brede Valley are level track, aside from a handful of river crossings.
South of Appledore, a freight-only branch line diverges to serve Dungeness nuclear power station. The branch originally served New Romney, Brookland Halt, Lydd Town, Lydd-on-Sea Halt, Greatstone-on-Sea Halt, New Romney and Littlestone-on-Sea and Dungeness.
Beyond Appledore, the line reduces to single-track and crosses the River Rother to Rye where there is a disused branch to Rye Harbour. The mainline continues to Winchelsea along the Brede Valley, then climbs uphill at 1 in 90 (11.1 ‰). It passes through the former Snailham Halt (closed in 1959), Doleham and Three Oaks before entering the 1,402-yard (1,282 m) Ore Tunnel.
After the tunnel, the line is double-track and electrified (originally for access to the carriage sidings at Ore but since their removal the lines are used by scheduled trains). After Ore, the line enters the 230-yard (210 m) Mount Pleasant Tunnel before a 1 in 60 (16.7 ‰) descent towards Hastings. From here, the track becomes the East Coastway line. Throughout, the line does not follow any particular main vehicle route.
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Marshlink line
The Marshlink line is a railway line in South East England. It runs from Ashford, Kent via Romney Marsh, Rye and the Ore Tunnel to Hastings where it connects to the East Coastway line towards Eastbourne and Brighton.
The line was constructed by the South Eastern Railway (SER) in the late 1840s as a priority for military traffic. The SER clashed with the rival London, Brighton and South Coast Railway, leading to disputes over the route, planning and operation. After delays, the line opened in February 1851, followed by branch lines to Rye Harbour in 1854, Dungeness in 1881 and New Romney in 1884. The line struggled to be profitable and it seemed likely that it would close as recommended by the Beeching Report. All branch lines were closed to passengers by 1967 but the main line was kept open because of poor road connections in the area, and the branch to Dungeness remained open for freight. Though the line has been partially single-tracked and was slow to be modernised, it has survived into the 21st century.
The Marshlink line is one of the few in South East England that has not been electrified, despite regular proposals to do so, and uses British Rail Class 171 DMUs.
The name "Marshlink" was first used in the 1970s by the Southern region of British Rail in an attempt to improve marketing. Some trains had the name painted on the side. The line from Tunbridge Wells to Hastings was branded the "1066 line" at the same time.
The line starts at Ashford International, a major interchange in Kent connecting it to High Speed 1 and the South Eastern Main Line. Services run southwards from Platforms 1 and 2. Following a brief section of single-track immediately after a branch from the South Eastern Main Line, the line is then double-track. After 6+1⁄2 miles (10.5 km), it descends on a 1 in 100 (10 ‰) gradient towards Ham Street (previously Ham Street & Orlsetone), crossing the Royal Military Canal and entering Romney Marsh towards Appledore. The next 13 miles through Romney Marsh and the Brede Valley are level track, aside from a handful of river crossings.
South of Appledore, a freight-only branch line diverges to serve Dungeness nuclear power station. The branch originally served New Romney, Brookland Halt, Lydd Town, Lydd-on-Sea Halt, Greatstone-on-Sea Halt, New Romney and Littlestone-on-Sea and Dungeness.
Beyond Appledore, the line reduces to single-track and crosses the River Rother to Rye where there is a disused branch to Rye Harbour. The mainline continues to Winchelsea along the Brede Valley, then climbs uphill at 1 in 90 (11.1 ‰). It passes through the former Snailham Halt (closed in 1959), Doleham and Three Oaks before entering the 1,402-yard (1,282 m) Ore Tunnel.
After the tunnel, the line is double-track and electrified (originally for access to the carriage sidings at Ore but since their removal the lines are used by scheduled trains). After Ore, the line enters the 230-yard (210 m) Mount Pleasant Tunnel before a 1 in 60 (16.7 ‰) descent towards Hastings. From here, the track becomes the East Coastway line. Throughout, the line does not follow any particular main vehicle route.