Community hub
Recent from talks
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Steyning Line
The Steyning Line was a railway branch line that connected the West Sussex market town of Horsham with the port of Shoreham-by-Sea, with connections to Brighton. It was built by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway, and opened in 1861. It was 20 miles (32 km) in length. It followed the course of the River Adur for much of its extent and was alternatively known as the Adur Valley Line.
The line never developed as a through route, and it remained dependent on agriculture and local industry. At one time it had been hoped that through traffic via Guildford might develop, but apart from occasional passenger excursion journeys, this business did not materialise. The rural traffic based on agriculture declined and proved unsustainable, and the line closed under the Beeching axe on 7 March 1966.
In the 1830s a number of proposals for railway connections between London and Brighton were put forward. Robert Stephenson was associated with the London and Southampton Railway, later to be renamed the London and South Western Railway (LSWR). He advanced a project to build from Wimbledon on the Southampton line to Brighton, making use of the Mole Gap, where the River Mole has made a passage through the North Downs near Dorking, and the Shoreham Gap near Shoreham, cutting through the South Downs. The route is very nearly a direct southward line, leading to Shoreham, six miles west of Brighton. At the time Shoreham was an important seaport.
This was a viable proposal, in opposition to the London and Brighton Railway's plans for a line from the London and Croydon Railway at Norwood, running through Redhill, Three Bridges and Haywards Heath. At the time Parliament was unwilling to authorise more than one main line in any particular part of the country, and in fact it was the London and Brighton Railway that was authorised to build its line. A branch from Brighton to Shoreham was included in the authorisation, and it was opened on 12 May 1840, in advance of the Brighton main line which followed on 21 September 1841. The Shoreham branch was progressively extended westwards, reaching Portsmouth in 1847.
Parliamentary powers were obtained in 1846 for a branch from Shoreham to Steyning, but they were not exercised and the powers lapsed.
In 1857 Joseph Locke and Thomas Brassey promoted a railway from Shoreham Harbour to Horsham and Dorking. Dorking was on the route of a proposed new line from Leatherhead and other railways, actual or proposed, would connect to Wimbledon. Locke was associated with the LSWR, successor to the London and Southampton Railway, and this proposal was clearly a re-run of Stephenson's earlier plan, following much of the original course at the southern end. The LBS&CR was alarmed at this fresh incursion into territory it considered its own, and it quickly prepared a scheme to connect Shoreham to a junction at Barns Green, some distance south of Horsham. The junction was to be with the Mid-Sussex Railway line, authorised in 1857 but not yet built, from Horsham to Pulborough and Petworth. The Mid-Sussex Railway was an affiliate of the LBSCR.
The two schemes came before Parliament and it was the LBSCR which won out, gaining its authorising Act on 12 July 1858. Its estimated cost was £155,00. A deviation of the route was applied for in the following year, to make the junction with the Petworth line at Itchingfield, some distance nearer Horsham; this was authorised by Act of 1 August 1859. Buckman suggests that this was to more nearly reach the Horsham and Guildford Direct Railway, which had been authorised on 6 August 1860, but of course promoted earlier. The Guildford line was to provide a southward spur, enabling direct through running between Shoreham and Guildford.
When the line was nearing completion in 1861, the Board of Trade inspecting officer, Colonel Tyler, examined the line, testing in particular the strength of several bridges across the River Adur. In order to test the bridge at Beeding near the cement works (at the time described as lime kilns) four tender engines were positioned on it. The inspection was successful, and authorisation for the line to open to passenger operation was granted.
Hub AI
Steyning Line AI simulator
(@Steyning Line_simulator)
Steyning Line
The Steyning Line was a railway branch line that connected the West Sussex market town of Horsham with the port of Shoreham-by-Sea, with connections to Brighton. It was built by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway, and opened in 1861. It was 20 miles (32 km) in length. It followed the course of the River Adur for much of its extent and was alternatively known as the Adur Valley Line.
The line never developed as a through route, and it remained dependent on agriculture and local industry. At one time it had been hoped that through traffic via Guildford might develop, but apart from occasional passenger excursion journeys, this business did not materialise. The rural traffic based on agriculture declined and proved unsustainable, and the line closed under the Beeching axe on 7 March 1966.
In the 1830s a number of proposals for railway connections between London and Brighton were put forward. Robert Stephenson was associated with the London and Southampton Railway, later to be renamed the London and South Western Railway (LSWR). He advanced a project to build from Wimbledon on the Southampton line to Brighton, making use of the Mole Gap, where the River Mole has made a passage through the North Downs near Dorking, and the Shoreham Gap near Shoreham, cutting through the South Downs. The route is very nearly a direct southward line, leading to Shoreham, six miles west of Brighton. At the time Shoreham was an important seaport.
This was a viable proposal, in opposition to the London and Brighton Railway's plans for a line from the London and Croydon Railway at Norwood, running through Redhill, Three Bridges and Haywards Heath. At the time Parliament was unwilling to authorise more than one main line in any particular part of the country, and in fact it was the London and Brighton Railway that was authorised to build its line. A branch from Brighton to Shoreham was included in the authorisation, and it was opened on 12 May 1840, in advance of the Brighton main line which followed on 21 September 1841. The Shoreham branch was progressively extended westwards, reaching Portsmouth in 1847.
Parliamentary powers were obtained in 1846 for a branch from Shoreham to Steyning, but they were not exercised and the powers lapsed.
In 1857 Joseph Locke and Thomas Brassey promoted a railway from Shoreham Harbour to Horsham and Dorking. Dorking was on the route of a proposed new line from Leatherhead and other railways, actual or proposed, would connect to Wimbledon. Locke was associated with the LSWR, successor to the London and Southampton Railway, and this proposal was clearly a re-run of Stephenson's earlier plan, following much of the original course at the southern end. The LBS&CR was alarmed at this fresh incursion into territory it considered its own, and it quickly prepared a scheme to connect Shoreham to a junction at Barns Green, some distance south of Horsham. The junction was to be with the Mid-Sussex Railway line, authorised in 1857 but not yet built, from Horsham to Pulborough and Petworth. The Mid-Sussex Railway was an affiliate of the LBSCR.
The two schemes came before Parliament and it was the LBSCR which won out, gaining its authorising Act on 12 July 1858. Its estimated cost was £155,00. A deviation of the route was applied for in the following year, to make the junction with the Petworth line at Itchingfield, some distance nearer Horsham; this was authorised by Act of 1 August 1859. Buckman suggests that this was to more nearly reach the Horsham and Guildford Direct Railway, which had been authorised on 6 August 1860, but of course promoted earlier. The Guildford line was to provide a southward spur, enabling direct through running between Shoreham and Guildford.
When the line was nearing completion in 1861, the Board of Trade inspecting officer, Colonel Tyler, examined the line, testing in particular the strength of several bridges across the River Adur. In order to test the bridge at Beeding near the cement works (at the time described as lime kilns) four tender engines were positioned on it. The inspection was successful, and authorisation for the line to open to passenger operation was granted.