Eridge railway station
Encyclopedia
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
. Mainline train services from the station are provided by Southern
Southern (train operating company)
Southern is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Officially named Southern Railway Ltd., it is a subsidiary of Govia, a joint venture between transport groups Go-Ahead Group and Keolis, and has operated the South Central rail franchise since October 2000 and the Gatwick Express service...
, and the station is on the Uckfield branch of the Oxted Line
Oxted Line
The Oxted Line is a railway line in southern England. It was originally operated jointly by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway and the South Eastern Railway. It is now part of the Southern franchise....
. Also heritage services connecting to Groombridge
Groombridge railway station
Groombridge railway station is a station on the Spa Valley Railway in Groombridge, East Sussex, England. Once a busy station serving four directions, it closed in 1985 to British Rail services...
, High Rocks
High Rocks railway station
High Rocks railway station is a station on the Spa Valley Railway in High Rocks, East Sussex, England.The original High Rocks Halt opened on 1 June 1907 , as part of a London, Brighton and South Coast Railway scheme to boost traffic on its lines . It finally closed on 5 May 1952 due to low traffic...
and Tunbridge Wells West
Tunbridge Wells West railway station
Tunbridge Wells West is a railway station located in Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent. It is one of two railway stations in Tunbridge Wells constructed by rival companies. The other, Tunbridge Wells Central was opened in 1845 by the South Eastern Railway . Tunbridge Wells West was closed to mainline...
are run by the Spa Valley Railway
Spa Valley Railway
The Spa Valley Railway is a standard gauge heritage railway that runs between Tunbridge Wells, High Rocks, Groombridge, and Eridge railway station, where it links with the Oxted Line. En route it crosses the Kent and East Sussex border, a distance of 5 miles , along the former Three Bridges to...
. There are good opportunities for walks from the station into the High Weald.
The station has a small car park and there is a pub next to the station called
the Huntsman.
Services
The typical off-peak service is one train per hour to London BridgeLondon Bridge station
London Bridge railway station is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex in the London Borough of Southwark, occupying a large area on two levels immediately south-east of London Bridge and 1.6 miles east of Charing Cross. It is one of the oldest railway stations in the...
via Oxted
Oxted railway station
Oxted railway station is a relatively busy interchange station and terminus located in Surrey, in the South East region of England. At present, all train services are provided by Southern. The station is the busiest suburban station on the Oxted Line and is a terminus for some services on the...
and one train per hour to Uckfield
Uckfield railway station
Uckfield railway station serves Uckfield in East Sussex, England. Train services from the station are provided by Southern, and the station is the terminus for the Uckfield branch of the Oxted Line.- History :...
.
Spa Valley Railway services operate between Eridge and Tunbridge Wells West on selected days to connect to Oxted Line services.
History
At the time the station was opened, there was no village of Eridge, the station being named after nearby Eridge ParkEridge Park
Eridge Park is a Site of Special Scientific Interest located in East Sussex, England. The site is of biological interest, consisting of ancient woodland and parkland, supporting a wide range of flora and fauna...
, seat of the Earls of Abergavenny
Marquess of Abergavenny
Marquess of Abergavenny , in the County of Monmouth, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom that was created on 14 January 1876, along with the title Earl of Lewes , in the County of Sussex, for the 5th Earl of Abergavenny, a member of the Nevill family.The 1st Marquess's ancestor, the de...
.
The station used to be a junction for services running towards Tonbridge
Tonbridge railway station
Tonbridge railway station is a station serving the town of Tonbridge in Kent, England. It is a junction between two important commuter routes; the South Eastern Main Line serving Ashford, Ramsgate and Dover and the Hastings Main Line serving Tunbridge Wells and Hastings, as well as a branch to...
via Tunbridge Wells West
Tunbridge Wells West railway station
Tunbridge Wells West is a railway station located in Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent. It is one of two railway stations in Tunbridge Wells constructed by rival companies. The other, Tunbridge Wells Central was opened in 1845 by the South Eastern Railway . Tunbridge Wells West was closed to mainline...
(closed 1985), to Eastbourne (via Heathfield) Cuckoo Line
Cuckoo Line
The Cuckoo Line is an informal name for the now defunct railway service which linked Polegate and Eridge in East Sussex, England, from 1880 to 1968. It was nicknamed the Cuckoo Line by drivers, from a tradition observed at the annual fair at Heathfield, a station on the route...
closed 1965 and to East Grinstead.
When the Uckfield line was singled in January 1990 all trains used the former up line and only the former up island platform was used by British Rail. The former down island platform was then abandoned but was restored by the Spa Valley Railway
Spa Valley Railway
The Spa Valley Railway is a standard gauge heritage railway that runs between Tunbridge Wells, High Rocks, Groombridge, and Eridge railway station, where it links with the Oxted Line. En route it crosses the Kent and East Sussex border, a distance of 5 miles , along the former Three Bridges to...
, a preserved railway company, who reopened the railway between Eridge and Tunbridge Wells West on 25 March 2011, with trains using the former down line for about one mile north to Birchden Junction where the parallel single lines diverge.
There is a campaign, by the Wealden Line
Wealden Line
Taking its name from its route through the chalk hills of the North and South Downs of the Weald, England, the Wealden Line is a partly abandoned double track railway line in East Sussex and Kent that connected Lewes with Tunbridge Wells, a distance of ....
to attempt to re-open the railway between Uckfield and Lewes as a part of the National Rail network, and a further group is campaigning for other Eridge based lines to be restored.