Hampden Park railway station
Encyclopedia
Hampden Park railway station serves Hampden Park
in East Sussex
. It is on the East Coastway Line
, and train services are provided by Southern
. It was originally called "Willingdon
Halt". It is one of two stations serving Eastbourne
, the other being Eastbourne railway station
The station is located on a spur line originally termed the Eastbourne Branch. There was a rarely used triangular junction between Polegate
and the now-closed Stone Cross which allowed trains to bypass the Branch; the track has now been lifted. Services along the coast have almost invariably served Eastbourne, and as Eastbourne is at the end of the spur line, the trains pass through Hampden Park station twice - once on the way to Eastbourne, and once on the way out of Eastbourne - although not all trains stop on both occasions.
Because of this arrangement, some connections are advertised to allow passengers on the Victoria-Eastbourne service to use Hampden Park to pick up the stopping service to Hastings and vice versa. This connection works satisfactorily in the London-bound direction but is less reliable homebound. In the event of a late-running train from London, the connecting service to Hastings is rarely held, and train doors regularly close in the faces of passengers who have just crossed over the footbridge. Passengers on the London services are also subject to confusion as both platforms are can accommodate only 8 coaches while some rush hour services to/from London have 12 cars. Most off-peak trains to/from London divide at Haywards Heath
so are 8 cars or less, as are local trains.
The level crossing at Hampden Park is thought to be one of the busiest in the country, with an average fourteen train movements an hour off-peak, and this can lead to significant traffic congestion on adjacent roads.
Hampden Park, East Sussex
Hampden Park is a suburb of Eastbourne. It is notable for its unique railway station, where local trains on the East Coastway Line stop twice, and is thought to be the busiest level crossing in the country. This station, now known as Hampden Park station, was once named 'Willingdon...
in East Sussex
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:...
. It is on the East Coastway Line
East Coastway Line
East Coastway is the name used by the train operating company, Southern , for the routes it operates along the south coast of Sussex and Kent to the east of Brighton, England. Those to the West of Brighton are named the West Coastway Line...
, and train services 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...
. It was originally called "Willingdon
Willingdon and Jevington
Willingdon and Jevington is one of the civil parishes in the Wealden District of East Sussex, England. The two villages lie one mile south of Polegate. The two parishes, two decades ago, were separate; the merger of the two has produced a parish of over 6,000 people...
Halt". It is one of two stations serving Eastbourne
Eastbourne
Eastbourne is a large town and borough in East Sussex, on the south coast of England between Brighton and Hastings. The town is situated at the eastern end of the chalk South Downs alongside the high cliff at Beachy Head...
, the other being Eastbourne railway station
Eastbourne railway station
Eastbourne railway station serves Eastbourne in East Sussex, England. It is on the East Coastway Line, and train services are provided by Southern. It is one of two railway stations in the town, the other being Hampden Park Station...
The station is located on a spur line originally termed the Eastbourne Branch. There was a rarely used triangular junction between Polegate
Polegate railway station
Polegate railway station serves Polegate in East Sussex, England. It is on the East Coastway Line, and train services are provided by Southern.-First Station:...
and the now-closed Stone Cross which allowed trains to bypass the Branch; the track has now been lifted. Services along the coast have almost invariably served Eastbourne, and as Eastbourne is at the end of the spur line, the trains pass through Hampden Park station twice - once on the way to Eastbourne, and once on the way out of Eastbourne - although not all trains stop on both occasions.
Because of this arrangement, some connections are advertised to allow passengers on the Victoria-Eastbourne service to use Hampden Park to pick up the stopping service to Hastings and vice versa. This connection works satisfactorily in the London-bound direction but is less reliable homebound. In the event of a late-running train from London, the connecting service to Hastings is rarely held, and train doors regularly close in the faces of passengers who have just crossed over the footbridge. Passengers on the London services are also subject to confusion as both platforms are can accommodate only 8 coaches while some rush hour services to/from London have 12 cars. Most off-peak trains to/from London divide at Haywards Heath
Haywards Heath railway station
Haywards Heath railway station serves Haywards Heath in West Sussex, England. It is on the Brighton Main Line and Thameslink north of Brighton, and train services are primarily provided by Southern and First Capital Connect...
so are 8 cars or less, as are local trains.
The level crossing at Hampden Park is thought to be one of the busiest in the country, with an average fourteen train movements an hour off-peak, and this can lead to significant traffic congestion on adjacent roads.
Services
The typical off-peak service is:- 2tph (trains per hour) to HastingsHastings railway stationHastings railway station is in Hastings in East Sussex, England. It is situated on the Hastings Line to Tunbridge Wells, the East Coastway Line to Brighton and the Marshlink Line to Ashford International....
(1 of which stops twice - once before EastbourneEastbourne railway stationEastbourne railway station serves Eastbourne in East Sussex, England. It is on the East Coastway Line, and train services are provided by Southern. It is one of two railway stations in the town, the other being Hampden Park Station...
, once after) - 1tph to BrightonBrighton railway stationBrighton railway station is the principal railway station in the city of Brighton and Hove, on the south coast of England. The station master is Mark Epsom...
(Stops twice - once before Eastbourne, once after) - 2tph to London VictoriaVictoria station (London)Victoria station, also known as London Victoria, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex. It is named after nearby Victoria Street and not Queen Victoria. It is the second busiest railway terminus in London after Waterloo, and includes an air terminal for passengers...
(1 direct and 1 via Eastbourne) - 1tph to Eastbourne (direct)