Marshlink Line
Encyclopedia
The Marshlink Line is the name given to services on the railway line linking Ashford
with Hastings
in the South East of England
. The line was part of an original proposal by a company named the Brighton Lewes and Hastings Railway
to extend its coast route to Hastings. The South Eastern Railway
eventually built the line, thereby renewing a local rivalry between itself and the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
; the line was opened on 13 February 1851. Recommended for closure by Dr. Beeching
in 1963, the route has survived various attempts to axe services completely, and stations remained unmodernised and gas-lit
well into the 1970s.
The line was single tracked
between Appledore
and Ore on 1 October 1979, leaving a passing loop
at Rye
. Linespeed was reduced from 85 mph to 60 mph, but there are additional long term speed restrictions in place, including a 20 mph speed restriction on the downline south of Ashford due to a subsiding embankment, 20 mph across an ungated level crossing at Winchelsea, and 40 mph between Doleham and Ore.
Ham Street, Appledore and Rye have staggered platforms: passengers cross the line from the end of one platform to the end of the other.
The line is not electrified
, with the exception of Hastings to Ore. This small section was electrified to provide for carriage sidings (there was no space at Hastings) as part of the "East Coastway" electrification of July 1935.
The line has an active rail users group called "The Marsh Link Action Group".
Proposals have been made to upgrade and electrify the line to extend Southeastern
high speed train services (which will operate from London via High Speed 1 to Ashford) onwards via the Marshlink to Hastings
, Bexhill
and Eastbourne
, which if realised, could transform the line into an important through route.
, as part of its East Coastway services
. The line is no longer a separate part of the network. Trains run hourly between Ashford and Brighton
, stopping at Ham Street, Appledore and Rye on the Marshlink Line with an additional shuttle at peak times. Three Oaks
and Winchelsea
stations are served by a two-hourly service in each direction, while Doleham
is served by just three or four trains a day. Ore has separate hourly trains to Brighton and London.
not to be electrified. Consequently, services are operated using British Rail Class 171
"Turbostar" diesel multiple unit
s. These replaced the elderly Class 205
and Class 207
units in mid-2004. When Class 171 units are not available a class 201
diesel-electric unit (1001) owned by Hastings Diesels Ltd stands in. This unit has been fitted with Central Door Locking so it can continue running services.
Ashford, Kent
Ashford is a town in the borough of Ashford in Kent, England. In 2005 it was voted the fourth best place to live in the United Kingdom. It lies on the Great Stour river, the M20 motorway, and the South Eastern Main Line and High Speed 1 railways. Its agricultural market is one of the most...
with Hastings
Hastings
Hastings is a town and borough in the county of East Sussex on the south coast of England. The town is located east of the county town of Lewes and south east of London, and has an estimated population of 86,900....
in the South East of England
South East England
South East England is one of the nine official regions of England, designated in 1994 and adopted for statistical purposes in 1999. It consists of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey and West Sussex...
. The line was part of an original proposal by a company named the Brighton Lewes and Hastings Railway
Brighton Lewes and Hastings Railway
The Brighton Lewes and Hastings Railway was an early railway in southern England running between the three East Sussex towns mentioned in its name...
to extend its coast route to Hastings. The South Eastern Railway
South Eastern Railway (UK)
The South Eastern Railway was a railway company in south-eastern England from 1836 until 1922. The company was formed to construct a route from London to Dover. Branch lines were later opened to Tunbridge Wells, Hastings, Canterbury and other places in Kent...
eventually built the line, thereby renewing a local rivalry between itself and the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1846 to 1922. Its territory formed a rough triangle, with London at its apex, practically the whole coastline of Sussex as its base, and a large part of Surrey...
; the line was opened on 13 February 1851. Recommended for closure by Dr. Beeching
Richard Beeching
Richard Beeching, Baron Beeching , commonly known as Doctor Beeching, was chairman of British Railways and a physicist and engineer...
in 1963, the route has survived various attempts to axe services completely, and stations remained unmodernised and gas-lit
Gas lighting
Gas lighting is production of artificial light from combustion of a gaseous fuel, including hydrogen, methane, carbon monoxide, propane, butane, acetylene, ethylene, or natural gas. Before electricity became sufficiently widespread and economical to allow for general public use, gas was the most...
well into the 1970s.
The line was single tracked
Single track (rail)
A single track railway is where trains in both directions share the same track. Single track is normally used on lesser used rail lines, often branch lines, where the traffic density is not high enough to justify the cost of building double tracks....
between Appledore
Appledore, Kent
Appledore is a village and civil parish in the Ashford District of Kent, England. The village centre is 12 miles south-west of Ashford town, and on the northern edge of the Romney Marsh The northerly part of this village is Appledore Heath....
and Ore on 1 October 1979, leaving a passing loop
Passing loop
A passing loop is a place on a single line railway or tramway, often located at a station, where trains or trams in opposing directions can pass each other. Trains/trams in the same direction can also overtake, providing that the signalling arrangement allows it...
at Rye
Rye, East Sussex
Rye is a small town in East Sussex, England, which stands approximately two miles from the open sea and is at the confluence of three rivers: the Rother, the Tillingham and the Brede...
. Linespeed was reduced from 85 mph to 60 mph, but there are additional long term speed restrictions in place, including a 20 mph speed restriction on the downline south of Ashford due to a subsiding embankment, 20 mph across an ungated level crossing at Winchelsea, and 40 mph between Doleham and Ore.
Ham Street, Appledore and Rye have staggered platforms: passengers cross the line from the end of one platform to the end of the other.
The line is not electrified
Railway electrification in Great Britain
Railway electrification in Great Britain started towards of the 19th century. A great range of voltages have been used in the intervening period using both overhead lines and third rails, however the most common standard for mainline services is now 25 kV AC using overhead lines and the...
, with the exception of Hastings to Ore. This small section was electrified to provide for carriage sidings (there was no space at Hastings) as part of the "East Coastway" electrification of July 1935.
The line has an active rail users group called "The Marsh Link Action Group".
Proposals have been made to upgrade and electrify the line to extend Southeastern
Southeastern (train operating company)
London & South Eastern Railway Limited, trading as Southeastern is a train operating company in south-east England. On 1 April 2006 it became the franchisee for the new Integrated Kent Franchise , replacing the publicly owned South Eastern Trains on the former South East Franchise...
high speed train services (which will operate from London via High Speed 1 to Ashford) onwards via the Marshlink to Hastings
Hastings railway station
Hastings 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....
, Bexhill
Bexhill railway station
Bexhill railway station serves Bexhill-on-Sea in East Sussex. It is on the East Coastway Line, and train services are provided by Southern....
and Eastbourne
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...
, which if realised, could transform the line into an important through route.
Description of route
The towns on the route are listed below:- Ashford InternationalAshford International railway stationAshford International railway station serves Ashford in Kent, England. Services are provided by Southeastern, Southern and Eurostar.International services use platforms 3 & 4, whilst domestic trains use the original platforms 1 & 2, and a new island built when the Channel Tunnel opened...
- Ham StreetHam Street railway stationHam Street railway station serves Hamstreet in Kent. It is on a dual-track section of the Marshlink Line, and train services are provided by Southern.The line is unelectrified and services are operated by Class 171 Turbostar diesel trains....
: was Ham Street & Orlestone - Appledore: the station's formal name includes (Kent) in its title, although Appledore (Devon) station closed in 1917
- Freight-only line diverges to serve Dungeness nuclear power station, operated by Direct Rail ServicesDirect Rail ServicesDirect Rail Services is a freight operating company created by British Nuclear Fuels Limited. The company started rail operations in 1995 using five heavily refurbished Class 20/3 diesel locomotives. Since then it has expanded greatly, and has acquired many more locomotives, most bought...
. The branch originally served both New RomneyNew RomneyNew Romney is a small town in Kent, England, on the edge of Romney Marsh, an area of flat, rich agricultural land reclaimed from the sea after the harbour began to be silted up. New Romney was once a sea port, with the harbour adjacent to the church, but is now more than a mile from the sea...
and Dungeness: there were stations at:- BrooklandBrookland Halt railway stationBrookland Halt was a railway station which served the village of Brookland in Kent, England. The station opened in 1881 and closed in 1967.- History :...
- Lydd TownLydd Town railway stationLydd Town was a railway station which served the town of Lydd in Kent, England. Opened on 7 December 1881 by The Lydd Railway Company, it closed to passengers in 1967 leaving the line through the station to remain open for freight.- History :...
- Lydd-on-Sea HaltLydd-on-Sea Halt railway stationLydd-on-Sea Halt was a railway station which served the modern village of Lydd-on-Sea in Kent, England. The station opened in 1937 and closed in 1967.- History :...
- Greatstone-on-Sea HaltGreatstone-on-Sea Halt railway stationGreatstone-on-Sea Halt was a railway station which served the modern village of Greatstone-on-Sea in Kent, England. The station opened in 1937 and closed in 1967.- History :...
- New RomneyNew Romney and Littlestone-on-Sea railway stationNew Romney and Littlestone-on-Sea was a railway station which lay in between the villages of New Romney and Littlestone-on-Sea in Kent, England. The station opened in 1884 and closed in 1967.- Early years :...
- DungenessDungeness railway station (SER)Dungeness was a railway station which served the Dungeness headland in Kent, England. Opened in 1883 by The Lydd Railway Company, it closed to passengers in 1937...
was closed to passengers in 1937; and completely in 1953
- Brookland
- all were closed to passengers on 6 March 1967
- Freight-only line diverges to serve Dungeness nuclear power station, operated by Direct Rail Services
- At Appledore the double line becomes single track
- RyeRye railway stationRye railway station serves Rye in East Sussex, England. It is on the Marshlink Line 18 km east of Hastings providing a passing place between two single track sections. Train services are provided by Southern. The staggered platforms are linked by footbridge...
- here there was, until 1962, the branch to Rye Harbour, opened in 1854
- WinchelseaWinchelsea railway stationWinchelsea railway station is about from Winchelsea and is actually in the neighbouring parish of Udimore. It is on the Marshlink Line north east of Hastings, and train services are provided by Southern. The station originally had two platforms, but in 1979, the line was singled and only the up...
- DolehamDoleham railway stationDoleham railway station is a small, single platformed wayside halt in East Sussex, England. It is on the Marshlink Line, and train services are provided by Southern...
- Three OaksThree Oaks railway stationThree Oaks railway station serves the village of Three Oaks in East Sussex, England. It is on the Marshlink Line, and train services are provided by Southern. It was originally known as Three Oaks & Guestling.-History:...
- Ore Tunnel [1402 yards (1,282 m)]
- here the line is doubled and electrified (originally for access to the carriage sidings at Ore but since removal of these sidings they are just used by service trains)
- OreOre railway stationOre railway station serves Ore Valley in East Sussex, England. It is on the Marshlink Line, and train services are provided by Southern, with a few peak services operated by Southeastern.Third rail 750V DC electrification from Hastings ends here....
- Mount Pleasant Tunnel [230 yards (210.3 m)]
- 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....
Passenger services
Passenger services are operated by SouthernSouthern (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...
, as part of its East Coastway services
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...
. The line is no longer a separate part of the network. Trains run hourly between Ashford and Brighton
Brighton railway station
Brighton 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...
, stopping at Ham Street, Appledore and Rye on the Marshlink Line with an additional shuttle at peak times. Three Oaks
Three Oaks
Three Oaks may refer to:* Three Oaks, East Sussex, England* Three Oaks, Florida, USA* Three Oaks, Michigan, USA* Three Oaks Township, Michigan, USA...
and Winchelsea
Winchelsea
Winchelsea is a small village in East Sussex, England, located between the High Weald and the Romney Marsh, approximately two miles south west of Rye and seven miles north east of Hastings...
stations are served by a two-hourly service in each direction, while Doleham
Doleham
Doleham is a small hamlet in East Sussex, England. The hamlet consists of only a handful of houses, and takes its name from Doleham Farm. The area is popular with walkers at weekends.The hamlet is served by Doleham railway station....
is served by just three or four trains a day. Ore has separate hourly trains to Brighton and London.
Rolling stock
This line is one of the few in South-East EnglandNetwork SouthEast
Network SouthEast was one of three passenger sectors of British Rail created in 1982. NSE principally operated commuter trains in the London area and inter-urban services in densely populated South East England, although the network reached as far west as Exeter...
not to be electrified. Consequently, services are operated using British Rail Class 171
British Rail Class 171
The Class 171 Turbostar is a type of diesel multiple unit built by Bombardier Transportation at their Litchurch Lane Works in Derby, England which is identical to the Class 170, except for the replacement of the BSI coupler with a Dellner coupler...
"Turbostar" diesel multiple unit
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
s. These replaced the elderly Class 205
British Rail Class 205
The British Rail Class 205 diesel-electric multiple units were built by BR at Eastleigh from 1957–1962. They were replaced by Turbostar units.-Description:This class of unit were built in four different batches for use on different lines....
and Class 207
British Rail Class 207
The British Rail Class 207 diesel-electric multiple units were built by BR at Eastleigh in 1962.-Technical details:Power car * Introduced: 1962* Weight: 56 tons...
units in mid-2004. When Class 171 units are not available a class 201
British Rail Class 201
The British Rail Class 201 six-car diesel-electric multiple units were built in 1957-1958 at Eastleigh and Ashford. They were built for use on the London-Hastings line...
diesel-electric unit (1001) owned by Hastings Diesels Ltd stands in. This unit has been fitted with Central Door Locking so it can continue running services.