Calls to reinstate Lewes to Uckfield rail line for first time since 1969

It's part of planned improvements to services across East Sussex

Author: Huw Oxburgh, Local Democracy ReporterPublished 8th Mar 2023

East Sussex council leaders have endorsed calls for the reinstatement of a rail link between Lewes and Uckfield, as part of a wider package of transport goals for South East England.

On Tuesday (March 7th), East Sussex County Council’s cabinet agreed to give their support to Transport for the South East’s (TfSE) final draft Strategic Investment Plan, ahead of its planned submission to the government in the coming weeks.

The plan is intended to set out where members of TfSE — which also include Brighton and Hove City Council, Kent County Council and West Sussex County Council — believe the government should focus its future transport investments. 

Uckfield station has sat disused since 1969 - when services between the town and Lewes were ended

Council leader Keith Glazier (Con), who is also chairman of the TfSE Partnership Board, said:

"This is not the business cases for all the interventions, this is an outline guide for the secretary of state to say, ‘if you want to get traffic moving in the South East, this is the minimum that you will need to be looking at over the next 30 odd years and, by the way, we would hope you would use this piece of work in your funding allocation as you go forward.’"

He added:

"The alternative is that we end up — as we have been for many, many years — as 16 transport authorities working out their priorities and sending off bids to government that clash, that don’t enhance each other, that don’t work together and actually do nothing about the national issues that need to be addressed.

"Those issues are how do you decarbonise, how do you make public transport cheaper, how do you get people out walking and cycling and using public transport. All of those things will only happen if you have a joined-up plan."

The plan, which is due for final sign off by the TfSE Partnership Board on Monday (March 13), sets out a wide range of potential schemes for government investment.

These include calls to reinstate a rail link between Lewes and Uckfield, upgrading to a high-speed rail link between Hastings and Ashford International and making improvements to the Brighton Mainline, among other things. 

The plan also makes a case for improved bus links along the A26 Corridor between Lewes and Tunbridge Wells and for the creation of a number of local cycleways, including one between Eastbourne and Hailsham.

Other potential projects endorsed in the plan include the removal of the Star Crossing level crossing on the A259 east of Rye and investment in a rail freight interchange at Newhaven Port. 

If given the sign off by the TfSE partnership board the plan is expected to be submitted to the government this Spring. 

Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app.