17.05.13
Lewes-Uckfield
Source: Chris
Lewes-Uckfield reopening has been studied to death; why waste more resources on another study that will have the same result as before? [Network Rail] should be concentrating on finding ways to increase capacity into central London.
We need a new railway between south of Croydon and central London, and until that is built there is little point increasing capacity further south.
If Lewes-Uckfield were built is it realistic to expect passengers from Lewes to swap a 65 minute journey to London with a 90 minute journey via Uckfield?
Let's say hypothetically it did happen and additional trains were run, which trains do passengers wish to remove between Croydon and London to enable additional trains to run? Or if, as suggested by Paul, the Thameslink Tunbridge Wells trains were extended that are desperately needed for Sevenoaks commuters etc and hypothetically large numbers of south coast passengers joined them, what are the passengers Sevenoaks and Orpington going to think with all the seats taken? Don't worry at Sevenoaks, passengers from Lewes etc would never travel that way.
Those suggestions of sending trains via Dorking the same issue, how do you get additional trains through congested South London into central London? Only by taking other trains out.
The issue Jon raises of fares is very poignant. If linked with the South Coast, the fares would have to be aligned with the south coast fares to avoid it being cheaper to buy two tickets for one journey which would upset all the current Uckfield line commuters.
Let's stop wasting time and effort with Lewes-Uckfield and get working on how to achieve additional capacity into central London for the benefit of travellers from all of Southern England and South London.
Re: Potential reopening for Lewes – Uckfield