Tunbridge Wells West to Eridge Branch Before and After Closure

The Tunbridge Wells (Grove Junction) to Eridge Branch Line before and after it's closure.Tunbridge Wells West opened by the London Brighton & South Coast Railway in October 1866,was once the terminus of a hub of lines that radiated out from the station,with trains to East Grinstead,London,Brighton & Eastbourne.By the time of it's closure on 6th July 1985 it was reduced to branch line status.Only the station at Eridge, remained open as part of the Uckfield to Oxted line.Eridge was once an important interchange station with the two outside platforms serving trains to and from the Cuckoo line to Eastbourne and platform 3,was for Uckfield,Lewes and Brighton.At Tunbridge Wells West a new platform next to the preserved engine shed has been opened to Groombridge by the Spa Valley Railway. This was extended back to Eridge in March 2011.However the section between Tunbridge Wells West and the main line at Grove Junction remains closed with Sainsbury's car park and part of it's store blocking the old track bed.Photographs, VHS and Super8 footage date from the 1960's up until 1991.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• LBSCR
• Eridge
• Station
• Groombridge
• Railway
• Wealden
• Line
• Campaign
• Spa
• Valley
• Disused
• DEMU
• Tunbridge
• Wells
• West
• Grove
• Junction
• Birchden
• Southern

[AustinSomerset]

Fabulous, and very sad. I remember visiting the West Station a year or so after closure and I knew it was a waste of a good railway, sadly various Governments were keeping up the tired old myth that road was better.

[sidney001]

I spent many a happy hour travelling over that route, it really was very pretty but very under used, hence it's unfortunate demise. I always thought that BR were missing a trick in that a Tonbridge to Brighton service via TW would have been much more popular than the Uckfield to Croydon one, had the Uckfield - Lewes line remained intact, such short sightedness on the part of BR and the Tory government. Thanks for sharing

[xxxchrist1]

Tragic. Sadly, videos such as these add to an increasing number which all describe the slow decline of our once great nation. There is no way that millions of extra cars, and millions of extra people, and more roads and more supermarkets equal progress.

[spiccybaby]

In an emergency, I had cause to use Groombridge station once to get to Tonbridge and beyond, this was around 1971. I'd have been stuffed now, stupid govt.

[bermudarailway]

An East/West route that would link Tunbridge Wells,Eridge,Hartfield,Forest Row ,East Grinstead and Crawley Down to Crawley and Gatwick Airport.How useful would that be now ,ever been stuck on the A264 in rush hour.

[Strawberry7Lynn]

Isn't Tonbridge Wells in the heavily populated South East of England? This must have been a very useful facility for a lot of people, getting even more so with the population growing. As far as governments go though, saving money is everything, especially Margaret Thatcher's, who's government would have closed this railway down. Madness.

P.S. Trust a supermarket to yet again build on the trackbed.

[anzac2404]

@austinsomerset, Its the same out here in Australia, & now with so many trucks on the road (B-Doubles) they (Gov) think that we should go back to rail.....WHAT THE?!

You are right though, it is sad when they shut a line for some BS reason; the poor buggers who had to dig all those tunnels & lay line must be turning in their graves?

[twpudd]

Excellent video, all the later shots are just how I remember it from a young age! Thanks for sharing!