RAIL LINK 'BREAKTHROUGH'

Talks are to be held between the county council and the company within the next two weeks to see how it can be involved in the project, Uckfield town councillors were told on Monday.

The news was hailed as a 'major breakthrough' by Brian Hart, director of the Wealden Line Campaign who has been pressing for reinstatement of the rail link for years.

If the line was reinstated it would give Lewes rail users an alternative direct route to London.

East Sussex County Council's director of transport, Bob Wilkins, told members of the town council's environment committee the good news.

He reckoned it was the financial commitment shown to the project by town councils in Uckfield, Lewes and Crowborough that had finally prompted Network Rail to come forward.

'This is something we have not been able to achieve before. Some discussions will be going on within the next two weeks about how they will be involved,' said Mr Wilkins.

Mr Wilkins told councillors that 150,000 had been raised, with the help of the town council, towards the next stage of a feasibility study into reinstatement of the line and a specification for the work was nearly ready for tenders to be sought.

At this stage the project was confined to exploring re-opening of the Uckfield to Lewes rail link and not the wider proposal of also reinstating the link between Eridge and Tunbridge Wells, he said.

Consultants would be asked to look at all options, how the link could work with one level crossing in Uckfield, two level crossings or no level crossings.

A major part of any scheme would be realignment of the Uckfield by-pass which is currently on the same level as the rail track bed.

It could be that a bridge would have to be built beside the present road and then the road realigned to go over it. This would avoid major traffic disruption, he said.

Mr Hart, who attended Monday's meeting, welcomed Mr Wilkin's reaffirmation of the county council's commitment to the rail project but said the most interesting piece of news was that Network Rail wanted to be associated with the work.

'If that proves to be true this could be a major breakthrough because up until now Network Rail has only taken on the role of a day-to-day maintenance company and doesn't take the lead on any kind of infrastructure additions to the network.

'It could be quite significant if Network Rail realises the problems they have with operating the southern network are because the Brighton Line is over capacity.

'That is why this campaign has been going for 20 years now. We really do need the Uckfield line running as a main line between London and the south coast. I hope that is the conclusion Network Rail has reached.'