Hastings line

Hastings line
A Southeastern electric multiple unit at Battle with a Hastings to London Charing Cross service in 2018
Overview
Status	Operational
Owner	Network Rail
Locale	Kent East Sussex South East England
Termini	Tonbridge Hastings
Stations	13
Service
Type	Suburban rail, Heavy rail
System	National Rail
Operator(s)	SE Trains Hastings area only: Southern
Rolling stock	Class 375 "Electrostar" Hastings area only: Class 171 "Turbostar" Class 377 "Electrostar"
History
Opened	1846–52 in stages
Technical
Line length	32 miles 71 chains (32.89 mi; 52.93 km)
Number of tracks	2 (1 in some tunnels)
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Loading gauge	C1
Electrification	Third rail, 750 V DC
Operating speed	90 mph (140 km/h)
Route map (Click to expand)

v t e Hastings line
Legend
South Eastern Main Line to London Charing Cross Redhill–Tonbridge line to Redhill 29 mi 42 ch 47.52 km Tonbridge South Eastern Main Line to Ashford International Somerhill Tunnel 410 yd 375 m Southborough Viaduct over Southborough Bourne 32 mi 70 ch 52.91 km High Brooms 33 mi 49 ch 54.09 km Tunbridge Wells goods station site of first Tunbridge Wells station Wells Tunnel 823 yd 753 m 34 mi 32 ch 55.36 km Tunbridge Wells Grove Hill Tunnel 287 yd 262 m Grove Junction Three Bridges to Tunbridge Wells Central Line to Three Bridges Strawberry Hill Tunnel 286 yd 262 m 36 mi 53 ch 59 km Frant 39 mi 23 ch 63.23 km Wadhurst Tributary of River Teise Wadhurst Tunnel 1205 yd 1102 m 43 mi 66 ch 70.53 km Stonegate River Rother 47 mi 34 ch 76.32 km Etchingham Rother Valley Railway (K&ESR) to Headcorn Robertsbridge Junction 49 mi 47 ch 79.8 km Robertsbridge Robertsbridge & Pevensey Lt Rly to Pevensey Bay Mountfield Tunnel 526 yd 481 m British Gypsum Mountfield 53 mi 37 ch 86.04 km Mountfield Halt River Brede 55 mi 46 ch 89.44 km Battle 57 mi 50 ch 92.74 km Crowhurst Bexhill West branch line to Bexhill West 60 mi 59 ch 97.75 km West St Leonards East Coastway line to Eastbourne 60 mi 69 ch 97.95 km Bopeep Junction Bo-peep Tunnel 1318 yd 1205 m 61 mi 55 ch 99.28 km St Leonards Warrior Square Hastings Tunnel 788 yd 721 m 62 mi 33 ch 100.44 km Hastings Marshlink line to Ashford International
Mileage from London Charing Cross via South Eastern Main Line[Note 1]

The Hastings line is a secondary railway line in Kent and East Sussex, England, linking Hastings with the main town of Tunbridge Wells, and London via Tonbridge and Sevenoaks. Although primarily carrying passengers, the railway also serves a gypsum mine which is a source of freight traffic. Southeastern Trains operates passenger trains on the line, and it is one of their busiest lines.

The railway was constructed by the South Eastern Railway in the early 1850s across the difficult terrain of the High Weald. Supervision of the building of the line was lax, enabling contractors to skimp on the lining of the tunnels. These deficiencies showed up after the railway had opened. Rectifications led to a restricted loading gauge along the line, requiring the use of dedicated rolling stock.

Served by steam locomotives from opening until the late 1950s, passenger services were then taken over by a fleet of diesel-electric multiple units built to the line's loading gauge. Diesel locomotives handled freight, also built to fit the loading gauge. The diesel-electric multiple units served on the line until 1986, when the line was electrified and the most severely affected tunnels were reduced from double track to single.