A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | CH | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
| 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 | |||
| 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) | ||
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Mileage from London Charing Cross
via South Eastern Main Line | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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.
Background
The South Eastern Railway (SER) completed its main line from London to Dover, Kent in 1844, branching off the rival London, Brighton and South Coast Railway's (LBSC) line at Redhill. Construction of a single line branch from Tunbridge (modern spelling "Tonbridge") to Tunbridge Wells, a fashionable town where a chalybeate spring had been discovered in 1606,[1] began in July 1844. At the time, Parliament had not given assent for the railway.[2] The Act of Parliament enabling the construction of the line had its first reading in the House of Commons on 28 April 1845.[3] The bill completed its passage through the House of Commons and the House of Lords on 28 July,[4][5][6][7][8] following which Royal Assent was granted on 31 July by Queen Victoria.[9]
