The Anonymous Widower

Plumpton Station, Level Crossing And Racecourse

When a friend phoned me from Brighton asking me next time I was in the area to meet him for a coffee, I decided to combine the trip with a visit to the site of the level crossing in I Wonder If This Happens In Europe.

These are pictures I took at Plumpton station.

It would not be called grand, but it must be one of the few stations in the UK with an attached racecourse.

The rebuilding of the level crossing is causing problems according to Wikipedia. This is said.

Network Rail closed the level crossing in September 2015 so that the gates on the crossing could be replaced. However, Lewes District Council rejected the plans to replace the gates as it would cause “substantial harm to the significance of the signal box”. Network Rail have said that they cannot open the crossing as the work is not completed. This has effectively split the village in two, with some motorists having to take a six or seven mile detour.

I did chat with a local and her grey whippet and feel that there could be more to this than meets the eye.

If you type “Plumpton suicide” into Google, you find reports, where people have killed themselves at the crossing.

But I also feel that Network Rail haven’t been too clever in this one. My view is that stations like Plumpton need at least a half-hourly service, as this means you have a proper turn-up-and-go service.

One of the pieces of work being done in the area, is to close all the signal boxes and handle all signalling from Three Bridges Operating Centre. This work combined with an automated level crossing, could surely enable all the half-hourly services between Lewes and London to stop at the station.

But it would enrage the militant wing of the heritage lobby!

As to the signal box, they should be looking at a version of the Highams Park solution. Perhaps it would make a cafe and/or business centre.

Starting a half-hourly service might have the effect of increasing traffic at the station.

It’s a difficult one, but with the population of areas like Sussex getting older, more numerous and more and more people cutting use of their cars, who knows?

For the duration of the level crossing closure, Network Rail and Southern had a golden opportunity to experiment with stopping all services. Some of those drivers, who are doing a long detour, might have been persuaded to try the trains to Lewes, Brighton or London.

October 13, 2015 - Posted by AnonW | Sport, Transport/Travel | Horse Racing, Stations, Sussex, Trains