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The Cuckoo Line is the informal name of the now defunct railway service of the Eastbourne and Tunbridge Wells line which actually ran for 20.54 miles (33.06 km) between Polegate and Eridge in East Sussex, England. At the southern end at Polegate, it joined with the East Coastway Line running between Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings, and at the northern end at Eridge it linked with the Oxted to Lewes line, the Lewes to Tunbridge Wells line and the Three Bridges to Tunbridge Wells Central line. The railway was authorised by Act of Parliament in 1873 and was completed in 1880.

It was nicknamed the Cuckoo Line by drivers, from a tradition observed at the annual fair at Heathfield, a station on the route. At the fair, which was held each April, a lady would release a cuckoo from a basket, it being supposedly the 'first cuckoo of spring'. The railway line served the following Sussex communities: Polegate, Hailsham, Hellingly, Horam for Waldron, Heathfield, Mayfield, Rotherfield and Eridge. Services continued through Eridge and onward via Groombridge to Tunbridge Wells.

Background

The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LBSCR) completed the East Coastway Line in 1846 and completed a 3 miles (4.8 km) branch line on 14 May 1849 to the market town of Hailsham from the junction at Polegate which had another 4 miles (6.4 km) branch line to Eastbourne that opened on the same day. By 1868 the LBSCR had built two lines through to Royal Tunbridge Wells, one from Lewes via Uckfield for services from Brighton and another from Three Bridges via East Grinstead for services from London. These two lines met at Groombridge and traveled to Tunbridge Wells West which the LBSCR built to compete with the South Eastern Railway who were running services from Hastings to London Charing Cross. The two stations were both connected in 1876 via the short Grove Hill Tunnel. However, the London, Chatham and Dover Railway and the South Eastern Railway were both looking to build lines to Brighton, after the LBSCR lines were built to Tunbridge Wells, plans were sought to build a direct line to Eastbourne from Croydon. The LBSCR gained an Act of Parliament to build the Ouse Valley Railway from Balcombe to Hailsham via Uckfield, later to be extended towards Bexhill, a line that was started construction but was never completed after the bankrupcy of the Overend, Gurney and Company. in 1872 a group of Eastbourne citizens made proposals for a railway line to Tunbridge Wells, several plans were drawn up and and Act of Parliament was authorised in 1873.

Construction

The Cuckoo Line was build in two sections. The first section, built by the LBSCR, from Polegate to Hailsham was completed on 14 May 1849, the branch line left Polegate from its own bay platform facing east.

Accidents

D1 Class No. 297 Bonchurch and train, derailed at Tooth's Bank, North of Heathfield, September 1897.

The line had a good safety record: there was only one reported accident on the line. On 1 September 1897 at Tooth's Bank, 2 miles north of Heathfield, the 08:18am service from Eastbourne was running around 4 minutes late and was trying to pick up time in order to meet a connecting train at Groombridge. As the train entered the corner at around 40mph it left the tracks. Driver James McKinlay was killed and Fireman Lewis Minns seriously injured, whilst 30 passengers suffered minor injuries.

In April 1968 a lorry collided with a low road bridge under the line at Horsebridge north of Hailsham damaging the bridge causing immediate closure of the line. As the freight train service between Hailsham and Heathfield was due to be withdrawn the following month it was not considered worthwhile repairing the bridge so the line was prematurely abandoned forthwith. Some wagons isolated at Heathfield goods yard were cut up on site.

Today

See also: Spa Valley Railway and Cuckoo Trail

See also

• List of closed railway stations in Britain
• Spa Valley Railway
• Cuckoo Trail

External links

• Heathfield to East Grinstead Campaign