Hailsham Railway Station
Decline and closure
On 14 June 1965 the station became a terminus again when the line northward closed to passenger traffic. Freight continued northwards as far as Heathfield until 26 April 1968 when a lorry damaged a bridge at Horsebridge, north of Hailsham. It had already been earmarked for closure on 7 May, and as such it was not deemed economic to repair the bridge so line was subsequently never reopened to Heathfield. On 8 September 1968, the last passenger train left Hailsham at 10:30pm and the station and line then closed completely.
Present day
The station site was mostly cleared for a housing estate in the 1980s and all that remains now is a concrete wall on the west side of the site that held the embankment up. Part of the site is now a public car park. A bridge north of the station site also survives although heavily modified and carries a road over the former trackbed which has now become the Cuckoo Trail public footpath. Polegate is the nearest station to Hailsham, some 4 miles distant on the Eastbourne to London line.
Line details
Preceding station | Disused railways | Following station | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Hellingly | British Rail Southern Region Cuckoo Line |
Polegate |
References
- The Cuckoo Line, A.C. Elliot - Wild Swan Publications