Savage cuts to London rail line

New documentation from the Department for Transport revealed plans to axe the daytime service leaving only a morning and evening train.

The news comes as a damaging blow to Bexhill's regeneration hopes.

Rother leader Cllr Graham Gubby called the news "disastrous."

The finalised Brighton Mainline Route Utilisation Strategy proposes trains running from Hastings via Eastbourne to Victoria be "withdrawn east of Eastbourne."

The Department for Transport says low passenger numbers make the continuation of the service "unsustainable."

The document says: "There is insufficient demand to justify the running of more than two trains per hour between Eastbourne and Hastings.

"Any adverse impact of the withdrawal of the through London service is mitigated by the introduction of the fast Brighton - Ashford service which should serve this local market well.

"Ticket sales data indicates that from Bexhill, the busiest station on the line, there are on average 19 passengers per day to East Croydon, and 18 to Gatwick (London passengers would normally travel via the main line to Charing Cross from Battle).

"The figures show that is an average of 46 passengers a day (two to three per train) travelling between Hastings and Gatwick, and 16 a day (one per train) between St Leonards and Gatwick.

"These low loadings do not suggest that the service is sustainable. The passengers that do wish to make these journeys will still be able to do so, albeit with a change of train at Eastbourne.

"However, a small number of morning and evening trains will be retained between Hastings and London (via Bexhill and Eastbourne) to provide a service when it is most needed."

Local protesters fought the initial draft of the strategy after a consultation period in 2004. Implementation will be led by the rail industry, Network rail and the Department for Transport.

Cllr Gubby said: "This is disastrous news.

"We thought we had the ear of the service providers on the back of the Hastings and Bexhill Regeneration Taskforce. We thought they understood how important the transport infrastructure was to the regeneration of the area. We had a number of meetings with them.

"This is going to be disastrous for the Bexhill Rail Action Group and disastrous for the people who worked so hard. But we shall fight on!"