Hastings railway station

Hastings railway station is the southern terminus of the Hastings line in the south of England and is one of four stations that serve the town of Hastings, East Sussex. It is also on the East Coastway Line to Eastbourne and the Marshlink line to Ashford International. It is 62 miles 33 chains (100.4 km) from London Charing Cross measured via Chelsfield and Battle; and 82 miles 33 chains (132.6 km) from Charing Cross via Chelsfield and Ashford.[1]

Hastings
The platforms at Hastings station, looking west
Location
PlaceHastings
Local authorityHastings, East Sussex
Coordinates50.858°N 0.576°E / 50.858; 0.576
Grid referenceTQ814097
Operations
Station codeHGS
Managed bySoutheastern
Number of platforms4
DfT categoryC1
Live arrivals/departures, station information and onward connections
from National Rail Enquiries
Annual rail passenger usage*
2014/15 2.248 million
2015/16 2.314 million
2016/17 2.030 million
2017/18 2.172 million
2018/19 2.383 million
History
Original companySER/LBSCR joint
Pre-groupingSE&CR/LBSCR joint
Post-groupingSouthern Railway
13 February 1851Opened
1931Rebuilt
2004Rebuilt
National Rail – UK railway stations
  • Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Hastings from Office of Rail and Road statistics. Methodology may vary year on year.

The station is managed by Southeastern, which is one of two train operating companies at the station, alongside Southern.

History
A 1914 Railway Clearing House Junction Diagram showing lines around Hastings
Hastings signal box, with semaphore signals
The station building in 2006

The station was first proposed by the South Eastern Railway (SER) on 9 October 1835, as the terminus for a railway from Tunbridge Wells via Rye.[2] These plans began to take fruition during 1843, as the SER planned the most practical route to the town through what would be difficult terrain. In the meantime, the Parliamentary Select Committee had supported a scheme by the Brighton, Lewes & Hastings Railway (BLHR), which would connect the town to the London and Brighton Railway (LBR). The BLHR were awarded the act of parliament to build the railway to Hastings, with an additional option to extend the line through Rye to Ashford.[3] The SER were not happy about a rival company building routes in their area, and in late 1845 researched the feasibility of a route via Tunbridge Wells. [4] The Government insisted the SER constructed the line from Ashford to Hastings (now the Marshlink line) first before any direct route could be built. Meanwhile, the LBR and BLHR had amalgamated with other companies to form the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway, who became bitter rivals with the SER.[5]

The station opened on 13 February 1851 when the line from Ashford was completed through to Bopeep Junction. The station was originally V-shaped allowing the two railway companies to have separate platforms and booking areas: one side for SER trains to pass through and the other as a terminal for LBSCR services. The two companies continued to argue with each other and object to trains stopping or passing through the station.[6] The SER also wanted separate goods sheds from the LBSCR.[7] The connection to Tunbridge Wells opened on 1 February 1852.[8]

The whole station was reconstructed in a neo-Georgian style in 1931 by the architect James Robb Scott and only the goods shed remained unchanged. All trains now ran through the two new island platforms, which provided better flexibility.[9][10]

The station building was re-built in 2004, with the neo-Georgian booking hall demolished and replaced with a modernist building. The southernmost loop platform has been curtailed into an Ashford facing bay. The station contains a small police post manned by British Transport Police, although this is a satellite of the Ashford International police station.

Services

Services at the station are operated by either Southeastern Trains via the Hastings Line or by Southern Trains via the East Coastway Line and the Marshlink Line. Southeastern services use Class 375 electric multiple units. Southern services use Class 377 electric multiple units and Class 171 diesel multiple units.

The typical off-peak service from the station is:

  • Southern
    • 1tph to London Victoria via the East Coastway Line (semi-fast)
    • 2tph to Brighton via the East Coastway Line (both semi-fast)
    • 1tph to Eastbourne (stopping)
    • 1tph to Ashford International via the Marshlink Line (semi-fast)
    • 2tph to Ore (direct)
  • Southeastern

There are also peak hour services from Ore to Cannon Street operated by Southeastern.

Preceding station National Rail Following station
St Leonards
Warrior Square		   Southeastern
Hastings Line		   Terminus
or Ore
  Southern
East Coastway Line / Marshlink Line		  
Disused railways
St Leonards
Warrior Square		   LB&SCR
Brighton, Lewes and Hastings railway		   Terminus

Facilities

The station provides a ticket office, waiting room and toilets. Retail facilities include a coffee shop and newsagent. Outside the station there are a bus station, taxi rank and car park.

Other stations in Hastings
Railway stations
in Hastings
Marshlink line
to Ashford International
 Ore
Mount Pleasant Tunnel (
230 yd
210 m
)
 Hastings
Hastings Tunnel (
788 yd
721 m
)
Hastings line
to Tonbridge
 St Leonards Warrior Square
 West St Leonards
Bopeep Tunnel (
1318 yd
1205 m
)
Bopeep Junction
 St Leonards West Marina
 Bulverhythe
 Glyne Gap Halt
East Coastway line
to Eastbourne & Brighton
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References

Citations

  1. Yonge 2008, map 18C.
  2. Gray 1990, p. 192.
  3. Gray 1990, p. 193.
  4. Gray 1990, pp. 193-195.
  5. Gray 1990, p. 195.
  6. Gray 1990, pp. 196-197.
  7. Gray 1990, p. 198.
  8. Gray 1990, p. 197.
  9. Parissien 2014, p. 151.
  10. Mitchell & Smith 1987, fig 3.
  11. Network Rail Timetable May 2010: Table 206

Sources

  • Gray, Adrian (1990). South Eastern Railway. Middleton Press. ISBN 978-0-906520-85-7.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Mitchell, Vic; Smith, Keith (1987). South Coast Railways - Hastings to Ashford and the New Romney Branch. Middleton Press. ISBN 0-906520-37-1.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Parissien, Steven (2014). The English Railway Station. English Heritage. ISBN 978-1-848-02236-2.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Yonge, John (November 2008) [1994]. Jacobs, Gerald (ed.). Railway Track Diagrams 5: Southern & TfL (3rd ed.). Bradford on Avon: Trackmaps. ISBN 978-0-9549866-4-3.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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