Oxted line
The Oxted line is a railway in southern England and part of the Southern franchise. The railway splits into two branches towards the south and has direct trains throughout to London termini.
| Oxted line | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Status | Operational | ||
| Owner | Network Rail | ||
| Locale | Greater London Surrey East Sussex | ||
| Termini | |||
| Service | |||
| Type | Commuter rail, Suburban rail | ||
| System | National Rail | ||
| Operator(s) | Southern | ||
| Depot(s) | Selhurst | ||
| Rolling stock | Class 171, Class 377, Class 700 | ||
| History | |||
| Opened | 1884 | ||
| Technical | |||
| Line length | 43 mi 28 ch (69.8 km) | ||
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge | ||
| Electrification | 750 V DC third rail (London Victoria/London Bridge to East Grinstead) None (Hurst Green to Uckfield) | ||
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It was opened jointly by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway and the South Eastern Railway in the late 19th century.
The line branches from the London to Brighton Main Line (which has two diverging northern branches) at South Croydon in Greater London. The line then passes under the North Downs in two tunnels, and then splits into two branches at Hurst Green, adjoining Oxted in Surrey. One of these branches ends at East Grinstead, the other at Uckfield, both market towns in Sussex.
The line between East Croydon and Hurst Green is double-track throughout, as is all of the East Grinstead branch, and all this route is electrified. The Uckfield branch has two tracks as far as Hever; the rest of the line is mostly single-track, but with two short double-track sections (a passing loop at Ashurst, and a short distance between Crowborough and just north of Buxted).