The £500m train line that could finally fix one of UK's most overcrowded rail journeys
A huge new project which could see trains weave through three counties could be about to revolutionise journeys for "hard-pressed commuters."
The campaign to get it built began in 2010, believing the rail would “not only be of great benefit to hard-pressed commuters, but would also restore valuable strategic rail links across Sussex, Surrey and Kent”.
BLM2 Project Group has planned for three phases: The restoration of a rail line in Sussex and construction of Ashcombe tunnel, reinstatement of the line into Tunbridge Wells, and the reopening of the redundant railline through Croydon and Lewisham.
Brian Hart, project manager of the campaign, told the Express: “The capacity of the current service is a massive problem and one which the Department for Transport and Network Rail must solve - otherwise the south hits a barrier to growth and prosperity. Unquestionably, without BML2 the south will stagnate. That must not be allowed to happen.
“Commuters are crucial to driving the London economy and we passionately believe they deserve a better deal. Services should be less crowded on longer journeys, more robust, reliable and punctual.”
He added that the latest estimate, from Transport for the South East, to reinstate and electrify the line from the Sussex Coast to London is £500m.
Mr Hart said the line would “transform rail travel and bring huge regional benefits - especially in areas where road building is damaging such as South Downs National Park, High Weald AONB, and the Surrey and Kent Green Belts”.
In 2023, the Transport for the South East (TSE) "committed itself" to delivering BML2, according to the project group.
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"These results should give investors confidence in the level of growth that could be realised through investing in the Brighton Main Line corridor."
But Network Rail told the Express that BLM2 was a proposal from a group of transport enthusiasts from Sussex and not something that was promoted by Network Rail or any government at any point.
A spokesman said: “An investigation was undertaken around 10 years ago by independent consultants but it came down on the side of not building a new railway, largely because the issue with capacity pre-COVID was at the north end of the line, around Croydon. Since COVID hit passenger numbers, there is less pressure to do anything there either.”
And the Department for Transport said that there have been no proposals put to them and that if there was they would be subject to usual procedure including an assessment of affordability and benefit to the taxpayer.