In January 2026 the UK government is investing approximately £45bn in the Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) project, aiming to transform rail infrastructure in the North of England. It may seem like a David and Goliath size challenge but Lewes Rail Group are asking the government to balance up there investment in new infrastructure here in the southeast.
Here is our opening letter to the Rail Minister
As you may know, the Brighton Main Line (BML) has suffered from frequent rail closures at weekends over the last few decades. To make matters worse further closures are forecast during 2026 and 2027. This is set against national rail passenger journey numbers almost doubling in 20 years, from 1 billion in 2025 to 1.8 billion in 2025.
One accepts that engineering works have to be carried out, but one wonders why so many rail closures have occurred on the Brighton Main Line over the decades.
Back in 2025 our group made the proposal to Transport for the South East TfSE), in answer to a consultation, that the 7 miles of track between Lewes and Uckfield should be restored. This has many benefits, including getting cars off the road and allowing people to commute to work through a wider area, including Eastbourne, Brighton, Lewes, and beyond. Also , tourism and travel would be enhanced by such a link, allowing people to have more than one choice of how to get to London and the south coast.
There are other benefits of such a link. It would provide resilience for when the BML was closed for whatever reason. Passengers could take the train from Brighton and Lewes via the Uckfield Line without having to change onto an arduous and cumbersome bus service on weekends. The train services between Uckfield and London do not run via Gatwick, over the congested BML route.
Now that East Sussex County Council (ESCC) has come out in favour of the restoration of the link in their transport report of December 8th, 2025, and that Transport for the South East have included the restoration of the link in their Strategic Investment Plan (SIP) it seems appropriate that we ask the Government to support a feasibility study to pave the way for the opening of this link with a view to it providing new benefits in the coming decades.
I notice that there is considerable investment proposed in the north of England for rail links and stations, but as far as I know, nothing is proposed in the South East.
Please would you take this matter into consideration and appoint consultants to carry out the Feasibility Study so that the most economic option for opening the line can be selected.
Further information on the reopening of this line CLICK HERE
For further information on East Sussex Rail Strategy 2025-2050 dated December 2025 click the link below,. See page 78 and pages 81, 85, 91, 92. Also see: Investment Priorty Areas on Page 104 as well as 119 123, 125, 136, 137, 154, 156 and 159
You may also be interested in:
Transport for the South East Strategic Investment Plan 2026 CLICK HERE
and
London & South Coast Rail Corridor Study by the Department For Transport date April 2016: Click Below for the relevant extract :
London South Coast Rail Corridor – extract