Winchelsea railway station is a railway station in East Sussex, England. It is about 0.62 miles (1 km) from Winchelsea and is actually in the neighbouring parish of Udimore. It is on the Marshlink line 9.3 miles (15 km) north east of Hastings, and train services are provided by Southern. The station originally had two platforms, but in 1979, the line was singled and only the up platform is now in use. The former down platform and station building are now converted to a private house.

Winchelsea
General information
Location	Winchelsea, Rother England
Coordinates	50.93374°N 0.70222°E / 50.93374; 0.70222
Grid reference	TQ899183
Managed by	Southern
Platforms	1
Other information
Station code	WSE
Classification	DfT category F2
History
Opened	13 February 1851
Passengers
2016/17	7,578
2017/18	9,254
2018/19	9,048
2019/20	9,688
2020/21	3,448
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Location

The station is in an isolated location.[1] It is not a convenient way of getting to or from Winchelsea, especially outside daylight hours. The route from the station to the town involves walking down an unlit and winding country lane, then walking along the A259 trunk road before climbing a steep hill to reach the town.[2] The journey takes about 20 minutes on foot. However, local people may book a free lift to and from the station via a voluntary scheme run through Winchelsea Farm Kitchen.[3]

As an alternative to trains, Stagecoach runs bus route 100 between Hastings and Rye, which stops in the town.[4]

Despite its isolation and limited stopping service, the station is used by walkers visiting the Brede Valley.^{[citation needed]}

Facilities

The buildings have been sold into private ownership and so this station is unstaffed.[5] There is a ticket machine at the station.

Free parking facilities are available at the station.[6]

History

The station was opened by the South Eastern Railway (SER) on 13 February 1851 as one of the first stations on the line from Ashford to Hastings, along with Ham Street, Appledore and Rye.[7] The station, like several others on the line, was built with staggered platforms on the belief that it would be safer for passengers to cross the railway behind a departing train.[8]

Traffic was very sparse and the station closed on 1 September, in part because it was impossible to access the town without crossing private land. The Mayor of Winchelsea campaigned for reopening and negotiating access with the respective landowner, and the SER agreed to open the station on 4 December.[9] A resignalling programme took place in the early 1890s.[10]

The station gradually reduced its facilities. In 1961, the station building was sold off, and has since been in private hands.[11] By 1969, the signal box and goods siding had been removed, and by the early 1970s the shelter canopy was removed and the post of crossing keeper was discontinued.[12] On 1 October 1979, the line was reduced to single track to reduce operational costs. The down platform (to Hastings) was removed; since then all trains have stopped at the one remaining platform.[13] A 20 miles per hour (32 km/h) speed limit was imposed on the line approaching Winchelsea.[14] The wooden shelter on the remaining (up) platform was replaced by a conventional modern shelter in 1984.[15]

Local campaign groups Three Oaks and Winchelsea Action for Rail Transport (THWART) and the Marshlink Action Group (MLAG) campaigned for services to be increased, and from December 2010 a two-hourly service in each direction was restored.[16] In 2015, trains began stopping at the station on Sundays, after a ten-year campaign.[17]

Services

All services at Winchelsea are operated by Southern using Class 171 DMUs.

The typical off-peak service is one train every two hours between Ashford International and Eastbourne via Hastings. Trains generally alternate between calling at Winchelsea and at Three Oaks.[18]

Previously, westbound trains ran as an express service to Brighton although this was changed to a stopping service to Eastbourne in the May 2018 timetable change.[19]

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Doleham or Ore		Southern Marshlink Line		Rye
	Historical railways
Snailham Halt Line open, station closed		South Eastern and Chatham Railway Marshlink Line		Rye Line and station open

References

Citations

Sources

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Winchelsea railway station.

• Photos of Winchelsea station