ACCESS and CONNECTIONS: EAST SUSSEX Opportunities to align railway investment to the economic growth requirements of East Sussex Author: Jonathan Roberts, JRC Ltd Sponsor: Railfuture First published July 2013 A Railfuture report commissioned from JRC Ltd. [email protected] Paid for by Railfuture’s Fighting Fund. © Railfuture and JRC Ltd, 2013 ACCESS and Options for rail development within and beyond East Sussex • Shape quicker, easier links for local economic growth CONNECTIONS: • Support all who live, work, study in or visit East Sussex EAST • Help travel to and from neighbouring South East towns • Respond to current and future commuting needs SUSSEX The independent campaign for a better passenger and freight rail network This report was fully-funded by a grant from Ralfuture’s Fighting Fund For more information on the Uckfield-Lewes campaign go to www.railfuture.org.uk/Uckfield+Lewes www.railfuture.org.uk The Railway Development Society Limited is a (not for profit) Company Limited by Guarantee. Registered in England and Wales No. 5011634. Registered Office:- 24 Chedworth Place, Tattingstone, Suffolk IP9 2ND 2 ACCESS and CONNECTIONS: EAST SUSSEX Table of contents Introduction - East Sussex context......................................................................... 6 Railfuture’s assessment ........................................................................................ 6 East Sussex population and jobs............................................................................ 8 Population growth .........................................................................................................8 Population age ...............................................................................................................9 Access to further and higher education ......................................................................11 The East Sussex economy ............................................................................................12 Employment in East Sussex..........................................................................................12 Employment comparisons between East Sussex and neighbours ..............................13 Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs)............................................................................14 East Sussex’s economic vision......................................................................................14 East Sussex Travel to Work...................................................................................16 Travel to Work Areas ...................................................................................................16 East Sussex commuting................................................................................................17 Distances for travel to work.........................................................................................17 Modes of travel to work ..............................................................................................18 Small Areas - travel to work analysis ...........................................................................20 Prioritising candidates for improved public transport ................................................24 Modelling travel around East Sussex ....................................................................26 Modelling - comparative car and rail times on travel corridors..................................26 Modelling - rail infrastructure options ........................................................................28 Existing railway network......................................................................................29 Routes and stations .....................................................................................................29 Stations and passenger volume...................................................................................31 New railway planning priorities...................................................................................35 LTPP railway planning process.....................................................................................35 New franchising guidelines..........................................................................................36 Options for rail service development and new infrastructure ...............................38 Introductory remarks...................................................................................................38 Generic outputs to improve public transport..............................................................39 G1 Output: Marketing and integrated ticketing ..................................................................39 G2: Output: Car parking and station railheads ......................................................................39 G3 Output: Bus interchange and foot and cycle access .......................................................40 G4 Output: Travel planning advice .......................................................................................40 3 East Coastway Corridor........................................................................................41 Current service pattern................................................................................................41 Corridor journey times and infrastructure gap............................................................41 Gaps in the public transport offer ...............................................................................43 Conditional outputs for East Coastway Corridor.........................................................44 EC1 Output: Reduce main inter-urban Coastway times by 10-15 minutes ...........................44 EC2 Output: Reduce main inter-urban Coastway times by a further 1-5 minutes ................44 EC3 Output: Fast journey times achieved at least ½-hourly on main inter-urban sectors ....44 EC4 Output: Introduce new local stations between Eastbourne and Hastings .....................44 EC5 Output: Create ‘East Sussex Metro’ services between Eastbourne and Hastings .............45 EC6 Output: Stronger bus links: Polegate-Hailsham and Eastbourne, Bexhill, Hastings .............45 EC7 Output: Study case for a Polegate Parkway station .......................................................45 Consequences of implementing conditional outputs..................................................45 Marshlink Corridor, and Hastings - Tunbridge Wells Direct Line ............................48 Current service pattern and infrastructure .................................................................48 Marshlink ......................................................................................................................................48 Hastings – Tunbridge Wells Direct Line .........................................................................................48 Corridor journey times.................................................................................................49 Gaps in the public transport offer ...............................................................................51 Conditional outputs for Marshlink Corridor and Hastings Direct................................51 MH1 Output: Reduce Hastings area to London journey times to equivalents seen at East Kent and Thanet .................................................................................................51 MH1 Technical Factors .......................................................................................................52 MH2 Output: Improve connectivity via Ashford and Coastway, to improve East Sussex’s accessibility ..................................................................................................54 MH3 Output: Reduce fast rail times between Ashford and Hastings under 30 minutes ...55 MH4 Output: Study the reasons for recent Hastings Direct Line passenger losses, and review actions to address this ...................................................................................55 MH5 Output: Consider as part of MH4, to what extent through running (or reversing) at Hastings, or better interchange, would benefit East Sussex .................................55 Consequences of implementing conditional outputs..................................................56 Wealden Line Corridor .........................................................................................57 Current service pattern and infrastructure .................................................................57 Corridor journey times.................................................................................................58 Gaps in the public transport offer ...............................................................................59 Modelling an Uckfield-Lewes railway ..........................................................................60 Other modelling options for Uckfield-Lewes...............................................................61 Lewes option 1: Reversing line, east of Lewes junction ................................................................62 Lewes option 2: Loop at Southerham junction .............................................................................62 Lewes option 3: Lewes Bypass loop ..............................................................................................63 Lewes option 4: Uckfield via Ringmer to Glynde and Lewes ........................................................63 Remodelling corridor journey times with infrastructure options ...............................63