Redhill to Tonbridge Line

Looking east towards the Bletchingley Tunnel

The Redhill to Tonbridge Line is a British railway line running from Redhill, Surrey to Tonbridge, Kent in southeast England. It branches off the Brighton Main Line at Redhill station and, after 30 km, joins the London to Ashford to Dover Line at Tonbridge station.

It was originally part of the South Eastern Railway having been sanctioned by Act of Parliament in 1836 as part of the first rail route from London to Dover. See London to Ashford to Dover Line for further details. This may explain its remarkably straight route: serving the settlements en route was a secondary consideration.

It also must be noted, aircraft coming into London's Croydon Airport in the early part of the 20th Century used this line as a point of navigation. All the stations along this route had their names written in bold white paint on the roofs.

It starts with an initial curve just outside Redhill where it passes over the Quarry Line which is in a tunnel. The Bletchingley Tunnel (grid reference TQ340486), about 2 km southeast of Bletchingley is about 1 km long. At grid reference TQ400480 the "Crowhurst Spur" connected with the East Grinstead branch of the Oxted Line but this was lifted in the early 1970s. Just west of Edenbridge, in a hamlet called Troy Town it crosses, but does not connect with, the Uckfield branch of the Oxted Line.

The line was electrified (750 V DC third rail) in 1993. Stations and services on the line are operated by Southeastern using Class 377 units. They provide an half hourly service from Tunbridge Wells running alternately to Horsham and to London Bridge via East Croydon and vice versa.

External links

• SER lines & stations
• Saxoncourt
• Southern E-Group on the Crowhurst Spur

References

Railway lines in South-East England:
Main lines:		Arun Valley Line   Ashford via Maidstone East Line   Ashford-Ramsgate via Canterbury Line   Brighton Main Line   Chatham Main Line   East Coastway   Hastings Line   Channel Tunnel Rail Link   Kent Coast Line   London–Ashford–Dover Line   North Downs Line   Portsmouth Direct Line   South Western Main Line   Thameslink   West Coastway   West of England Main Line
Commuter lines:		Alton Line   Ascot-Guildford Line   Bexleyheath Line   Caterham Line   Catford Loop   Chessington Branch   Dartford Loop   Eastleigh-Fareham Line   Eastleigh-Romsey Line   Greenwich Line   Hayes Line   Hounslow Loop   Mid-Kent Line   New Guildford Line   North Kent Line   Oxted Line   Sheerness Line   Slough-Windsor & Eton Line   South London Line   Staines-Windsor & Eton Line   Staines to Weybridge Line   Sutton Mole Valley Line   Tattenham Corner Line   Waterloo-Reading Line   West London Line
Rural lines:		Brockenhurst-Lymington Line   Henley Branch Line   Island Line   Marlow Branch Line   Marshlink Line   Medway Valley Line   Redhill-Tonbridge Line