Hastings

 

Under the SR, there was intense electrification of Central Section routes, such work commencing on the Brighton Line 1931. The first London to Brighton public electric services ran on New Years Day 1933. During 1935, electrification of Eastbourne and Seaford branches took place, and third rail was taken eastwards to Hastings. Although the station at Hastings was essentially brand new, no room was available to stable electric units, and it was undesirable to have empty stock berthed out of use on the platform lines. As a result, it was decided to extend the third rail little under a mile further east, to Ore, where land was available to erect a spacious maintenance depot. This eventually comprised five electrified sidings, four of these being housed within an 800-foot-long asbestos-clad shed. Ore was also selected to host a new electrical control room, current ultimately being provided by the Central Electricity Board in both Eastbourne and Hastings. At Hastings, electric lighting was brought into use on both islands, supported upon concrete bracket lampposts. Public services over the newly electrified lines commenced on 7th July 1935.
 

Electrification to Eastbourne and Hastings saw patronage of services jump to levels which the SR could never have predicted. Naturally, further electrification was seen as the way forward, to replicate this success on other lines. On Eastern Section territory, the following lines were identified as the next candidates:

 

 

Of the above schemes, those to Hastings and Bexhill West were not pursued. The legacy left behind by the SER’s building contractor in the middle of the previous century made the Tunbridge Wells branch an unattractive target for third rail. Major engineering works would be required to adapt the tunnels for standard width electric stock. The alternative was to tailor-make a batch of narrow-width electric stock for the line. This, too, was rejected, for it was predicted that increased patronage of the Tunbridge Wells line would be at the cost of inadvertently diverting passengers away from the existing electrified route via Lewes. Thus, of the three routes which converged at Hastings, two remained exclusively steam-hauled. Electrification of the line again surfaced in November 1946, as part of the SR’s plan to electrify Kent and Sussex Coast lines, but this scheme was soon overtaken by nationalisation.

In February 1956, the British Transport Commission formally approved the Kent Coast Electrification Scheme, which aimed to eliminate steam traction on South Eastern Division main lines. This included the laying of third rail between Ashford and Hastings, but because of the tunnel widths preventing the use of standard width stock, the direct Hastings line via Tunbridge Wells was to remain unconverted. On the latter, diesels would replace steam traction. In 1956, construction commenced at Eastleigh on a fleet of narrow-width carriages, tailor-made for the restricted clearances on the Tunbridge Wells line. It was proposed for these to be hauled by Type 3 (Class 33) diesels from Charing Cross, but midway through assembly, a diesel electric multiple unit option was settled on, and the rolling stock subsequently built with this in mind. In May 1957, the first DEMUs started to run to the existing steam schedule. Some of these units had been brought into use early to alleviate the effects of the Cannon Street signal box fire of 5th April 1957, where it was found easier to handle this type of train during a reduced service to the terminus. A full diesel service from London to Hastings via Tunbridge Wells was implemented on 9th June 1958. Eventually, it was decided not to pursue electrification between Ashford and Hastings, and in 1958 four DEMU sets, two vehicles in length, were built for the route. Dieselisation had seen the removal of the locomotive turntable and coal stage at Hastings station in 1957.

During the 1960s, announcements of severe economies were made. 5th March 1967 was earmarked as the final day of the DEMU service between Ashford and New Romney, and the last passenger trains between the former and Hastings were planned for 9th July 1967. Opposition to these plans was substantial, enough to ensure the retention of services between Ashford and Hastings, but not enough to keep the New Romney branch on the timetable. Just two years later, in August 1969, closure of the Ashford to Hastings line was again announced, and passenger trains would be withdrawn once a replacement bus service had been organised. Criticism of the proposal was just as severe as that in 1967, and campaigning once again saved the route from being axed. Retention of services between Ashford and Hastings was formally given the green light in July 1974, but would be at the cost of route rationalisation. This started on 29th April 1979, with the singling of the line between Appledore and Ore. A passing loop was retained at Rye, and colour lights installed throughout on the line. Singling was deemed complete on 30th September 1979, and the line signalled using the Tokenless Block System.

In the meantime, on 30th January 1977, colour aspect lights were brought into use at Ore. These were controlled from the signal box at Hastings, the SER cabin at the former being closed. It also appears that at this time, the opportunity was taken to replace the twin semaphore post at the St Leonards end of the southern island platform with a colour aspect light. Strangely, its semaphore counterpart at the same end of the northern island platform was retained. As per the semaphore signals, this single colour light was operated from the lever frame of the signal box.

The Tonbridge to Hastings line was not one of heavy traffic flows. This, coupled with operational difficulties posed by its restrictive loading gauge, led to a recommendation in 1981 that the line be run down to ‘’soften it up’’ for closure. Thereafter, the Central Division line from Lewes would become British Rail’s primary route to Hastings. Thus, there was great division of the British Rail Board when, in October 1983, electrification between Tonbridge and Bopeep Junction was authorised at a cost of £24 million (£60,700,000 at 2008 prices). Complete re-signalling of the line would be undertaken, including the elimination of intermediate mechanical signal boxes and the installation of colour aspect lights in place of semaphores. Control of the route would be shared between Tonbridge Power Box and the existing Saxby & Farmer signal cabin at Robertsbridge, where a new panel would be brought into use. In addition, the line through Somerhill, Strawberry Hill, and Wadhurst Tunnels would be singled, to permit the running of standard width electric stock between Tonbridge and Hastings. As part of the same works, the Tunbridge Wells West line, between Eridge and Grove Junction, was to be closed. This was deemed as a lightly used remnant of the LB&SCR’s incursion into Kent, which required an expensive re-signalling. At this stage, it is worth noting that electrification between Tonbridge and Bopeep Junction had earlier been proposed in December 1969, as part of a BR ‘’Improvement Scheme’’ staggered over the 1970s.

As part of the electrification works, platform 1 was converted from a through affair to an Ashford-facing bay. This was to enable step-free access between the main building and the southern island platform. The second footbridge, equipped only with lifts and no staircases, lost its connection with the main station building at this time. The full electric timetable along the Tonbridge to Hastings route commenced on 12th May 1986. Semaphore signals disappeared from nearby Bopeep Junction, but those at Hastings survived, albeit with the single colour light from 1977. Even the timber mess huts, which included the top of the original SER signal box, still existed alongside the running lines at the western ends of the platforms. By 1990, however, the remaining semaphore signal post at the western end of platform Nos. 3 and 4 had been replaced by colour aspect lights, again controlled from Hastings cabin. At the eastern ends of the platforms, semaphores were retained. The goods yard and dock line were still in place, the sidings being used for DEMU berthing for Ashford services.

 

31st March 1989

 

Still wearing BR Blue and Grey livery, but with Network SouthEast cab logo, refurbished 4 CEP No. 1507 has

recently arrived at platform 4 with a South Eastern Division service. This photograph shows to good effect the

station's location, deep in a cutting. Treflyn-Lloyd Roberts

 

10th August 1989

 

Hampshire/Berkshire unit No. 205101, seen stabled in the bay platform with an Ashford service, was unique

among its classmates. In 1979, a trial refurbishment at Eastleigh saw gangways made within the set, thus

passengers could move between vehicles without first having to disembark on the platform. Latterly, in 1995,

its Trailer Second vehicle was replaced at St Leonard's Depot with that from a 4 CEP. To the left of the unit,

we can just see the start of the dock line. In the background, the footbridge's connection with the main

building is in evidence. Treflyn-Lloyd Roberts

 

1991

 

The SR signal box of 1931 presented a smart appearance sixty years later, when just over 50 of its original 84

levers were still operational. Semaphore signals remained in use at the eastern ends of both island platforms

and, as can be seen in the distance, on the approaches from Ore. Bob Fairman

 

 

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