Editing Bluebell Railway (section)

== History{{anchor|Lewes and East Grinstead Railway Act 1877}} ==
{{Infobox UK legislation
| short_title           = Lewes and East Grinstead Railway Act 1877
| type                  = Act
| parliament            = Parliament of the United Kingdom
| long_title            = An Act for incorporating the Lewes and East Grinstead Railway Company; and for other purposes.
| year                  = 1877
| citation              = [[40 & 41 Vict.]] c. ccxviii
| introduced_commons    = 
| introduced_lords      = 
| territorial_extent    = 
| royal_assent          = 10 August 1877
| commencement          = 
| expiry_date           = 
| repeal_date           = 
| amends                = 
| replaces              = 
| amendments            = 
| repealing_legislation = 
| related_legislation   = 
| status                = 
| legislation_history   = 
| theyworkforyou        = 
| millbankhansard       = 
| original_text         = https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/Vict/40-41/218/pdfs/ukla_18770218_en.pdf
| revised_text          = 
| use_new_UK-LEG        = 
| UK-LEG_title          = 
| collapsed             = yes
}}
In 1877, an [[act of Parliament]] authorised construction of the '''Lewes and East Grinstead Railway''' ('''L&EGR''').<ref name=awdry>{{Awdry-RailCo}}, pp 189-190.</ref> The line was sponsored by local landowners, including the [[Henry Holroyd, 3rd Earl of Sheffield|Earl of Sheffield]]. A year later another act enabled the [[London, Brighton and South Coast Railway]] Company (LB&SCR), chaired by [[Samuel Laing (science writer)|Samuel Laing]], to acquire and operate the line.<ref name=awdry/><ref name=Turner3/>

The branch line had six stations, but only Barcombe was within walking distance of a village. Chailey parish had two stations, one at {{stnlnk|Sheffield Park}} and the other at {{stnlnk|Newick and Chailey}}. It was customary for a rural line supported by a company or individuals to have stations close to the residences of its sponsors.<ref name=Turner3/> Thus Sheffield Park station was built for the Earl of Sheffield, and Newick and Chailey for Newick Park and Reedens, the homes of two other sponsors.<ref name=Turner3/> The other stations were at {{stnlnk|Kingscote}}, {{stnlnk|West Hoathly}} and {{stnlnk|Horsted Keynes}}. A branch ran from a junction at Horsted Keynes to {{stnlnk|Ardingly}} and {{stnlnk|Haywards Heath}} on the LB&SCR main line.<ref name=Turner3/>

The 1877 and 1878 acts included a clause that:<ref name=awdry/><ref name=Turner3/>

{{boxquote|Four passenger trains each way daily to run on this line, with through connections at East Grinstead to London and to stop at Sheffield Bridges, Newick and West Hoathly}}

This imposed a legal requirement to provide a service, and the only way to remove this obligation was to pass another act.

Designed under instructions from LB&SCR Chief Engineer [[Frederick Banister]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Frederick_Dale_Banister|title=Federick Dale Banister|publisher=GracesGuide.co.uk|access-date=10 February 2013}}</ref> the line was constructed to take double track. However, only the section between East Grinstead and Horsted Keynes (and thence to Haywards Heath via Ardingly) was laid as such; south of the junction at Horsted Keynes the line was single track with passing loops at stations. The line was opened in 1882.<ref name=Turner3>{{cite book|author=Turner, John Howard|year=1979|title=The London Brighton and South Coast Railway 3 Completion and Maturity|publisher=Batsford|isbn=0713413891}}</ref>

Goods traffic on the line consisted of local produce; milk: farm products and coal, and timber to and from Albert Turner & Son, a sawmill. The only time Sheffield Park received a substantial number of passengers was when [[Henry Holroyd, 3rd Earl of Sheffield|Lord Sheffield]] entertained the Australian cricket team, with a match between them and Lord Sheffield's own team.

===Accident===
On 31 July 1943, newlyweds Ronald Knapp and Winifred Standing were killed when they were pulled under a train from Lewes to East Grinstead.<ref>[https://archive.today/20120913074536/http://www.thisissussex.co.uk/news/Newly-weds-buried-week-wedding-day/article-2723768-detail/article.html Article on local news website]</ref> The couple walked along the railway on a dark rainy night. When the train got to Horsted Keynes, the guard found a raincoat covered with blood on the engine. Another coat was found near two bodies in the middle of the tracks. The ganger who found them told the inquest the couple must have been walking with their backs to the train.

"There was a very heavy squall at the time and the couple would probably have not heard a thing," he said. The coroner said Ronald and Winifred were trespassing and no blame could be attached to any railway worker. Little more than a week after they were married, the couple's funeral was at [[St Giles' Church, Horsted Keynes]], where they are buried together in a grave marked by a War Graves Commission headstone.<ref>{{cite web|title=Casualty details: Knapp, Ronald|url=http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2723438/KNAPP,%20RONALD|publisher=Commonwealth War Graves Commission|access-date=30 August 2017}}</ref>

===Closure===
In 1954, long before the [[Beeching Axe]], the branch line committee of British Railways proposed closing the line from [[East Grinstead]] to Culver Junction near [[Lewes]].<ref name=Holland/> This was challenged by local residents, but closure was agreed in February 1955 for 15 June 1955, although the line was closed down on 29 May 1956 due to a rail strike.<ref name=awdry/> An acrimonious battle between British Railways and the users of the Bluebell Line then ensued, and lasted three years.<ref name=Holland>{{cite book|title=Dr Beeching's Axe 50 Years On: Memories of Britain's Lost Railways |author=Julian Holland|publisher=David & Charles|date=22 Feb 2013|isbn=978-1446302675}}</ref>

Shortly after closure, Margery Bessemer of Chailey discovered in the 1877 and 1878 acts the clause relating to the "Statutory Line", and demanded British Railways reinstate services. On 7 August 1956, British Railways reopened the line,<ref name=Holland/> with trains stopping at stations mentioned in the acts. British Railways took the case to the House of Commons in 1957, resulting in a public inquiry.<ref name=awdry/><ref name=Holland/> British Railways were censured, but later the Transport Commission persuaded Parliament to repeal the special section of the act. By this means the line was finally closed down on 17 March 1958.<ref name=awdry/><ref name=Holland/>