Horsted Keynes railway station

Horsted Keynes
The station sign and Sharpthorn
Location
Place	Horsted Keynes
Area	Mid Sussex, West Sussex
Grid reference	TQ371292
Operations
Managed by	London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
Owned by	Southern Railway Southern Region of British Railways Bluebell Railway
Platforms	5 (with tracks 1,2,3 and 4/5)
History
1882	Station opened
7 July 1935	Electric trains commence via Ardingly
1962	Commencement of Bluebell Railway services
1963	Cessation of British Railways services
Stations on heritage railways in the United Kingdom
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Bluebell Railway train at Horsted Keynes in 1964

Horsted Keynes railway station is a railway station in Sussex. It was closed by British Railways Beeching Axe on 28 October 1963 with the cessation of trains from Seaford via Haywards Heath (trains over the Lewes to East Grinstead line having ceased in 1958). However, the first Bluebell Railway trains had run on the last day of the 1962 season using the disused eastern side (electrified services only used Platform 2). Between 1960 and 1962 Bluebell Railway services had terminated at Bluebell halt- a temporary station about half mile to the south.

As a junction station it was the busiest station on the line in terms of services but arguably one of the quieter for passengers. The station lies about one and half miles (2 km) from the village of Horsted Keynes.

Since being taken over by the Bluebell the station has become one of the most popular stations in UK preservation, and has won many awards. It has been restored under a 1930s theme with period newspaper headlines on boards by the buffet and adverts of the period. With five platforms it is the largest preserved Heritage Railway station in the UK.^{[citation needed]} It is the crossing place for services when two trains are operating and hosts several events a year for collectors and enthusiasts. It is also the home of the line's Carriage and Wagon department.

There are plans to make this station a junction again if the Bluebell plans to extend toward Ardingly are realised, creating something rare in UK preservation, a junction station where both lines are operated by preservationists. However whether this is opened by the Bluebell itself after their extension to East Grinstead or as a separate third-rail electrified preserved line remains to be seen.

See also

• List of closed railway stations in Britain

Preceding station	Heritage railways			Following station
Sheffield Park		Bluebell Railway		Kingscote
	Disused railways
Sheffield Park		Lewes and East Grinstead Railway London, Brighton and South Coast Railway Southern Railway Southern Region Lewes to East Grinstead line (The Bluebell Line)		West Hoathly
Ardingly		London, Brighton and South Coast Railway Southern Railway Southern Region Haywards Heath to Horsted Keynes line		Terminus

• 

  The classic view of the north end of the station, here with 34028 Eddystone.

• 

  E4 32473 in the double sided Platforms 4 and 5.

• 

  The north end after resignalling to allow both lines to the junction beyond the bridge to be used.

• 

  The south end of the station featuring the signal box on the right with the junction beyond and carriage works on the left.

External links

• Horsted Keynes railway station on Trainspot