145-512: The Brighton Main Line is a railway line in southern England linking London to Brighton . It starts at two termini in the capital, London Victoria and London Bridge , and the branches from each meet at East Croydon , from where the route continues southwards via Gatwick Airport to the coast. The line serves the suburbs of South London , as well as the towns of Redhill , Horley , Crawley , Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill . The distance from
290-526: A temperate climate: its Köppen climate classification is Cfb . It is characterised by cool summers and cool winters with frequent cloudy and rainy periods. Average rainfall levels increase as the land rises: the 1958–1990 mean was 740 mm (29 in) on the seafront and about 1,000 mm (39 in) at the top of the South Downs above Brighton. Storms caused serious damage in 1703 , 1806, 1824, 1836, 1848, 1850, 1896, 1910 and 1987 . Heavy snow
435-663: A common Old English name associated with villages elsewhere in England. The tūn element is common in Sussex, especially on the coast, although it occurs infrequently in combination with a personal name. An alternative etymology taken from the Old English words for "stony valley" is sometimes given but has less acceptance. Brighthelm gives its name to, among other things, a church, a pub in Brighton, some halls of residence at
580-664: A health resort for sea bathing as a purported cure for illnesses. In the Georgian era , Brighton developed as a highly fashionable seaside resort, encouraged by the patronage of the Prince Regent, later King George IV , who spent much time in the town and constructed the Royal Pavilion in the Regency era . Brighton continued to grow as a major centre of tourism following the arrival of the railways in 1841, becoming
725-472: A mix of businesses dominated by cafés, bars, theatres, and over 400 shops independent and avant-garde shops including an erotic shop and indoor flea markets. The Lanes which is characterised by a labyrinth of narrow alleyways form a retail, leisure and residential area near the seafront, following the street pattern of the original fishing village. The Lanes contain predominantly clothing stores, jewellers, antique shops, restaurants and pubs. Churchill Square
870-728: A popular destination for day-trippers from London. Many of the major attractions were built in the Victorian era , including the Grand Hotel , the Hilton Brighton Metropole , the Palace Pier and the West Pier . The town continued to grow into the 20th century, expanding to incorporate more areas into the town's boundaries before joining Hove to form the unitary authority of Brighton and Hove in 1997, which
1015-491: A pun on Smith's description, became popular when the Brighton trunk murders came to the public's attention in the 1930s. The mid-19th-century nickname "School Town" referred to the remarkable number of boarding, charity and church schools in the town at the time. The first settlement in the Brighton area was Whitehawk Camp , a Neolithic encampment on Whitehawk Hill which has been dated to between 3500 BC and 2700 BC. It
1160-476: A rake of Mark 4f coaches and a Class 414 (2-HAP) driver motor brake unit. The journey was timetabled to take 30 minutes and seven trainsets were required to operate the service. In the first seven months of the service, the number of passengers travelling by rail to Gatwick Airport went up by 38% and revenue on the route increased by 52%. Responsibility for running the Gatwick Express was transferred to
1305-442: A special train, the unobstructed Slow lines having been re-energised for electric trains at 10:45 after an initial complete isolation of the conductor rails in the area. During the day the damaged trains were made fit to move and hauled into sidings so that, there being no damage to the track or signalling equipment, normal working was resumed at 16:12. The West End of London and Crystal Palace Railway opened an engine shed off what
1450-423: A two-track bypass of this section of line. The new line, which included two new tunnels and extensive cuttings, was authorised by parliament on 20 July 1894. A second act, permitting minor changes to the route, was given royal assent on 20 July 1896. The Quarry Line, as the bypass became known, opened to freight services on 5 November 1899 and to passenger trains on 1 April the following year. Five stations opened on
1595-621: Is 70 mph (110 km/h) on the fast lines and 60 mph (97 km/h) on the slow lines. Signalling is controlled from Three Bridges rail operating centre . The Brighton Main Line between Windmill Bridge Junction and Balcombe Tunnel Junction is 21 mi 26 ch (34.3 km) long and has twelve stations in total. Gatwick Airport station is managed by Gatwick Express, but the other stations are managed by Southern. Gatwick Airport has seven operational platforms, East Croydon and Purley have six, South Croydon and Three Bridges have five, Purley Oaks , Redhill and Horley have four, and
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#17327721826401740-719: Is 70 mph (110 km/h) on the fast lines and 60 mph (97 km/h) on the slow lines. Signalling is controlled from Three Bridges rail operating centre . The London Bridge to Windmill Bridge Junction section of the Brighton Main Line is 9 mi 61 ch (15.7 km) in length and has nine stations in total. London Bridge station is managed by Network Rail and has 15 platforms. All other stations ( New Cross Gate , Brockley , Honor Oak Park , Forest Hill , Sydenham , Penge West , Anerley and Selhurst ) are managed by London Overground. Both New Cross Gate and Norwood Junction have five operational platforms, but
1885-567: Is 90 mph (140 km/h). There are four tunnels on this section of the line: Balcombe tunnel is 1,141 yd (1,043 m) long; Haywards Heath Tunnel is 249 yd (228 m) long; Clayton Tunnel , at the summit of the line, is 1 mi 499 yd (2.066 km) long; Patcham Tunnel is 1 mi 492 yd (2.059 km) long. There are two viaducts on this part of the Brighton Main Line: The 22 ch (1,500 ft; 440 m) Ouse Valley Viaduct crosses
2030-422: Is a shopping centre with a floor space of 470,000 sq ft (44,000 m ) and over 80 shops, several restaurants and 1,600 car-parking spaces. It was built in the 1960s as an open-air, multi-level pedestrianised shopping centre, but was rebuilt and enlarged in 1998 and is no longer open-air. Further retail areas include Western Road and London Road, the latter of which is undergoing extensive regeneration in
2175-635: Is around 50 mi (80 km) and the line is electrified using the 750 V DC third-rail system. The London Victoria to Windmill Bridge Junction section of the Brighton Main Line is 10 mi 2 ch (16.1 km) in length and has nine stations in total. Victoria and Clapham Junction stations are managed by Network Rail and have 19 and 17 operational platforms respectively. The other stations ( Battersea Park , Wandsworth Common , Balham , Streatham Common , Norbury , Thornton Heath and Selhurst ) are managed by Southern and have four operational platforms each. Train services that use this section of
2320-462: Is made completely from wood and ceased to be used from December 2012. Platform 1 has had its tracks removed. Platform 2 (the former up South London line platform) is used by the limited London Overground services that serve the station; it is now a terminal platform since the adjacent Platform 3 was extended over the former junction between the South London and main lines in 2014. Platform 5, on
2465-668: Is more concentrated in some areas. The highest concentration is in the Whitehawk, Moulsecoomb, and Hollingbury areas but is also found around the St. James's Street and Eastern Road areas. A 2015 government statistic showed that the area around Brighton's Palace Pier roundabout and to the east towards St James's Street in Kemptown is the seventh-worst living environment in England. On 19 January 2017, Brighton council announced they were looking at certain initiatives to try to alleviate some of
2610-475: Is now Prince of Wales Drive on 29 March 1858. It closed in 1877. The London Brighton and South Coast Railway built a roundhouse a few yards north of the station on the lower level in 1869, extended with a second adjoining roundhouse in 1870 and a third in 1889. It closed 15 July 1934, but remained in use as a road transport depot until demolished in 1986. London Buses routes 44 , 137 , 156 , 211 , 344 , 436 , 452 and night routes N44 and N137 serve
2755-510: Is one of six causewayed enclosures in Sussex. Archaeologists have only partially explored it, but have found numerous burial mounds , tools and bones, suggesting it was a place of some importance. There was also a Bronze Age settlement at Coldean . Brythonic Celts arrived in Britain in the 7th century BC, and an important Brythonic settlement existed at Hollingbury Castle on Hollingbury Hill. This Celtic Iron Age encampment dates from
2900-433: Is one of the largest such facilities in Brighton; in its early days about 6,000 people were employed, principally in industrial jobs, but in the late 20th and early 21st centuries its focus has switched to commercial and retail development, limiting Brighton's potential for industrial growth. Brighton Corporation laid out the estate on 18 acres (7.3 ha) of land around Crowhurst Road in 1950. By 1956, large-scale employment
3045-588: Is rare, but particularly severe falls were recorded in 1881 and 1967. At the time of the Domesday survey in 1086, Brighton was in the Rape of Lewes and the Hundred of Welesmere. The new Hundred of Whalesbone, which covered the parishes of Brighton, West Blatchington , Preston and Hove , was formed in 1296. Parishes moved in and out several times, and by 1801 only Brighton and West Blatchington were included in
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#17327721826403190-504: Is still not in commercial use: it houses some administrative departments of the University of Brighton . It was Brighton's first ultramodern commercial property and was intended for mixed commercial and industrial use, but its completion coincided with a slump in demand for high-tech premises. Brighton is well known for its high number of independent shops, which add to the character of the city. Walking from Brighton station towards
3335-408: Is still widely used, and "Old Ocean's Bauble". Novelist William Makepeace Thackeray referred to "Doctor Brighton", calling the town "one of the best of Physicians". "London-by-the-Sea" is well-known, reflecting Brighton's popularity with Londoners as a day-trip resort, a commuter dormitory and a desirable destination for those wanting to move out of the metropolis. "The Queen of Slaughtering Places",
3480-460: Is the largest area, has an estimated resident population of 277,965 residents. It is ranked the 59th most populous district in England. Compared to the national average, Brighton has fewer children and old residents but a large proportion of adults aged 20–44. Brighton has long had an LGBT-friendly history . In a 2014 estimate, 11–15 per cent of the city's population aged 16 or over is thought to be lesbian, gay or bisexual. The city also had
3625-770: The InterCity sector of British Rail in April of the following year. A service from Reading to Gatwick via Guildford and Redhill, later branded the North Downs Line , was introduced in May 1980. A third new route launched by Network SouthEast was the Bedford –Brighton Thameslink service via the Snow Hill tunnel under central London, which began on 16 May 1988. Two major stations on the Brighton Main Line were rebuilt in
3770-535: The London and Greenwich Railway (L&GR) around 1.75 mi (2.82 km) east of London Bridge station and the L&;CR would have running powers into the terminus. Passenger trains began running on the L&GR between Deptford and its temporary London terminus at Spa Road on 8 February 1835. London Bridge station, the first permanent terminus in the capital, opened on 14 December the following year. The L&CR
3915-628: The River Ouse on 37 brick arches and the shorter Vale Viaduct is 3.5 ch (230 ft; 70 m) long. The first part of the Brighton Main Line to be constructed was the section between London Bridge and Croydon. It was proposed in 1834 by the London and Croydon Railway (L&CR) company. Much of the route, surveyed by Joseph Gibbs , followed the course of the Croydon Canal , the southern terminus of which would be used for Croydon station (now West Croydon ). The line would diverge from
4060-526: The River Thames , opening Victoria station on 1 October that year. Although LB&SCR trains could access Victoria station via Crystal Palace, John Rastrick advised that a shorter route to the West End of London would be "most desirable". The company therefore decided to build a "cut-off" line between Croydon and Balham via Streatham Common. The proposal was authorised by parliament on 3 July 1860 and
4205-458: The Royal Pavilion showing "quite a pool of water across the Steyne". Despite 16th-century writer Andrew Boorde 's claim that "Bryght-Hempston [is] among the noble ports and havens of the realm", Brighton never developed as a significant port: rather, it was considered as part of Shoreham . Nevertheless, the descriptions "Port of Brighthelmston" or "Port of Brighton" were sometimes used between
4350-549: The Shadow Strategic Rail Authority decided to re-tender the franchise in 2000. In October that year, the competition was won by Govia , which took over the running of trains in August 2001, having bought out the final two years of Connex's contract for £30M. Govia's ten-year franchise formally began in May 2003, when it introduced the "Southern" brand name. The agreement required the company to retire
4495-544: The South London Line and the Brighton Main Line (although the physical connection between the lines has been removed), 1 mile 23 chains (2.1 km) measured from London Victoria . It is close to Battersea Park , and not far from Battersea Power Station . It is also a short walking distance from Queenstown Road station. The station now has an out of station interchange (OSI) with
Brighton Main Line - Misplaced Pages Continue
4640-660: The Transport Act 1947 , the Brighton Main Line became part of the Southern Region of British Railways . During the 1950s, work continued to modernise the signalling system, which included the installation of colour lights between Selhurst and East Croydon in March 1954. In the same decade, the number of signal boxes on the line was reduced and new boxes were commissioned at Balham, Norwood Junction, Gloucester Road Junction and Purley. The South Terminal at Gatwick Airport
4785-541: The University of Sussex . Writing in 1950, historian Antony Dale noted that unnamed antiquaries had suggested an Old English word "brist" or "briz", meaning "divided", could have contributed the first part of the historic name Brighthelmstone. The town was originally split in half by the Wellesbourne , a winterbourne which was culverted and buried in the 18th century. Brighton has several nicknames. Poet Horace Smith called it "The Queen of Watering Places", which
4930-672: The Wellesbourne (or Whalesbone), which flowed from the South Downs above Patcham . This emptied into the English Channel at the beach near the East Cliff, forming "the natural drainage point for Brighton". Behind the estuary was a stagnant pond called the Pool or Poole, so named since the medieval era. This was built over with houses and shops from 1793, when the Wellesbourne was culverted to prevent flooding, and only
5075-608: The West End of London and Crystal Palace Railway in 1848. The Brighton Main Line was completed in December 1862, when the LB&;SCR opened the direct route between Croydon and Victoria via Thornton Heath . The Brighton Main Line is electrified using the 750 V DC third-rail system and the majority of the route has four tracks. There are seven tunnels, including two on the Quarry Line, which allows express services to bypass
5220-594: The West Pier (1866), and the Palace Pier (1899). Prior to either of these structures, the famous Royal Suspension Chain Pier was built, to the designs of Captain Samuel Brown. It lasted from 1823 to 1896 and is featured in paintings by both Turner and Constable . Due to the boundary changes, the land area of Brighton expanded from 1,640 acres (7 km ) in 1854 to 14,347 acres (58 km ) in 1952. New housing estates were established in
5365-612: The "unofficial gay capital of the UK" and as of the 2021 census, 10.7% of the population of Brighton and Hove over the age of 18 identify as gay, lesbian or bisexual, the highest percentage in the entire UK. Brighton has been called the UK's " hippest city" and "the happiest place to live in the UK". The earliest attestation of Brighton's name is Bristelmestune , recorded in the Domesday Book . Although more than 40 variations have been documented, Brighthelmstone (or Brighthelmston )
5510-410: The 14th and 19th centuries, as for example in 1766 when its notional limits were defined for customs purposes. The East Cliff runs for several miles from Pool Valley towards Rottingdean and Saltdean , reaching 24 m (80 ft) above sea level. The soil beneath it, a mixture of alluvium and clay with some flint and chalk rubble , has experienced erosion for many years. The cliff itself, like
5655-441: The 18th century. It is home to several major companies, some of which employ thousands of people locally; as a retail centre it is of regional importance; creative, digital and new media businesses are increasingly significant; and, although Brighton was never a major industrial centre, its railway works contributed to Britain's rail industry in the 19th and 20th centuries, particularly in the manufacture of steam locomotives. Since
5800-487: The 1990s has been referred to as "Silicon Beach". By 2007, over 250 new media business had been founded in Brighton. Brandwatch is a social media monitoring company based in offices near Brighton station. Computer game design company Black Rock Studio was founded in 1998 and was taken over by Disney Interactive Studios , who closed it down in 2011. The Gamer Network, whose portfolio of websites relating to computer gaming (including Eurogamer ) and creative industries
5945-399: The 1990s, as Brighton regained the fashionable status it held in the 18th and 19th centuries. In 1997, the town of Brighton and its neighbouring town Hove were joined to form the unitary authority of Brighton and Hove , which was granted city status by Queen Elizabeth II as part of the millennium celebrations in 2000. As of 2017 , the Brighton and Hove district, of which Brighton
Brighton Main Line - Misplaced Pages Continue
6090-439: The 1990s. Two large headquarters buildings were vacated in quick succession when British Bookshops left in March 2011 and The Argus newspaper moved out of its headquarters in 2012—although the Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company signed a contract to move its 1,250 employees into the latter building. Brighton has a high density of businesses involved in the media sector, particularly digital or " new media ", and since
6235-685: The 1st century AD, the Romans built a number of villas in Brighton and Romano-British Brythonic Celts formed farming settlements in the area. After the Romans left in the early 4th century AD, the Brighton area returned to the control of the native Celts. Anglo-Saxons then invaded in the late 5th century AD, and the region became part of the Kingdom of Sussex , founded in 477 AD by king Ælle . Anthony Seldon identified five phases of development in pre-20th century Brighton. The village of Bristelmestune
6380-431: The 3rd or 2nd century BC and is circumscribed by substantial earthwork outer walls with a diameter of c. 1,000 ft (300 m). Cissbury Ring , roughly 10 mi (16 km) from Hollingbury, is suggested to have been the tribal "capital". Later, there was a Roman villa at Preston Village , a Roman road from London ran nearby, and much physical evidence of Roman occupation has been discovered locally. From
6525-434: The Brighton Main Line are: With the exception of the line between Victoria and Battersea Park, this part of the Brighton Main Line has four parallel tracks. The fast lines for longer-distance express services are on the western side of the formation and the slow lines are to the east. In general fast services stop at Victoria and Clapham Junction and do not make scheduled calls at the other stations. The maximum permitted speed
6670-473: The Brighton Main Line in December 2011. The South Central franchise was terminated two years early in 2014, allowing Southern- and Gatwick Express-branded services to be combined with those run by First Capital Connect, to create the Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern franchise . Awarded to Govia, the new franchise took the form of a management contract , reducing the risks to the operator arising from
6815-505: The Brighton Main Line in the 1870s and 1880s. Brockley opened on 6 March 1871 to serve a new area of residential development. Norbury was built on a speculative basis, with one third of the cost being contributed by developers, and opened on 1 January 1878. Similarly, the cost of Honor Oak Park station, which opened on 1 April 1886, was also part-paid by developers. On 1 August that year Wivelsfield opened and trains began calling at Coulsdon South on 1 October 1889. The final station to be built on
6960-439: The Brighton Main Line to be built was the section from London Bridge to Croydon, which was opened by the London and Croydon Railway (L&CR) in 1839. Two years later, a separate company, the London and Brighton Railway (L&BR), extended the line to the south coast. In 1846, the L&CR and the L&BR merged to form the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR), which began to run trains to London Victoria via
7105-408: The Brighton Main Line to be electrified, were the approaches to London Bridge and Victoria stations. The chosen system used overhead wires, energised to 6,700 V AC, and multiple units equipped with pantographs for current collection. The new infrastructure allowed electric trains to start running between the two termini via the South London Line on 1 December 1909. On 12 May 1911, the electrification
7250-509: The Brighton Main Line. Brighton Brighton ( / ˈ b r aɪ t ən / BRY -tən ) is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the city of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex , England. It is located 47 miles (76 km) south of London . Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age , Roman and Anglo-Saxon periods. The ancient settlement of "Brighthelmstone"
7395-541: The Brighton Main Line. Haywards Heath has four platforms and Preston Park has three. The other four stations ( Balcombe , Wivelsfield , Burgess Hill and Hassocks ) have two operational platforms each. Train services that use this section of the Brighton Main Line are: Between Balcombe Tunnel Junction and Brighton, the Brighton Main Line generally has two tracks, signalled for bi-directional working. There are short three- and four-track sections at Preston Park and Haywards Heath stations respectively. The maximum line speed
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#17327721826407540-577: The Brighton Town Commissioners (of which he was a member). Brighton Corporation spent £40,000 to extend it in 1897–99 to the Classical design of Brighton Borough Surveyor Francis May. Despite this, the building was too small for municipal requirements by the mid-20th century, and extra council buildings were built in locations throughout Brighton Borough Council's existence: the most recent, Bartholomew House and Priory House next to
7685-480: The Hundred. In its original form, Brighton parish covered about 1,640 acres (660 ha) between the English Channel, Hove, Preston, Ovingdean and Rottingdean . The borough (but not the civil parish) was first extended from 31 October 1873, when 905 acres (366 ha) was annexed from Preston civil parish. In 1894 the part outside the borough became Preston Rural civil parish and Preston civil parish continued in
7830-547: The London termini to Brighton is around 50 mi (80 km) and the fastest end-to-end journey time is about an hour. A variety of passenger services runs on the line, including limited-stop airport expresses, semi-fast regional and outer-suburban trains, and shorter-distance commuter services. These are operated by Govia Thameslink Railway ( Gatwick Express , Southern and Thameslink ), Transport for London ( London Overground ) and Great Western Railway . The first part of
7975-496: The Old Town (the present Lanes area) were well developed and the town grew quickly: the population rose from c. 1,500 in 1600 to c. 4,000 in the 1640s. By that time Brighton was Sussex's most populous and important town. Over the next few decades, though, events severely affected its local and national standing, such that by 1730 "it was a forlorn town decidedly down on its luck". More foreign attacks, storms (especially
8120-483: The Quarry Line, which provides a bypass route to avoid the junctions at Redhill. There are changes in track mileage on both the fast and slow lines to the south of Redhill. The maximum speed on this section of the Brighton Main Line is 90 mph (140 km/h). The Brighton Main Line passes in tunnel beneath the North Downs . The slow lines run through the 1 mi 71 yd (1.674 km) Merstham Tunnel and
8265-658: The SER opened on 26 May 1842. In 1839, anticipating that disputes might arise over the use of the line north of Redhill, parliament instructed the L&BR to sell the Coulsdon–Redhill section to the SER. A price of £340,000 was agreed and the transfer of ownership took place in July 1845. On 27 July 1846, parliamentary authority was granted to merge the L&CR and L&BR to form the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR). A branch line from Sydenham to Crystal Palace
8410-489: The Second World War, the Brighton Main Line was a target for enemy bombing. Bombs caused damage to the tracks at Norbury on 19 October 1940 and outside Victoria station on 21 December that year. Both London termini were damaged in a raid on 11 May 1941 and a V-1 flying bomb caused extensive damage to the station offices at Victoria on 12 June 1944. Further bomb damage occurred at Forest Hill on 23 June 1944. Under
8555-571: The UK's most "Godless" city. The largest religion is Christianity , with 43 per cent reporting an affiliation. The second-largest religion is Islam , with 2.2 per cent, which is lower than the national average. As part of the Jedi census phenomenon in 2001, 2.6 per cent claimed their religion was 'Jedi Knight', the largest percentage in the country. In December 2021, new data released by Shelter , revealed that "one in 78 people in Brighton and Hove are homeless". The report also records
8700-414: The acquired areas, including Moulsecoomb , Bevendean , Coldean and Whitehawk . The major expansion of 1928 also incorporated the villages of Patcham , Ovingdean and Rottingdean , and much council housing was built in parts of Woodingdean after the Second World War. By the 1970s, the town had acquired a reputation as a retirement destination, with an elderly population. However, this was reversed in
8845-579: The amalgamation of Brighton and Hove, economic and retail data has been produced at a citywide level only. Examples of statistics include: Brighton and Hove's tourism industry contributes £380m to the economy and employs 20,000 people directly or indirectly; the city has 9,600 registered companies; and a 2001 report identified it as one of five "supercities for the future". In the past couple of years tourists to Brighton and Hove have fallen in numbers. Over 2016, day visitors to Brighton and Hove dropped by an average of 2,400 per day. In August 2017, new figures for
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#17327721826408990-416: The areas added to the borough became part of Brighton civil parish. From 1 April 1952, more of Falmer and part of the adjacent Stanmer parish were added; 20 years later, land and marine territory associated with the new Brighton Marina development also became part of Brighton. Except for a small addition of rural land in 1993 (from Pyecombe parish), Brighton Borough's boundaries remained the same until it
9135-469: The beach at the bottom of the valley, which was partly protected from erosion by an underwater sandbar . Changes in sea level affected the foreshore several times: 40 acres (16 ha) disappeared in the first half of the 14th century, and the Great Storm of 1703 caused widespread destruction. The first sea defences were erected in 1723, and a century later a long sea wall was built. Brighton has
9280-499: The borough from Patcham parish in 1923 for the construction of the Moulsecoomb estate, and in 1928 the ward was divided into four: Hollingbury, Moulsecoomb, Preston and Preston Park. Elm Grove and Patcham wards were created at the same time, bringing the total to 19. There were further changes in 1952, 1955 and 1983, at which time there were 16 wards. This situation continued until 1 April 1997, when Hove and its wards became part of
9425-646: The borough. On 1 April 1889 Brighton became a county borough. On 1 October 1923, 94 acres (38 ha) were added to Brighton borough and to Preston civil parish from Patcham parish: Brighton Corporation was developing the Moulsecoomb estate there at the time. On 1 April 1928, Brighton civil parish was extended to include Preston civil parish. On the same date the borough grew by nearly five times by adding Ovingdean and Rottingdean parishes in their entirety and parts of Falmer , Patcham and West Blatchington; it also exchanged small parts with Hove municipal borough. All
9570-663: The cause of protests since 2004. The premises were significantly damaged in January 2009 when protesters broke in. In 1985, the Borough Council described three "myths" about Brighton's economy. Common beliefs were that most of the working population commuted to London every day; that tourism provided most of Brighton's jobs and income; or that the borough's residents were "composed entirely of wealthy theatricals and retired business people" rather than workers. Brighton has been an important centre for commerce and employment since
9715-465: The city as having the third highest rate of homelessness in England, with London claiming the top spot followed by Luton . In a previous charity report issued in November 2016, three areas in Brighton & Hove, East Brighton, Queen's Park, and Moulsecoomb & Bevendean ranked in the top ten per cent nationally for deprivation. Although deprivation in Brighton is distributed across the city, it
9860-646: The city of Brighton and Hove, of which 12 are in Brighton. Regency, St Peter's & North Laine, Preston Park, Withdean, Patcham, Hollingdean & Stanmer and Hanover & Elm Grove are part of the Brighton Pavilion constituency; Moulsecoomb & Bevendean, Queen's Park, East Brighton, Woodingdean and Rottingdean Coastal are covered by the Brighton Kemptown constituency. The newly created Borough of Brighton consisted of six wards in 1854: St Nicholas, St Peter, Pier, Park, Pavilion and West. When
10005-537: The company decided that all future electrification projects would use the DC third-rail system and that the existing overhead wire system would be replaced. The conversion of the existing electrified sections was completed in September 1929 and third-rail electrification reached Three Bridges in July 1932. The electrification of the entire line was completed on 1 January 1933, when the section between Three Bridges and Brighton
10150-406: The defunct Croydon, Merstham and Godstone Railway in order to use part of its abandoned trackbed for the new railway. The first construction contracts were let in 1838 and the first track was laid at Hassocks on 4 February the following year. The engineer was John Urpeth Rastrick and the stations were designed by David Mocatta . In total, around 6000 navvies are thought to have worked to build
10295-406: The devastating Great Storm of 1703 ), a declining fishing industry, and the emergence of nearby Shoreham as a significant port caused its economy to suffer. By 1708 other parishes in Sussex were charged rates to alleviate poverty in Brighton, and Daniel Defoe wrote that the expected £8,000 cost of providing sea defences was "more than the whole town was worth". The population declined to 2,000 in
10440-640: The down fast line from Victoria, is rarely used, usually during engineering works or congestion problems in London Victoria with services passing towards Clapham Junction . London Overground has a daily service to Dalston Junction. The station is within short walking distance of Battersea Power Station Underground station , an extension of the Northern line to Battersea Power Station which opened in September 2021. The two stations serves as an out of station interchange . The first station to carry
10585-412: The early 18th century. From the 1730s, Brighton entered its second phase of development—one which brought a rapid improvement in its fortunes. The contemporary fad for drinking and bathing in seawater as a purported cure for illnesses was enthusiastically encouraged by Richard Russell from nearby Lewes . He sent many patients to "take the cure" in the sea at Brighton, published a popular treatise on
10730-414: The early 1990s. A new circular station building at Redhill station, designed by the architecture firm, Troutham & Macasum, was completed towards the end of 1990. East Croydon station, designed by Alan Brookes Associates, opened on 19 August 1992. The Gatwick Express franchise was one of the first parts of the UK rail network to be transferred to a private operator, when National Express began running
10875-428: The engineers Robert Stephenson and Nicholas Cundy preferred longer, but cheaper routes via Dorking and Shoreham-by-Sea . The London and Brighton Railway (L&BR) company, formed to promote Rennie's more direct route, received parliamentary approval for its scheme on 15 July 1837. The line was to leave the L&CR about a mile from its southern terminus, to head southwards towards Brighton. The L&BR purchased
11020-433: The excavation of the cutting at New Cross, meant that an additional £216,000 was required. The route originally surveyed by Gibbs was also modified to ease curves and to reduce the maximum gradient from 1 in 80 to 1 in 100. The official opening ceremony for the L&CR took place on 1 June 1839, although passenger trains for the general public did not start until four days later. Since the area between New Cross and Croydon
11165-449: The fast lines pass through the longer, 1 mi 353 yd (1.932 km) Quarry Tunnel. There is one additional tunnel on the Quarry Line, Redhill Tunnel , which is 649 yd (593 m) long. The section of the Brighton Main Line from Balcombe Tunnel Junction to Brighton is 19 mi 21 ch (31.0 km) long. All seven stations on this section are managed by Southern. Brighton has eight platforms, of which six are connected to
11310-524: The final slam-door trains, achieved in 2005, and to invest £853M in new rolling stock. The Gatwick Express and Southern franchises were merged in May 2008, to allow capacity increases and better use of train paths on the Brighton Main Line. The new arrangement allowed Gatwick Express services to be extended to Brighton, initially during peak periods, but required the replacement of the ten Class 460s with seventeen Class 442 units. The third South Central franchise, awarded again to Govia, began in 2009 and required
11455-586: The first UK City to adopt the Homeless Bill of Rights . The bill was passed by 31 votes to 11, with 7 abstentions. Brighton lies between the South Downs and the English Channel to the north and south, respectively. The Sussex coast forms a wide, shallow bay between the headlands of Selsey Bill and Beachy Head ; Brighton developed near the centre of this bay around a seasonal river ,
11600-463: The form of new housing and commercial properties. There are two weekly flea market / bootfairs in Brighton on Sunday mornings, one at Brighton Marina on the top open-air level of the carpark, and another at Brighton Racecourse . Battersea Park railway station Battersea Park is a suburban railway station in the London Borough of Wandsworth , south London. It is at the junction of
11745-710: The general integrity of the vehicles could be judged by the fact that these were the only external windows broken throughout the two trains. The trains were conveying a large number of passengers, one estimate being as high as 800. In the collision 104 persons suffered injury and were taken to two hospitals by means of ten ambulances, the first of which arrived at 09:58. Most of the injured suffered only cuts and bruises and were discharged after treatment, but eighteen had serious injuries requiring detention in hospital for periods between one and fourteen nights. Twenty other passengers later reported having suffered injury. The uninjured passengers were conveyed forward to Victoria at 10:58 by
11890-423: The highest percentage of same-sex households in the UK in 2004 and the largest number of civil partnership registrations outside London in 2013. Brighton is identified as one of the least religious places in the UK, based upon analysis of the 2011 census which revealed that 42 per cent of the population profess no religion , far higher than the national average of 25 per cent. Brighton has been described as
12035-464: The increasing homelessness seen on Brighton's streets and were hoping to open the first in-house temporary housing for homeless people in the city. Homelessness figures released by Crisis in December 2018 reported a record high in the UK, with figures in Sussex , including Brighton and Hove, reported as being "high". At a meeting of the full B&H Council on 25 March 2021, Brighton and Hove became
12180-407: The intermediate stations have two platforms each, which serve the slow lines only. Train services that use this section of the Brighton Main Line are: The Brighton Main Line between London Bridge and Windmill Bridge Junction has four parallel tracks. The fast lines for longer-distance express services are in the centre of the formation and the slow lines are to the outside. The maximum permitted speed
12325-519: The introduction of new services as part of the Thameslink programme. During the lifetime of the franchise, the Bermondsey dive-under was constructed, reducing the conflict between Southern trains departing from London Bridge and northbound Thameslink services heading towards London Blackfriars, and an extensive refurbishment of London Bridge station was completed. Govia was heavily criticised for
12470-645: The junctions at Redhill station. The most serious accident on the Brighton Main Line occurred in October 1947, when two trains collided in fog near South Croydon station , killing 32 people. The listed structures on the route include the Ouse Valley Viaduct , the north portal of Clayton Tunnel and all three termini. The Brighton Main Line is a railway line in southern England. It links the capital to Brighton and passes through Greater London , Surrey and West Sussex . It serves Gatwick Airport and
12615-489: The line in the 19th century was Purley Oaks, which opened on 5 November 1899. Work to quadruple the Brighton Main Line continued in the first decade of the 20th century. Two additional tracks were brought into use between Streatham Common and Windmill Bridge Junction (north of Croydon) in July 1903. The line between Redhill and Three Bridges was quadrupled in 1907 and from Three Bridges to the southern limit of four-tracking at Balcombe Tunnel Junction in 1911. The first parts of
12760-468: The line: five Sharp, Roberts and Co. and two J. and G. Rennie 2-2-2 engines were used to haul trains and two 0-4-2 locomotives were used as banking engines for the steep climb to New Cross from the junction with the L&GR. In the early 1830s, several different routes for a railway between London and Brighton were proposed. John Rennie the Younger favoured a line via Merstham and Horley, while
12905-405: The name "Battersea Park" was opened by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR) as "Battersea" on 1 October 1860 and was located at the southern end of what is now Grosvenor Bridge. It was named "Battersea Park" on 1 July 1862 but was sometimes called "Battersea Park and Steamboat Pier". It closed on 1 November 1870 concurrently with the opening of Grosvenor Road station situated at
13050-425: The name of the road (Pool Valley, originally Pool Lane) marks its site. One original house survives from the time of the pool's enclosure. Behind Pool Valley is Old Steine (historically The Steyne ), originally a flat and marshy area where fishermen dried their nets. The Wellesbourne occasionally reappears during times of prolonged heavy rain; author Mark Antony Lower referred to an early 19th-century drawing of
13195-549: The new Battersea Power Station tube station on the newly opened Northern line extension to Battersea , part of the London Underground . The station has a polychrome brick Venetian Gothic facade. It is a Grade 2 listed building designed by Charles Henry Driver . Access to the five platforms is via steep wooden staircases. Most services at the station call at Platforms 3 and 4, on the slow lines into Victoria. Platform 1 (the former down South London line platform)
13340-624: The new unitary authority of Brighton and Hove . Brighton Town Hall occupies a large site in the Lanes . Medieval Brighthelmston had a town hall, although it was called the Townhouse and functioned more like a market hall. A later building (1727) known as the Town Hall was principally used as a workhouse . Work on the first purpose-built town hall began in 1830; Thomas Read Kemp laid the first stone, and Thomas Cooper designed it on behalf of
13485-646: The new double-track line opened on 1 December 1862 with intermediate stations at Thornton Heath and Streatham Common. A further act of parliament was passed on 18 July 1864 authorising a link between the Victoria and London Bridge arms of the Brighton Main Line that allowed trains to travel between Norwood Junction and Thornton Heath without a reversal. Selhurst station, on the Victoria arm, opened on 1 May 1865 and South Croydon opened that September. A third track had been laid between New Cross and Croydon in August 1844 for atmospheric trains . This method of train propulsion
13630-416: The north end of Grosvenor Bridge. The LB&SCR opened a high-level line between Pouparts Junction and Battersea Pier Junction on 1 May 1867 as a means of reducing congestion at Stewarts Lane . York Road (Battersea) station opened at this time. The station was renamed Battersea Park and York Road 1 January 1877 and Battersea Park on 1 June 1885. The South London line through the station to London Bridge
13775-725: The operator to increase capacity on its routes by 10% by December 2013. In 2014, 700 more services were running on the South Central network on weekdays than at privatisation in 1996. In May 2010, London Overground began running stopping services on the Norwood Junction–New Cross Gate section of the Brighton Main Line, allowing trains that had previously terminated at London Bridge to run via the East London Line to Dalston Junction . The Thameslink franchise, which included services from Brighton to Bedford,
13920-406: The poor implementation of a new timetable in May 2018, which routed additional services from the Brighton Main Line via the Thameslink core. The company was also criticised for its role in the 2016–2019 United Kingdom railway strikes . In 2022, Govia was awarded a three-year extension to its management contract, which took effect on 1 April that year. There are 13 listed structures associated with
14065-566: The railway. The line, which required five tunnels and a viaduct over the Ouse valley, cost £2.63M (around £57,000 per mile). Completion was delayed due to bad weather during the winter of 1840-41 and the first section, from Croydon to Haywards Heath, did not open until 12 July 1841. The initial timetable included four trains each way on weekdays between the capital and Haywards Heath, with intermediate calls at Red Hill, Horley and Three Bridges (calls were made at other stations on request). The journey time
14210-513: The redevelopment of Battersea Power Station into "The Power Station London", the station is due a complete refurbishment. Most services at Battersea Park are operated by Southern using Class 377 EMUs , with a very limited service operated by London Overground using Class 378 EMUs. London Overground also use Battersea Park for terminating trains if there is an issue at Clapham Junction. The typical off peak service in trains per hour is: Additional services towards Sutton via Norbury call at
14355-466: The remaining stations ( Coulsdon South , Merstham , Earlswood and Salfords ) have two platforms each. Train services that use this section of the Brighton Main Line are: Between Windmill Bridge Junction and South Croydon there are five parallel tracks, but for the remainder of this section there are four parallel tracks. Between Stoats Nest Junction and the south of Redhill station, the fast and slow lines diverge. The fast tracks are generally known as
14500-455: The rest of Brighton's soil, is chalk. Below this are thin layers of Upper and Lower Greensand separated by a thicker band of Gault clay . The land slopes upwards gradually from south to north towards the top of the Downs. Main transport links developed along the floor of the Wellesbourne valley, from which the land climbs steeply—particularly on the east side. The earliest settlement was by
14645-539: The seafront, first, is the North Laine area, stretching from Trafalgar Street, Kensington Gardens, Sydney Street, Gardner Street and Bond Street and is mostly pedestrianised. It is a retail, leisure and the residential area immediately north of the Lanes. Its name derives from the Anglo-Saxon "Laine" meaning "fields", although the misnomer "North Lanes" is often used to describe the area. The North Laine contains
14790-635: The seafront, the boundary runs up Little Western Street (pavement on eastern side, in Brighton), but it is not visible. Northwards from Western Road, it runs to the west of Norfolk Road, Norfolk Terrace, Windlesham Road and Windlesham Gardens in the Montpelier area, then along the south side of Davigdor Road to Seven Dials . From there it runs along the west side of Dyke Road as far as Withdean Road in Withdean , at which point it crosses Dyke Road so that
14935-569: The section north of that is part of Hove parish. The boundary continues to follow Dyke Road towards Devil's Dyke on the South Downs. Brighton is covered by two constituencies in the Parliament of the United Kingdom : Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven and Brighton Pavilion . In the 2024 general election , Brighton Kemptown elected Chris Ward , Labour ; Brighton Pavilion elected Siân Berry , Green Party . There are 21 wards in
15080-420: The sector was rebranded to become Network SouthEast . In the early 1980s, a major resignalling project was undertaken that involved the closure of the majority of the signal boxes on the line and the transfer of control to Victoria and Three Bridges signalling centres. London Bridge panel box, which had opened in 1975, retained control of the line north of Norwood Junction. Remodelling of Windmill Bridge Junction
15225-494: The service was increased to four in 1963. The Class 403 sets were withdrawn on 30 April 1972. The Beehive , the original terminal building at Gatwick Airport , opened in mid-1936. It was served by Tinsley Green station, which had opened in September the previous year and which was renamed Gatwick Airport on 1 June 1936. The station was relocated northwards to its current site at the South Terminal on 27 May 1958. During
15370-446: The station twice per hour during the peak hours. The station is also served by a very limited London Overground service of two trains per day to and one train per day from Dalston Junction via Surrey Quays . On 24 December 1881, a train hauled by LBSC Terrier No.70 Poplar collided with the rear of the 11:35pm from London Bridge owing to a fogman's error. On 2 April 1937, two electric passenger trains collided just south of
15515-573: The station were undertaken in 1935 and 1938. Rail transport of Post Office mail ceased following the opening of the Willesden postal rail hub in 1996. A Pullman dining service between London and Brighton, nicknamed the Brighton Belle , was launched on 29 June 1934. It used five-car 75 mph (121 km/h) capable Class 403 (5-BEL) units, the first all-electric Pullman trains in the world. Initially, three return trips ran each day, but
15660-507: The station; ten people were killed and 17 seriously injured. The signalman at Battersea Park, believing there to be a fault with his equipment, overrode the electrical interlocking and allowed the second train into the occupied section. On 31 May 1985, 1D91 09:20 Gatwick Airport to Victoria Gatwick express formed of Class 489 GLV, Class 488 8301, 8203, 8313, Class 73 73117 collided with 2L51 08:51 East Grinstead to Victoria formed of DEMU Class 205 1113 and Class 207 1309 travelling along
15805-486: The subject, and moved to the town soon afterwards (the Royal Albion , one of Brighton's early hotels, occupies the site of his house). Others were already visiting the town for recreational purposes before Russell became famous, and his actions coincided with other developments which made Brighton more attractive to visitors. From the 1760s it was a boarding point for boats travelling to France; road transport to London
15950-407: The territory was extended to include part of Preston parish in 1873, the new area became a seventh ward named Preston. The seven were split into 14 in 1894: Hanover, Kemp Town (renamed King's Cliff in 1908), Lewes Road, Montpelier, Pavilion, Pier, Preston, Preston Park, Queen's Park, Regency, St John, St Nicholas, St Peter, and West. Preston ward was extended in 1923 to incorporate the area taken into
16095-556: The town hall, were finished in 1987. The town hall ceased to be responsible solely for Brighton's affairs when Brighton and Hove were united in 1997, but it is still used by Brighton & Hove City Council—particularly for weddings and civil partnerships. The presence of a British subsidiary of the United States arms company EDO Corporation on the Home Farm Industrial Estate in Moulsecoomb has been
16240-469: The towns of Redhill , Horley , Crawley , Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill , as well as the South London suburbs. The line starts at two central London termini : the western branch runs from London Victoria while the eastern branch originates at London Bridge . The two branches join at Windmill Bridge Junction, to the north of East Croydon station. The distance from London Victoria to Brighton
16385-604: The trains on 28 April 1996. The company introduced Class 460 units to their services in 1999, although the final locomotive-hauled trains were not withdrawn until 2005. Connex was awarded a seven-year franchise in 1996 to operate passenger trains on the Brighton Main Line as Connex South Central . The company introduced a Gatwick Airport– Rugby service, which ran via the West London Line , and also deployed Class 319 units to Victoria–Brighton express services. Following concerns over Connex's management and performance,
16530-515: The up fast main line from Clapham Junction. Train 1D91 was following 2L51 along the Up Fast line, through Clapham Junction station, at which the latter train had made a scheduled stop and beyond towards Battersea Park. 1D91 had closed sufficiently on 2L51 that the former passed a series of signals displaying a 'single yellow' caution aspect, at which the driver cancelled the AWS warning and continued, as he
16675-537: The use of workers at the nearby Monotype Corporation factory. It continued to operate as a private halt after the war and was not opened to the general public until 1932. Under the Railways Act 1921 , the Brighton Main Line became part of the Southern Railway in 1923. The overhead electrification of the line as far south as Coulsdon North was completed in April 1925, but in August the following year,
16820-618: The year showed Brighton's tourism had fallen by a further 1 per cent on the previous year. Brighton's largest private sector employer is American Express , whose European headquarters are at John Street. As of 2012, about 3,000 people work there. Planning permission to demolish the old Amex offices and build a replacement was granted in 2009, and work started in March 2010. Other major employers include Lloyds Bank , Legal & General , Asda (which has hypermarkets at Hollingbury and Brighton Marina ), Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company and call-centre operator Inkfish. In 2012, it
16965-461: Was electrified on 1 December 1909 'Elevated Electric' overhead system. and to Crystal Palace on 12 May 1911, on the LB&SCR 'Elevated Electric' overhead system. At the end of August 2009, electronic ticket gates were installed. There was some staffing provision but the station has been fully staffed from first to last train as part of the Southern franchise from September 2009. With
17110-413: Was abandoned by the LB&SCR in 1847, but the extra track was retained to provide additional capacity for northbound locomotive-hauled trains. A fourth track, used for southbound services, was added to this section of line by 1854. Between Stoats Nest and Redhill, the Brighton Main Line was owned by the SER. Congestion at the junctions at the south end of Redhill station prompted the LB&SCR to propose
17255-437: Was about 400. By the 14th century there was a parish church , a market and rudimentary law enforcement (the first town constable was elected in 1285). Sacked and burnt by French invaders in the early 16th century—the earliest depiction of Brighton, a painting of c. 1520, shows Admiral Pregent de Bidoux's attack of June 1514—the town recovered strongly based on a thriving mackerel -fishing industry. The grid of streets in
17400-399: Was authorised by act of parliament on 12 June 1835 and a second act, permitting the company to build its own terminus at London Bridge, was given royal assent on 14 July 1836. The line between the capital and Croydon was built by the engineer, William Cubitt , and construction began in 1838. The cost of the line was originally estimated to be around £400,000, but difficulties encountered during
17545-552: Was awarded to Govia in 1997. It was initially due to end in 2004, but delays in the Thameslink 2000 project resulted in the company being awarded a two-year extension to 2006. The new franchise, also incorporating services on the Great Northern Route , was awarded to FirstGroup , which began operating trains under the First Capital Connect brand on 1 April 2006. The company introduced 12-car trains to
17690-454: Was built to Bricklayers Arms and opened on 1 May that year. The South Eastern Railway (SER) company was formed to promote a railway from London to Dover . Under the terms of the act of parliament passed on 21 June 1836, the company was empowered to build a line that left the L&CR at Penge, but the following year, parliament permitted the company to instead form a connection to the L&BR at Redhill. The Redhill to Tonbridge section of
17835-418: Was closed two years later. A station was opened at Stoats Nest (later Coulsdon North) in the spring of 1842 to cater for racegoers at Epsom . Work to widen the shared section of the L&GR viaduct was completed on 10 May that year. The new L&CR London Bridge station, designed by Henry Roberts , opened in 1844. Since the new terminus was not designed to handle freight, a spur line primarily for goods trains
17980-455: Was commissioned. A major resignalling project on the southern part of the Brighton Main Line was undertaken in 1932. Colour light signalling was commissioned between Coulsdon North and Balcombe Tunnel Junction on 4 June 1932. Six signal boxes were closed and control of this section of line was transferred to Three Bridges. In October 1932, colour light signalling was commissioned between Balcombe Tunnel Junction and Brighton. Haywards Heath station
18125-505: Was documented in the Domesday Book (1086). The town's importance grew in the Middle Ages as the Old Town developed, but it languished in the early modern period , affected by foreign attacks, storms, a suffering economy and a declining population. Brighton began to attract more visitors following improved road transport to London and becoming a boarding point for boats travelling to France . The town also developed in popularity as
18270-455: Was entitled to, at a speed of around 30 mph (48 km/h). Train 2L51 was then stopped for 1–2 minutes at signal VC552 displaying a red aspect. When that signal cleared, 2L51 was accelerating past it when it was struck from behind by 1D91 which had passed the protecting signal, VC564, at Danger. A consensus of evidence suggests that at the moment of collision 2L51 had reached a speed of between 5 and 10 mph (8–16 km/h), whilst 1D91
18415-482: Was extended from Battersea Park to Crystal Palace via Balham and to Norwood Junction and Selhurst on 3 March 1912. During the First World War, the Brighton Main Line was the target of two Zeppelin attacks. The line at the south end of East Croydon station was damaged on 13 October 1915 and Streatham Common station was hit by a bomb in September 1916. Salfords station was opened on 8 October 1915 initially for
18560-407: Was founded by these Anglo-Saxon invaders, probably in the early Saxon period. They were attracted by the easy access for boats, sheltered areas of raised land for building and better conditions compared to the damp, cold and misty Weald to the north. By the time of the Domesday survey in 1086 it was a fishing and agricultural settlement, a rent of 4,000 herring was established, and its population
18705-541: Was founded in 1999, is based in Brighton. By the early 21st century, the market for office accommodation in the city was characterised by fluctuating demand and a lack of supply of high-quality buildings. As an example, the Trafalgar Place development ( c. 1990), "now considered a prime office location", stood partly empty for a decade. Exion 27 (built in 2001), a high-tech, energy-efficient office development at Hollingbury , remained empty for several years and
18850-428: Was further encouraged by the patronage of the Prince Regent (later King George IV ) after his first visit in 1783. He spent much of his leisure time in the town and constructed the Royal Pavilion during the early part of his Regency . In this period the modern form of the name Brighton came into common use. A permanent military presence was established in the city with the completion of Preston Barracks in 1793. It
18995-441: Was granted city status in 2000. Today, Brighton and Hove district has a resident population of about 277,965 and the wider Brighton and Hove conurbation has a population of 474,485 (2011 census). Brighton's location has made it a popular destination for tourists, renowned for its diverse communities, shopping areas, large and vibrant cultural, music and arts scene, and its large LGBT population , leading to its recognition as
19140-406: Was improved when the main road via Crawley was turnpiked in 1770; and spas and indoor baths were opened by other entrepreneurial physicians such as Sake Dean Mahomed and Anthony Relhan (who also wrote the town's first guidebook). From 1780, the development of the Georgian terraces had started, and the fishing village developed as the fashionable resort of Brighton. The growth of the town
19285-521: Was joined to Hove Borough in 1997 to form the unitary authority of Brighton and Hove. The old boundary between Brighton and Hove is most clearly seen on the seafront, where the King Edward Peace Statue (1912) straddles the border, and in a twitten called Boundary Passage which runs northwards from Western Road to Montpelier Road. There is a Grade II-listed parish boundary marker stone in this passageway. Between Western Road and
19430-643: Was opened on 10 June 1854 by the West End of London and Crystal Palace Railway (WELCPR). The company extended its line to Balham on 1 December 1856 and to Pimlico in March 1858. A west–south spur linking Crystal Palace and Norwood Junction stations was opened in 1857, allowing trains from Brighton to reach the Pimlico terminus. The LB&SCR purchased the WELCPR in 1859. In 1860, the Victoria Station and Pimlico Railway constructed Grosvenor Bridge across
19575-538: Was opened on 9 June 1958. The new terminal was directly linked to a new railway station on the Brighton Main Line, which had opened on 27 May that year. The former airport station, located close to the redundant Beehive terminal, had closed on 18 May 1958. On 4 January 1982, the Brighton Main Line and the majority of the Southern Region of British Railways, became part of the new "London & South Eastern" sector of British Rail. Four years later, on 10 June 1886,
19720-560: Was provided at a bakery, a typewriter factory and a machine tools manufacturer among others. Most of the large factories closed during the recessions of the 1980s and 1990s, employment fell to 1,000, and structural changes started in the mid-1980s with a move towards small-scale industrial units (the Enterprise Estate was finished in October 1985) and then retail warehouses. Asda 's superstore opened in November 1987, MFI followed two years later, and other retail units were built in
19865-404: Was rebuilt in 1830. The population increased rapidly throughout the 19th century from 7,339 in 1801 to 46,661 in 1841, and by 1901 the population had reached more than 120,000. The arrival of the London and Brighton Railway in 1841 brought Brighton within the reach of day-trippers from London. Many of the major attractions were built during the Victorian era , such as the Grand Hotel (1864),
20010-459: Was rebuilt with two island platforms, each with two platform faces able to accommodate 12-car trains. Platforms 3 to 6 at Brighton were also lengthened as part of the same project. Redhill station was substantially rebuilt in 1932 as part of the electrification programme. A new sorting office was opened in the town in 1933, replacing the previous facility which had been built in 1884. Further upgrades to enable larger volumes of mail to be handled at
20155-678: Was reported that about 1,500 of Gatwick Airport 's 21,000 workers lived in the city of Brighton and Hove. Brighton is a popular destination for conferences, exhibitions and trade fairs, and has had a purpose-built conference centre—the Brighton Centre —since 1977. Direct income from the Brighton Centre's 160 events per year is £8 million, and a further £50 million is generated indirectly by visitors spending money during their stay. Events range from political party conferences to concerts. The Hollingbury Industrial Estate
20300-426: Was sparsely populated and largely undeveloped countryside, the majority of passenger journeys on the line were between the two termini. Nevertheless, when the line opened, intermediate stations were provided at New Cross (now New Cross Gate), Dartmouth Arms (now Forest Hill), Sydenham, Penge (now Penge West), Anerley Bridge (now Anerley) and Jolly Sailor (now Norwood Junction). Initially nine steam locomotives operated on
20445-405: Was still travelling at between 25 and 30 mph (40–48 km/h), so that the net collision speed was about 20 mph (32 km/h). After the collision the trains separated and came to rest 20 m (66 ft) apart. There was no derailment but the shock of collision passing down each train caused damage throughout the length of both. Only one vehicle sustained severe structural damage; this
20590-455: Was the leading passenger coach of 1D91, running immediately behind the GLV. This coach sustained a small degree of telescoping at underframe level, and hinging down of its trailing end, so that the saloon floor buckled upwards by about 600 mm (24 in) with consequent displacement of seats in one bay. One window each side was broken when this deformation occurred through the window opening, but
20735-438: Was the standard rendering between the 14th and 18th centuries. "Brighton" was originally an informal shortened form, first seen in 1660; it gradually supplanted the longer name and was in general use from the late 18th century, although Brighthelmstone remained the town's official name until 1810. The name is of Anglo-Saxon origin. Most scholars believe that it derives from Beorthelm + tūn —the homestead of Beorthelm ,
20880-521: Was two hours from London and a coach , taking a further two hours to reach Brighton, was provided for onward travel. The final section of the Brighton Main Line, between Haywards Heath and Brighton, opened on 21 September 1841. The initial service on the whole line was six trains per day in each direction, with most trains taking 2 + 1 ⁄ 4 hours to complete the journey and one non-stop service in each direction taking 1 + 3 ⁄ 4 hours. The station at Merstham opened on 1 December 1841, but
21025-448: Was undertaken, with the creation of an additional flyover to eliminate conflicting movements between trains on the slow lines. The arrangement of the tracks at East Croydon was changed to route all fast services through platforms 1, 2 and 3 on the west side of the station. Gatwick Express services were launched by Network SouthEast on 14 May 1984 using 90 mph (140 km/h) capable Class 73 locomotives in push-pull mode, each hauling
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