Bexhill Town Profile - Rother District Council

the road to reduce congestion and shorten journey times but few have come
to fruition.
Figure 4: East Sussex Showing Transport Links Between Main Settlements
2.16 The east-west trunk road is the A259 with the A27 which connects Kent with
West Sussex. Like the A21, journey times can be lengthy, and congestion is
often a factor cited as disincentive to inward investors. Journey times along
the A259/A27 can also be lengthy and congestion can be a frequent
occurrence, especially between Bexhill and Hastings.
Rail
2.17 Bexhill is connected by the East Coastway rail line which runs along the
South East connecting Ashford with Brighton. The Charing Cross line from
Hastings to London is also a main connection route up to London.
Unfortunately, rail links are not particularly effective. The indirect service and
lengthy journey times are often cited as constraining economic development
and is part of a wider issue of connectivity in the district. Future infrastructure
investment is likely to be limited. Between Bexhill and Ashford, the line is
restricted to diesel trains which are noisy, inefficient and slower than modern
electric trains. Environmental constraints and high costs prohibited upgrading
the track to electric. The Thameslink upgrade programme in London has also
resulted in a knock-on effect on services between London and Hastings. The
upgraded rolling stock scheduled to be employed in the Thameslink
programme cannot operate between Tunbridge Wells and Hastings because
of infrastructure constraints.
11