Railway reopening study approved

The railway line in East Sussex has been shut for nearly 40 years

A six-month study into the possible reopening of a disused railway line in East Sussex will begin in September, the county council has confirmed.

The approval for the feasibility work came after Network Rail offered to manage the process.

The route between Lewes and Uckfield was closed in 1969. Trains currently only run north from Uckfield.

Local councils and Southern Railway are part of a board which is contributing to the £140,000 cost of the study.

County councillor Rupert Simmons said: "We have come a long way from the idea of reconnecting this line being a dream, to one of a distinct possibility."

Members of the Wealden Line Campaign group discussed the issue with a government minister in May.

The Department for Transport said at the time that it would be happy to consider the results of any feasibility study.