As business owners living and working in Cranleigh, the largest village in the country, we are often asked why there is no railway station here.
50 years ago this week, Dr Richard Beeching recommended the closure of the Cranleigh Line; the short railway line which connected Horsham in West Sussex to Guildford in Surrey.
It eventually closed in June 1965, only four months before its centenary.
This 50 year anniversary of the decision to close the line is naturally reigniting debate about whether the Cranleigh Line should be reopened in the future.
Several studies in recent years have made the case for reinstating a railway line between Cranleigh and Guildford. We can appreciate both sides of the argument.
Local opinion on this subject tends to be polarised depending on whether you are a car driver or bus passenger, a commuter or work locally.
Starting with the positives, a railway line between Cranleigh and Guildford would help ease congestion on the roads.
The A281 through Bramley and Shalford in particular becomes gridlocked each day during rush hour. Attempting to drive into the centre of Guildford itself requires a Herculean effort at the wrong time of the day.
If a reinstated Cranleigh line managed to take 3,000 vehicles a week off the roads, as some previous studies have suggested, this would have a big impact.
As the population of Cranleigh and surrounding villages continues to grow, with several big property schemes earmarked for development over the next decade, the existing road infrastructure will continue to struggle to support the growth in traffic.
The negatives are also quite clear to understand.
Some of the previous feasibility studies suggest that bus users rather than car drivers would, in the main, switch to rail. This could lead to the closure of already struggling local bus services on which many elderly residents rely.
A new railway line would result in the loss of the beautiful Downs Link between Cranleigh and Guildford.
This important long-distance path is well used by walkers, cyclists and horse riders. It’s a regular route of mine as I train for the London Marathon, providing a relatively level 19 mile long, slow run!
Residents living close to the Downs Link would also be upset by the reappearance of a railway line at the end of their gardens.
An easier route from Cranleigh to Guildford might also take custom away from local, independent retailers.
Despite these negatives, overall I would support the reinstatement of the Cranleigh Line.
Capital expenditure on infrastructure projects such as these could have a major boost to the economy.
The rising cost of petrol combined with a growing population would make a new railway line more economically viable in time.
Losing the Downs Link from Cranleigh to Guildford would be a shame, although we would of course retain the more scenic route from Cranleigh to the South Downs.
When Beeching recommended the closure of the Cranleigh Line in 1963, it was a short-sighted decision which has undoubtedly shaped the nature of the village over the past 50 years.
Better accessibility and easier connections to London would make restoring the Cranleigh Line something we could support.
Photo credit: Flickr/sweenpole2001
