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Horsted Keynes railway station is a preserved
The station was closed by British Railways under the 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 
Since being taken over by the Bluebell Railway, the station has become one of the most popular in UK preservation, and has won many awards. It has been restored with a 1930s theme, including period newspaper headlines on boards by the buffet, and advertisements of the period. With five platforms, it is the largest preserved heritage railway station in the UK. Horsted Keynes is the crossing place for services when two trains are operating, and hosts many events each year for steam enthusiasts. It is also the home of the line's Carriage and Wagon department.
Repair and restoration work on the canopy on Platform 5 began in late 2022, as part of the "Jewel in the Crown" project to refurbish the station buildings, financed by a fund-raising campaign which had accumulated £543,000 by the start of 2022.
The Bluebell Railway plans to make the station a junction once again if plans to extend toward
Image:34028_Eddystone_at_Horsted_Keynes_railway_station.jpg, The classic view of the north end of the station, here with 34028 ''Eddystone''.
File:Horsted Keynes railway station.JPG, E4 32473 in the double sided Platforms 4 and 5.
File:Horsted Keynes railway station (1).JPG, The north end after resignalling to allow both lines to the junction beyond the bridge to be used.
File:Std 4 at Horsted Keynes.JPG, The south end of the station featuring the signal box on the right with the junction beyond and carriage works on the left.
Horsted Keynes railway station
on Trainspot {{West Sussex railway stations Heritage railway stations in West Sussex Former London, Brighton and South Coast Railway stations Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1882 Bluebell Railway Grade II listed buildings in West Sussex Thomas Myres buildings
railway station
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a prep ...
on the Bluebell Railway
The Bluebell Railway is an heritage line almost entirely in West Sussex in England, except for Sheffield Park which is in East Sussex. It is managed by the Bluebell Railway Preservation Society. It uses steam trains which operate between an ...
in Sussex. The station has been used as a shooting location in several film and TV productions.
History
The station was closed by British Railways under the 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
The Bluebell Railway is an heritage line almost entirely in West Sussex in England, except for Sheffield Park which is in East Sussex. It is managed by the Bluebell Railway Preservation Society. It uses steam trains which operate between an ...
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 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 from the village of Horsted Keynes
Horsted Keynes is a village and civil parish in the Mid Sussex District of West Sussex, England. The village is about north east of Haywards Heath, in the Weald. The civil parish is largely rural, covering . At the 2011 census, it had a populat ...
itself.
Since being taken over by the Bluebell Railway, the station has become one of the most popular in UK preservation, and has won many awards. It has been restored with a 1930s theme, including period newspaper headlines on boards by the buffet, and advertisements of the period. With five platforms, it is the largest preserved heritage railway station in the UK. Horsted Keynes is the crossing place for services when two trains are operating, and hosts many events each year for steam enthusiasts. It is also the home of the line's Carriage and Wagon department.
Repair and restoration work on the canopy on Platform 5 began in late 2022, as part of the "Jewel in the Crown" project to refurbish the station buildings, financed by a fund-raising campaign which had accumulated £543,000 by the start of 2022.
The Bluebell Railway plans to make the station a junction once again if plans to extend toward Ardingly
Ardingly ( ) is an English village and civil parish in the Mid Sussex district of West Sussex, England. The village is in the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty about south of London and east-north-east of the county town of Chich ...
are realised, creating something rare within UK preservation, a junction station at which both lines are operated by preservationists.
Listed buildings
The main station building, the signal box, and an engine house to the south of the station, are all Grade IIListed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
s. All three were originally built in or shortly after 1882, to the designs of Thomas Myres, the railway company's staff architect.
The railway has been featured in many television series and films, including Downton Abbey
''Downton Abbey'' is a British historical drama television series set in the early 20th century, created and co-written by Julian Fellowes. The series first aired in the United Kingdom on ITV on 26 September 2010 and in the United States o ...
, Poirot and The Woman In Black.
See also
* List of closed railway stations in BritainReferences
External links
Horsted Keynes railway station
on Trainspot {{West Sussex railway stations Heritage railway stations in West Sussex Former London, Brighton and South Coast Railway stations Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1882 Bluebell Railway Grade II listed buildings in West Sussex Thomas Myres buildings