The route between Robertsbridge(Northbridge Street) and Bodiam (Junction Road) Bodiam will cross Northbridge Street ,the main A21 (Robertsbridge -by-pass) and the A229 at Junction Road.
The trackbed has been sold off to local land owners and one of the farmers I understand is not only wholly against the rebuilding of the railway but has removed a section of embankment.
The two easy sections between Robertsbridge -Northbridge Street and Junction Road- Bodiam have been laid with track.
The line is in a flood plain making construction more difficult.
I would suggest many,many years equals 20 years before the line is open.
To compare it with the Welsh Highland Railway is nonsence because most of the 25 mile trackbed was owned by the society except for some short sections.
I'd suggest you are being unduly pessimistic,
We have considerable experience of rebuilding railways in a flood plain. During the extension to Bodiam the existing formation was levelled and rebuilt to a high standard, the bridge at Mill Ditch was removed. The farmer between Bodiam and Junction Road had also removed the embankment through 2 large fields but we rebuilt this over about 6 months.
On the section between Junction Road and the Clappers (the original A21) as you say the formation has been removed by one farmer for a length of 5 fields. This is about a third of the remaining section but is straightforward and is only about twice the length of the section we have rebuilt between Bodiam and junction Road. There is also a bridge that needs rebuilding over the River Rother near to the Clappers but we have bought the steel work for this from network rail and it is on the site at Robertsbridge, this would be no more difficult than the 5 bridges rebuilt between Robertsbridge and the clappers. The remaining Rother bridge is in good condition.
The section would as you say require 3 level crossings the plan is that all these will have full lifting barriers. The Dft have (since the plan to dual the A21 south of lamberhust was dropped) no objection in principle to such a crossing on the A21. it is now within a 40 mph road speed limit and it is anticipated in the normal course of events it would be closed around 14 times a day for about 1 1/2 mins. The A229 was diverted away from Junction Road over 40 years ago, its now the B2244 and lightly trafficked. East Sussex County council the traffic authority for this and the clappers support the plan in principle, they are anyway looking at either traffic calming or alternate way traffic lights on the Junction Road Rother bridge which is north of the proposed crossing and narrow. The K&ESR of course has nearly 40 years experience of operating A class road level crossings.
All the above can be confirmed on Google Maps. The unknown I would suggest is the time for the T& W order and possible public enquiry.
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Any idea when 6619 will be moving down from Embsay?
I think it's awaiting the arrangement of transport, I understand that we will be hiring one of our locos to the Embsay railway for the remainder of the season so we don't leave them short, possibly USA No 65