Tunbridge Wells West - July 1985

Its driver having returned the single line token to the signalman, an Eridge train cautiously approaches Tunbridge Wells West.

Within a few days, scenes such as this would be history -- and yet more traffic would be forced onto congested local roads.

A survey of 687 users of the route, conducted in November 1982 by the East Sussex Travellers' Association, found that 132 would make all or part of their journeys by car in the event of its closure.

This suggested an annual total of 70,000 extra car journeys on local roads. To make matters worse, the same survey also indicated that 93% of these journeys would be for work, bringing extra traffic onto the roads at the most congested times of day.