The Sutton and Mole Valley lines were constructed between 1847 and 1868 by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway, the London and South Western Railway and the LBSCR-sponsored Horsham, Dorking and Leatherhead Railway.

Services

Services include commuter services in South London, Surrey and West Sussex operated by Southern, usually from London Victoria to Horsham via Sutton and Dorking. The South Western Railway services are operated by Class 455 trains.

The Southern services use Class 377s. Southern previously used Class 455 trains on the line until 2022, as well as Class 456 trains until 2013. South West Trains acquired the Class 456s in 2014 and re-released these trains on the line later that year, but they were withdrawn in 2022.

South Western Railway operates services between London Waterloo and Leatherhead via Raynes Park and Epsom. Half continue along the main line to Dorking, others run to Guildford via Bookham and Effingham Junction.

Thameslink operates services from Tulse Hill to Sutton as part of the Thameslink route to London Blackfriars and Luton using trains.

Technical information

The route from Raynes Park to Horsham via Epsom and Dorking (including the Bookham Branch) is known to commuters as the Mole Valley Line – seven out of the 15 stations are in the Surrey district of Mole Valley. The full title Sutton and Mole Valley Lines is used for the lines north of Epsom via Sutton. Confusingly, all Southern services that terminate or call at Sutton are branded as Sutton and Mole Valley Line services.

The lines which form the route include (in order of construction):

  • The Wallington & Portsmouth lines from West Croydon to Epsom via Sutton
  • The Portsmouth line lines from Leatherhead to Horsham via Dorking
  • The Bookham Branch

: 11 March 1867: Leatherhead to Dorking

: 1 May 1867: Dorking to Horsham

  • 22 May 1865 Epsom Downs Branch opened.
  • 1 October 1868 The mainline route from London to Sutton via Hackbridge opened.
  • 2 February 1885 Bookham branch and Guildford New Line (route via Cobham) open. Epsom and Leatherhead linked with Guildford by rail for the first time.
  • 12 July 1925 Third rail electrified services begin between London Waterloo and Dorking North/Bookham and the Guildford New Line.
  • July 1927 Leatherhead LSWR station closes – from 10th, all trains use LBSCR station, thanks to new spur.
  • 3 March 1929 Third rail electrified services start between London Victoria and Epsom via Mitcham Jct and London Bridge and Epsom via Tulse Hill and Mitcham Jct. Epsom Town (LBSCR) station closed and services concentrated at new station on approximately the site of the former LSWR one.
  • 1938 Dorking/Three Bridges to Horsham electrified. New signalling installed and new station built at Horsham. Colour light signalling through Dorking North (and new signalbox opened) from 15 May. Public third rail services start on 3 July. The Epsom Downs line sees an uplift in off-peak services increasing to two trains per hour Monday to Saturday and a Sunday timetable is introduced. Also, improved connections between Epsom and West Croydon having 2 trains per hour, with the introduction of the all-day London Bridge to Epsom service.
  • May 2019: is now served by 3 trains per hour in each direction as South Western Railway now stop here during off peak time (previously only during the peak).

Accidents and incidents

  • On 4 November 1942, two electric multiple units collided at due to a signalman's error. Two people were killed.

Tunnels

There are two tunnels, built between 1860 and 1867.

Mickleham Tunnel is midway between Leatherhead and Box Hill & Westhumble. It is long and runs through the lower chalk of Norbury Park, entering the hillside immediately north of one of the three viaducts over the River Mole. Restrictions imposed by the landowner, Thomas Grissell, meant that vertical ventilation shafts could not be constructed and the tunnel portals were given lavish architectural treatment.

Betchworth Tunnel is south of Dorking. It is long with a maximum gradient of 1 in 80 (1.25 per cent). It runs through the upper greensand of the Deepdene Ridge to the east of the town. Construction difficulties delayed the opening south of Dorking. It collapsed on 27 July 1887, remaining closed for over six months.

See also

  • Epsom Downs branch line
  • Sutton Loop Line
  • Chessington branch line
  • South West Main Line
  • Brighton Main Line
  • New Guildford line
  • North Downs Line
  • Arun Valley line

References