Rother Valley Railway

This was a sometimes quoted myth in the early days of this thread but I don’t believe ORR or Highways Agency ever insisted on this.

The proposed A21 dual-carriageway certainly was a MoT ‘thing’ in the ‘60s and, as you say, is one reason why running beyond Bodiam wasn’t allowed when the KESR reopened. The full history is in Nick Pallant’s Holding the Line.

However when the A21 Robertsbridge bypass was finally built in the ‘80s this was a single carriageway road with no provision (e.g. in the design of junctions etc) for future dualling.

By the time ORR and Highways Agency (now National Highways) were created there were no more thoughts of a dual carriageway anywhere near Robertsbridge (except occasional lip-service by local politicians who probably knew it would never happen). There was no mention of it in the ORR or HA responses both to the Planning and TWAO applications. If there had been it’d’ve killed any idea of the A21 level-crossing stone dead.

 

Not heard of Nick Pallant's book but I've located one in good second hand condition - that will make an interesting read.

Incidentally the Dean Forest railway crosses the dual carriageway Lydney by-pass [A48] via a level crossing. This is National Highways road like the A21. The railway was in operation before the road was constructed which probably made a difference. Should National Highways [as they are now] decide to dual the A21 then they will have to solve how to cross the railway.

 

Nick has also produced a second book, detailing the later preservation story. I've yet to read it, but I am told it is very good. I work closely with Nick on something else, and he has a definite way with words.

 

I don't see what the problem with crossing a big road is, plenty of people do it


All you need is 6000 HP, and a big horn.

 

I still advocate the 'turntable' option for level crossings, so that any driver violating the red light ends up in the pit (dug low enough for the bridge to swing right over so's not to delay anybody else).

 

I love the way they're all edging their cars forward, presumably to gain some millisecond advantage .
And how the crossing warning sounds like a woodpecker

 

"Aurens, not this way." "No prisoners!.. NO prisoners!"

 

That's a bit of a stretch of the definition of dual carriageway. The A48 actually has an island either side of the railway on what's otherwise on this stretch a single carriageway

 

The Russians actually have a very effective system for preventing peoople from crossing when the lights are red:

All they need now is to get the timing right