Adur and Worthing councils join campaign for crucial rail improvements

Senior councillors agreed to join the Brighton Mainline Alliance on Tuesday (March 6), noting many of Adur and Worthing’s residents relied on the creaking infrastructure.

Among the key aims of the alliance, led by government investment body Coast to Capital, is to secure removal of the bottleneck at Windmill Bridge junction, near East Croydon station .

Cabinet members said solving the issue would cut delays and could pave the way for more frequent trains to and from the capital.

Outlining the poor rail service, Adur District Council leader Neil Parkin said on Tuesday: “I will never forget having a meeting at DCLG (Department for Communities and Local Government) with a minister who was from Trafford, Manchester.

“I led a Greater Brighton delegation and it took us longer to get from Worthing and Shoreham to her office than it took her to get from Manchester.

“She was quite staggered.”

The councils have joined more than 40 regional business groups, as well as numerous MPs who have backed the call for action.

Worthing Borough Council leader Dan Humphreys said: “We all have first-hand knowledge of the problems with this line. Travelling on it is often a complete misery so I’m pleased we now have funding to look at designs at East Croydon.

“But more importantly there are clear signs that it is affecting the economy of the area and given that we contribute so much to the overall UK we say upgrading this line to increase capacity must be a key priority for government.”