SideTracked - Uckfield Traditional Geocache
Long Man: As the owner has not responded to my previous log requesting that they check this cache, I'm archiving it.
Andy
Long Man
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(micro)
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This cache belongs to the SideTracked series. It's not designed to
take you to a magical place with breath-taking views. It's a
distraction for the weary traveller but anyone else can go and find
it too.
Sidetracked
- UCKFIELD
Original Uckfield station 1905
Original Uckfield station in 2007
The present Uckfield station opened in 1991 replacing the original
structure which was sited 50 meters to the south. With the closure
of the line south to Lewes (where a junction allowed trains to
continue on to Eastbourne or Brighton), the original station found
itself stranded on the wrong side of a level crossing on the High
Street which created traffic congestion whenever a train was
arriving or departing from the station. The decision was therefore
made to close the original station (which had been opened in 1868)
and to open a new station on the other side of the road. The
original station was demolished on 9 December 2000 after it had
been damaged first by flooding and then by vandals.
A campaign to re-open the line south of Uckfield through to
Lewes, known as the Wealden Line, has been ongoing since 1986 and
has attracted cross-party support. In 2008 the "Wealdenlink"
presentation was published which gave new impetus to the campaign
for reinstatement. On 23 July 2008 the Central Rail Corridor Board
(a joint group of local councils and stakeholders) commissioned
study by Network Rail reported that there was not an economic case
for reopening, citing a £141 million cost and a low "benefit-cost
ratio" of 0.64 to 0.79 when a figure of 1.5 is the minimum required
by the Department for Transport to make a scheme viable.
As part of Network Rail's national stations improvement
programme, Uckfield received a new station building to replace the
1991 portakabin-type structure which was deemed "not fit for
purpose".The new building was built to Network Rail's modular,
pre-fabricated design used at Mitcham Eastfields and Greenhithe.
The components for Uckfield's new station building - consisting of
a ticket office, public toilet, staff accommodation, ticket hall
and café - were manufactured by Britspace in Yorkshire and
installed by contractors Bryen & Langley. The new building,
which cost £750,000, was opened for passenger use on 16th March
2010
Whereas the neighbouring East Grinstead line has electric
trains, the Uckfield line is run only by diesel trains. It has been
proposed many times that the line be electrified, but this is
considered too expensive. Rail usage figures published in March
2010 show that journeys from the station have increased by 179% in
five.
Flooded station
On a bad day you can get a boat from the station if your cars
floated away
Who will be
first to find!
center>
BRIGHTONROB!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
gur ynql va crnpu zvtug xvpx vg frr cubgb. nyfb orjner bs gur zhttyrf