Cliftonville Curve
| Cliftonville Curve | |
|---|---|
The Cliftonville Curve looking northeastwards | |
| Overview | |
| Owner | Network Rail |
| Locale | Hove, Preston Village, Brighton, East Sussex |
| Termini | |
| Connecting lines | |
| Stations | 2: Hove, Preston Park |
| Service | |
| Operator(s) | Southern |
| History | |
| Opened | July 1879 |
| Technical | |
| Number of tracks | 2 |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
.JPG){kind=link}
Cliftonville Curve is a short railway that links the West Coastway Line to the Brighton Main Line between Hove and Preston Park. It was opened in July 1879. The curve includes a 535-yard (489 m) tunnel.
The line, which is also known as the Cliftonville Spur, was named in reference to Cliftonville station (now called Hove) which had opened in 1865. Cliftonville was an area of Hove which was developed speculatively as a "fashionable neighbourhood" in the mid-19th century. Construction of the curve allowed trains to travel between the Brighton Main Line and the West Coastway Line without having to reverse at Brighton, reducing congestion there and shortening journeys.