Sussex transport at 'breaking point': Planes, trains and automobiles investigation by The Argus

SUSSEX will grind to a halt if significant transport projects worth hundreds of millions of pounds are not delivered over the next decade, experts have warned.

From a dilapidated rail network and congested roads to increasing calls for a second runway at Gatwick Airport, transport gurus say the county’s transport infrastructure is at breaking point.

Hove businessman Nik Askaroff, a former transport advisor for East Sussex County Council and an award-winning transport consultant, told The Argus that Sussex’s transport problems had “come to a head”.

He said: “Access into Brighton is hopeless and we’re at breaking point already.

“Across Sussex, things could grind to a halt in 10 years’ time if we don’t start delivering modes of transport that work coherently and reliably.

“The environmental cost of what we’re doing at the moment is all too much – and the effect on businesses and the economy will be dramatic because people will simply start packing up and going elsewhere.”

Iain Reeve, transport expert at Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership, agreed that people and businesses would consider moving away from Sussex if long-term investments were not delivered.

He said: “We want to sell the area but we need improvement, otherwise we may have problems.

“With no action, businesses and people could move away from the area because transport and reliability is a factor they take into account when they move somewhere.

“They think about congestion levels and how reliable their journey will be.

“The more congested our roads are, the more issues we have when things like poor weather or accidents occur.

“I don’t think things will grind to a halt, but investment is needed because the state of transport influences people’s decisions and we want people to come to the area.”

Argus investigation

Every day this week we will turn our attention to different plans and projects touted as the remedy for Sussex’s transport headaches, looking at roads, trains and planes.

This will include BML2, the mooted second Brighton to London mainline, which could provide an alternative rail route to the grossly overloaded Brighton line.

It is hoped a second line would put an end to the days of overcrowded trains and a rail network that is operating at full capacity.

On the roads, momentum is building on plans to significantly expand the A27 at Arundel or Worthing, while Brighton and Hove’s Labour councillors have said the city needs to recover from a “large number of transport schemes that have been badly co-ordinated and implemented”.

And at Gatwick Airport, the green-light for a second runway could prove the catalyst for hundreds of millions of pounds worth of transport investment elsewhere across Sussex.

We will hear from those for and against the plans – and aim to spark constructive debate about how projects should be tackled to ensure the economic future of our towns and cities.

Maybe you are one of the thousands of motorists who endure the daily crawl along the A27 through Shoreham, Lancing and Worthing each morning and afternoon.

Or perhaps you are a commuter whose daily trek to the capital is constantly blighted by rail delays, congested trains and ever-increasing fares.

Whatever your mode of transport, we want to hear your thoughts on Sussex’s big transport problems.

Our future relies on transport infrastructure that is fit for purpose.

That is why throughout this week The Argus will be speaking to politicians, business experts, transport officials, government bodies and Sussex residents about the county’s biggest transport problems – and what should be done to fix them.

Gatwick versus Heathrow

THE big question on everybody’s lips at the moment is: “Which airport will get the green light for another runway – Gatwick or Heathrow?”

Many of the county’s transport problems could be remedied if Gatwick was selected, experts say.

The case for road and rail infrastructure investment would be given a huge boost if the airport’s second runway bid was announced later this year.

But if investment isn’t ploughed into the roads and trains, just how on earth will the airport deal with hundreds of extra thousand visitors each year?

The Green Party says any expansion at Gatwick would be illegal in terms of pollution, while Gatwick bosses insist they can deliver better air quality figures than Heathrow.

Gatwick chief executive Stewart Wingate said: “Heathrow currently breaches legal air quality limits and it defies common sense that a third Heathrow runway will solve the problem.

“In contrast, Gatwick has never breached legal air quality limits and its location means it can guarantee that it never will.”

Would you support a second runway at Gatwick if it meant hundreds of millions of pounds would be pumped into Sussex’s road and rail network?

Buy The Argus on Thursday for a look at the Gatwick versus Heathrow debate.

State of the railways

TRAIN woes have featured heavily in both regional and national media since the start of 2015.

In January The Argus exclusively revealed how Brighton’s most popular commuter train to London Victoria was late every day last year.

Breakfast TV shows, national newspapers and documentary makers then covered our story – and we followed it up with another exclusive on the not-fit-for-purpose rail passenger compensation system.

The Prime Minister spoke of our stories in Parliament, but now we are asking those at the heart of the matter to stand up and speak.

Should the railways be renationalised? And how realistic are plans for a second Brighton-to-London main line (BML2)?

A few months ago Chancellor George Osborne pledged £100,000 for a feasibility study into the BML2 plans.

Sussex MPs are now all drumming up momentum to finally see the project get under way.

But there is big opposition to BML2, most notably from Network Rail.

The government explained to The Argus: “We’re not saying a new railway will never happen – just that it is not a priority.”

Buy The Argus on Wednesday for our look at the state of Sussex’s railways.

Expansion of the A27

GOVERNMENT figures show there are fewer cars on our roads in Sussex than in previous years, so why the argument for improvements to the A27?

In December, Westminster chiefs promised £350 million for the notorious dual carriageway.

We’ll look at what’s next.

When will work begin and what effect will it have on locals? Is it just all hot air?

And why did the government compulsory purchase a string of houses around the A27 some years ago before finally reselling them?

Campaigners say the solution does not lie with A27 expansion.

Chris Todd of the South Coast Alliance for Transport and the Environment (SCATE), said: “A27 expansion will be incredibly destructive and expensive and doesn’t make sense economically.

“We need to look at other ways of improving transport. Firstly, train stations need to be 21st century. Some of them look like they’re just out of the Second World War.

“If we combine that with improved bus services, walking facilities and cycling, we can reduce a large amount of road traffic within the towns and on the A27.”

Buy tomorrow’s Argus for the debate over the future of Sussex’s roads.

We need to act now to avoid grinding to a standstill

Opinion – Nik Askaroff

It’s all come to a head now in Sussex. Access into Brighton is hopeless and we’re at breaking point already.

The immediate problem in my eyes is the trains.

Someone needs a strategy. It’s not right that people are having to stand all the way to London because services are too packed and there are no seats.

Brighton, especially, has done brilliantly in attracting London people down here, but we’ll start losing them soon.

People will move away from the county if they come to a dead stop every time they try to drive into Brighton or along the coast, or can’t get a seat on a train.

What does it say to potential investors who come down to Sussex to do business but can’t get a seat on a train, or get stuck in traffic jams for hours?

They won’t be in a good frame of mind.

What we’re doing at the moment in Brighton especially is prioritising tourism with projects like the i360.

I’m not knocking those projects, but it’s putting extra pressure on transport infrastructure.

Another example is the plans for a big conference centre down at Black Rock that will host big bands and attract thousands of people, but will our transport be able to handle it all?

All modes of transport along the South Coast have to work coherently because there will be consequences if something’s not done.

Sussex could grind to a halt in 10 years’ time.

The environmental cost of what we’re doing at the moment is all too much – and the effect on businesses will be dramatic if people start packing up and going elsewhere.

The Tories now have a majority in government, so the hope now is that things will start to take shape and the government has a transport-minded approach.

As I’ve said, my top priority would be the trains because they’re having an immediate effect on businesses.

If people don’t use the trains and instead drive into Brighton, their problem then is that there’s nowhere to park and they can’t get round one-way systems.

Businesses then suffer.

I strongly support a second runway at Gatwick, but we need the infrastructure.

The runway is a no-brainer, but the transport overhaul has to come with it.

You can’t have one without the other.

Nik Askaroff is former transport advisor for East Sussex County Council and an award-winning transport consultant.

Why we are doing this

Sussex is a truly unique county blessed with a plethora of home-grown and transient residents, with world-class businesses and attractions.

Our towns, cities and villages have a lot going for them and are the envy of millions across the globe.

But The Argus believes the future could be bleak if we do not act now to cure a host of serious transport problems.

Our roads are congested, our rail network is crippled at times and Gatwick Airport is operating at maximum capacity.

Soon, as experts have warned, we will reach breaking point – and all we have worked hard to achieve in sunny Sussex will be at risk.