The Sun.
London, England, 1852-02-02 00:00:00

RAILWAY INTELLIGENC. E.
SOUTH-EASTERN.

On Saturday the directors and their friends op= ned
the remaining sax miles of this company's branciaLue
to Hastings, the distance from Tunbridge' Wells In
Hastings being 28 miles. At half-past eleven o'clock
in the forenoon Mr. M'Gregor (the chairman of the
company), Mr. Renshaw (deputy chairman), Captain
Warren, Mr. Brown, and Mr. Smale (directors),
accompanied by Captain Barlow (chief superintend-.
ent), Mr. Drane (engineer), Mr. Uook (superinteud-
ent), Mr. Tress (architect), and a few friends, startssd
from the London-bridge station in an ordinary train..
and arrived at Tunbridge at forty minutes past twelves
where a special train was in readiness to convey the '
party over the new line to Hastings. The train ar-
rived at Battle shortly before two o'clock, at which
place the Mayor of Hastings joined the party and
proceeded in the train over the new portion of the line
to St. Leonards and Hastings. The train arrived at
Hastings about a quarter past two o'clock. It was
stated that the last section of this branch, from
Battle to Hastings, ab6ut six miles in
length, completes the whole of the rail-
ways the company have in hand. The first
section of the line, from Tunbridge Wells to Roberts-
bridge, 16 miles, was opened in November last; the
second section, six miles from the latter place to
Battle, was opened in December; and the last section,
from Battle to Hastings six miles, on Saturday. The
railway follows very closely the line of the old coach
road from Hastings to London, thus restoring the
legitimate course of the traffic. This route to Hastings
is 20 miles shorter than that by Ashford, and about
three miles shorter than that by the Brighton and
South Coast line. The gradients ascend from Ton-
bridge-wells to Wadhurst, a distance of five miles,
then descend for a distance of seven miles, ascending
again from Essingham, about nine miles,' to Battle,
and thence descending to Hastings. The steepest,
gradient is 1 in 100, and the average about 1 in 150.
The line passes through a beautiful country, in which
great quantities of hops are grown. The district is
diversified by hills and vales, and it is expected that
when proper facilities are afforded it will become a
favourite place of residence for persons having busi-
ness in the metropolis. The distance from London
to Hastings by this route is 74 miles. The works
on the line were of a difficult character, many, of the
embankments being 60 feet in height, and some of
the cuttings considerably more in depth. Between
Tunbridge Wells and Hastings there are upwards of
4,000 yards of tunnelling, or about two miles and a
half in the aggregate. The works were completed
under Mr. Drane the engineer, and by Messrs. Hoof
and Whydhs, the contractors. The stations along
the line appear to be neat, substantial, and conve•
nient, and some of them are very pleasantly situated,
particularly that at Hastings, which is a joint sta-
tion. The South-Eastern trains are accommodated
at one side of it, and the Brighton trains at the other.
The latter company's trains pens over a mile and a
half the South-Eastern line to come into Hastings.
By an arrangement, in 1851, between these compa-
nies, the traffic between London and Hastings was
divided in the proportion of one-third for the South-
Eastern, and two-thirds for the London, Brighton,
and South Coast, but from the opening of the South-
Eastern line to Hastings the London and Hastings'
traffic will be divided equally between the two
companies. The South-Eastern Company intend to
run express trains in the mornings from Hastings,
and in the evenings from London, to accommo-
date persons having business in London. The
company will run four trains per day each way,
and on Sunday two trains each way. The stations
on the line between Tunbridge Wells and Hastings
are Frant, Wadbarst, Ticehurst-road, Etchingham,
Robert's-bridge, Battle, and St. Leonard's. The new
portion of the line appeared to be in good condition,
and the stations at Battle and St. Leonard's required
but little to complete them. The weather &t Hastings
was quite as gloomy and wet during the day as at
London. After waiting some time at Hastings the
train proceeded over the Ashford branch to Folke-
stone, where a dinner for the party was provided. It
was stated that the speed of the train on one part of
the line, for the distance of 17 miles, was performed
at the rate of 70 miles an hour. The party arrived
at the Victoria Ho el, Folkestone, about four o'clock,
where an excellent dinner was provided, and at which
Mr. M'Gregor presided. When the cloth was re-
moved the usual loyal toasts were drunk, after which
the health of Captain Heseldine, the harbour-
master of Folkestone ; Mr. M'Gregor, Mr.
Renshaw, Messrs. Hoof and Whydhs, the con-
tractors ; Captain Barlow, chief superintendent; Mr,
Swan, engineer at Folkestone; Captain Warren, Mr.
Browne, Mr. Cook, Mr. Whitty, and other gentlemen.
In the course of the evening the Chairman stated
the contractors had acted in the most liberal manner
towards the company, and their accounts had been
settled ; that the officers of the company were men of
considerable ability and most attentive to their duties ;
and that the board had received much assistance from
Captain Warren, who was also a director of the South-
Eastern and Continental Steam Packet Company, and
wlta had distinguished himself some years ago per-
forming a most hazardous enterprise during a tempest
in the Bay of Biscay, that of saving the lives of the
crew of a French man-of-war, and for which the late
Louis Philippe conferred on him the order of the Le-
gion of Honour. The train left Folkestone at half-
past eight, and arrived at the London station about a
quarter to eleven.