The Secretary of State for Transport has now given permission for the Transport & Works Order, paving the way for the railway to be reinstated between Robertsbridge & Junction Road (Bodiam). In short, the Secretary of State has agreed with the Inspector chairing the Public Inquiry in 2021, who decided that the potential benefits far outweighed any disadvantages, with issues such as the 3 level crossings (Northbridge Street, Robertsbridge; A21, Robertsbridge; B2244, Junction Road) will be mitigated such that any negative impact will be minor. They also think that installing a level crossing at Junction Road will require a 40mph speed restriction around the crossing (reduced from the current 60mph limit), which in turn is likely to improve road safety in an area which has seen a relatively high number of accidents!
Other concerns have been dismissed by the Inspector & Secretary of State as either negligable or sufficient mitigations can be put into place to bring any negative effects into a tolerable level.
https://assets.publishing.service.go...ion-letter.pdf
Tony