Cliftonville Curve is a short railway that links the West Coastway Line to the Brighton Main Line between Hove and Preston Park.[1] It was opened in July 1879.[1][2] The curve includes a 535-yard (489 m) tunnel.[2]
The line, which is also known as the Cliftonville Spur,[3] was named in reference to Cliftonville station (now called Hove) which had opened in 1865.[4] Cliftonville was an area of Hove which was developed speculatively as a "fashionable neighbourhood" in the mid-19th century.[5] Construction of the curve allowed trains to travel between the Brighton Main Line and the West Coastway Line without having to reverse at Brighton,[3] reducing congestion there and shortening journeys.[2]
50°50′02″N 0°09′36″W / 50.83395°N 0.15991°W / 50.83395; -0.15991