Editing Brighton Main Line (section)

{{Short description|Railway line between London and Brighton}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2013}}
{{Infobox rail line
|name = Brighton Main Line
|image = Clayton Tunnel.JPG
|image_width = 300px
|caption = [[Clayton Tunnel]], one of the most notable structures on the line
|type = [[Regional rail]], [[Suburban rail]]
|system = [[National Rail]]
|status = Operational
|locale = [[Greater London]]<br>[[South East England]]
|start = {{rws|London Victoria}}, {{rws|London Bridge}},
|end = {{rws|Brighton}}
|stations = 37
|routes = 
|open = 1839-1862
|close =
|owner = [[Network Rail]]
|operator = [[Govia Thameslink Railway]]<br>[[Great Western Railway (train operating company)|Great Western Railway]]<br>[[London Overground]]
|depot = [[Stewarts Lane]], [[Selhurst Train and Rolling Stock Maintenance Depot|Selhurst]],<br>[[Brighton Lovers Walk Traction and Rolling Stock Maintenance Depot|Brighton]]
|stock = [[British Rail Class 165|Class 165 "Turbo"]]<br>[[British Rail Class 166|Class 166 "Turbo Express"]]<br>[[British Rail Class 171|Class 171 "Turbostar"]]<br>[[British Rail Class 377|Class 377 "Electrostar"]]<br>[[British Rail Class 378|Class 378 "Capitalstar"]]<br>[[British Rail Class 387|Class 387 "Electrostar"]]<br>[[British Rail Class 700|Class 700 "Desiro City"]]
|linelength = 
|tracklength =
|tracks = 2-5
|gauge = {{track gauge|uksg}}<br>[[Standard-gauge railway|standard gauge]]
|electrification = 750 [[Volt|V]] [[Direct Current|DC]] [[third rail]]
|speed = Max. {{convert|90|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}
|map = [[File:Brighton main line.png|300px]]
|map_state = uncollapsed
}}

The '''Brighton Main Line''' is a railway line in southern England linking London to [[Brighton]]. It starts at two termini in the capital, {{rws|London Victoria}} and {{rws|London Bridge}}, and the branches from each meet at {{rws|East Croydon}}, from where the route continues southwards via {{rws|Gatwick Airport}} to the coast. The line serves the suburbs of [[South London]], as well as the towns of [[Redhill, Surrey|Redhill]], [[Horley]], [[Crawley]], [[Haywards Heath]] and [[Burgess Hill]].

The distance from the London termini to Brighton is around {{cvt|50|mi}} and the fastest end-to-end journey time is about an hour. A variety of passenger services runs on the line, including limited-stop airport expresses, semi-fast regional and outer-suburban trains, and shorter-distance commuter services. These are operated by [[Govia Thameslink Railway]] ([[Gatwick Express]], [[Southern (GTR)|Southern]] and [[Thameslink]]){{efn|Gatwick Express, Southern and Thameslink are (along with [[Great Northern route|Great Northern]]), all sub-brands of Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR).}}, [[Transport for London]] ([[London Overground]]) and [[Great Western Railway]]. 

The first part of the Brighton Main Line to be built was the section from London Bridge to Croydon, which was opened by the [[London and Croydon Railway]] (L&CR) in 1839. Two years later, a separate company, the [[London and Brighton Railway]] (L&BR), extended the line to the south coast. In 1846, the L&CR and the L&BR merged to form the [[London, Brighton and South Coast Railway]] (LB&SCR), which began to run trains to London Victoria via the [[West End of London and Crystal Palace Railway]] in 1848. The Brighton Main Line was completed in December 1862, when the LB&SCR opened the direct route between Croydon and Victoria via {{rws|Thornton Heath}}.

The Brighton Main Line is electrified using the 750 [[Volt|V]] [[Direct current|DC]] [[third rail|third-rail]] system and the majority of the route has four tracks. There are seven tunnels, including two on the Quarry Line, which allows express services to bypass the junctions at {{rws|Redhill}} station. The most serious accident on the Brighton Main Line occurred in October 1947, when [[South Croydon rail crash|two trains collided in fog near South Croydon station]], killing 32 people. The listed structures on the route include the [[Ouse Valley Viaduct]], the north portal of [[Clayton Tunnel]] and all three termini.