Rudgwick railway station

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Rudgwick railway station was in Rudgwick village, West Sussex, England. It sat on the Cranleigh Line and had one platform and a small goods yard.

The station opened in November 1865, a month after the others on the line because Colonel Yolland of the Board of Trade objected to the steep initial slope. He said the gradient of 1 in 80 could cause trains to run away downhill. He required it be reduced to 1 in 130 before opening. To fix this, engineers raised the embankment near a partly built bridge over the River Arun, transforming the structure into a new bridge and creating what is called a "bridge over a bridge."

The line into the station was single track. At the south end there was a road bridge leading to the Marlet Hotel. The station closed in June 1965 as part of widespread railway closures following the Beeching reports, and the buildings were demolished. The trackbed and bridge stayed for a while.

In the 1980s, the trackbed became part of the Downs Link, a footpath linking the North Downs and South Downs National Trails. A viewing platform was added near the unusual "bridge over a bridge" so people can see it up close. Today, Rudgwick Medical Centre stands on the site of the station’s main building.

Location: roughly 51.0897°N, 0.4509°W.