to alleviate the LBSCR's fears of another company approaching Brighton from the east. An intermediate station at opened on 1 September 1873. The branch temporarily closed to passengers on 1 January 1917. It reopened on 10 August 1919 but closed permanently on 1 January 1933. During the Second World War, the tunnel leading into Kemp Town was used as an air-raid shelter. The line continued to be used for goods traffic until 14 August 1971. The viaduct was demolished in 1976. Crumbles branch This branch, constructed in 1862, led to a shingle bank known locally as The Crumbles. The LB&SCR used the shingle as ballast for its railway lines. Ballast trains ran until 1932 when the Southern Railway favoured granite. Other branches appeared on the line; a siding was built in 1870 when the Eastbourne Gas Company built their works which straddled the line. Coal was transported to the gasworks. In return it produced coke and was taken away and in 1926 a line was created for the Eastbourne Corporation Electric Works to transport coal, also supplying fuel to the bus garage and taking scrap metal away from the refuse destructor works. The branch saw its last steam engines in April 1960 and diesel shunting locomotives were provided for the work until the line closed in early 1967. Motor trains In 1905, the LB&SCR introduced motor trains and unmanned halts between Eastbourne and St Leonards West Marina and new halts were built at , , , , and . All apart from Stone Cross (closed 1935) and Glyne Gap (closed 1915) remain open. Electrification All the lines, as far as Ore (except the Kemp Town branch line), were electrified using the (750 V DC third rail) system by the Southern Railway, opening in May 1935. World War II Because of the line's proximity to the East Sussex Coast it was the target of a number of bombing raids during the World War II. During a daylight air raid on 25 May 1943 a German bomber dropped five bombs that hit the upper goods yard north of Brighton station and part of the London Road viaduct carrying the East Coastway line, along with other damage the bombs demolished two arches of the viaduct and killed one railway employee. Temporary repairs to the viaduct were soon made and by the year's end the damaged brickwork was restored. In 1941, the locomotive shed