The Railway, Crawley

The Railway is large L-shaped pub with televisions throughout for watching Sky Sports. Muted snooker was on Eurosport whilst some background music played during a Friday evening visit last year. There is a pool table on a small stage area to the left front of the pub, but this was out of use due to a band setting up in readiness for the regular evening entertainment. Out the back is an L-shaped patio area, half of which is laid with AstroTurf for some reason. There is also a car park. The bar supports a standard and premium keg range and I counted four hand pumps. These were drawing Adnams Ghost Ship and Southwold alongside Fullers London Pride and Sharps Doom Bar. Food is available and there are meal deals such as a burger and a drink for £5.99. Although the service was polite, this isn’t a place I would go rushing back to as it is a run-of-the-mill pub co. town centre boozer.

I came to the Railway with some high expectations based on other reports but what I found was little more than a cavernous, mass market PubCo drinking den. As the name implies, the pub stands close to Crawley station and judging by the derelict old platforms outside the pub, it was once even nearer than it is now. The pub appears to be an amalgam of 3 buildings with the interior now knocked through into a single room with a few remnants of its previous divisions. There is a slightly raised section one end and, at the other, a dominant pool table taking up a considerable amount of space and a small stage area that suggests there is occasional live music although I didn’t spot anything advertised. The heavy rock music being played was quite intrusive although the crowd was generally young and studenty so it’s not hard to see who is trying to be kept happy. There were a few old pictures and some patterned tile flooring but on the whole this is a faceless identikit pub, bright and brash with little charm or character. The beers that I had high expectaions of didn’t materialize and all 3 ales (Bombardier, Marstens EPA & Youngs Christmas Ale).were off which for an early Saturday night was quite poor. The doors were manned by some fearsome Gestapo looking bouncers and, all in all, the place is hardly the most enticing or inviting place in town. I doubt it will be high on my agenda for future visits.