It was built by the London & Brighton Railway in 1840–41, initially only connecting Brighton to Shoreham-by-Sea, westwards along the coast, in May 1840. It finally connnected a year later inland to Haywards Heath and London Bridge in September 1841 via the just-completed Clayton Tunnel; and then in 1846 to the county town of Lewes to the east via the London Road Viaduct. The railway became the London Brighton and South Coast Railway in 1846 following mergers with other railways with lines between Portsmouth and Hastings.