East Grinstead is an historic market town in West Sussex, close to the picturesque landscapes of the High Weald and Ashdown Forest, known as the setting for A. A. Milne's Winne-the-Pooh stories. About 15 minutes' walk or a short bus ride from the station, the town centre is home to an impressive array of historic buildings, including many medieval half-timbered buildings on the High Street as well as examples of Georgian and Regency architecture. Steam locomotives run on the Bluebell Railway heritage line between East Grinstead and Lewes.
Trains first came to East Grinstead in 1855. The current station, the fourth and only remaining, was built in 2012 as part of a £2.1m redevelopment. It is the terminus of this branch of the Oxted line, with direct trains into London Victoria and routes into other major London stations via East Croydon. Average journey times to and from Victoria are around 55 minutes.