The biggest road-building programme for 20 years has been condemned by transport lobbyists in East Sussex.
They say the £5.5 billion package announced by Transport Secretary Alistair Darling contains nothing for the struggling rail network in the county.
Brian Hart, director of the Wealden Line Campaign, said the plans are dominated by widening long stretches of motorway and building major new sections of dual carriageway.
But he said the plans will simply worsen congestion and pollution as more cars take to the new roads.
The independent Wealden Line Campaign has long been lobbying for the restoration of the Lewes-Uckfield link.
Mr Hart said: "Each of the big projects in this spending package could have paid for re-opening the short Lewes-Uckfield link several times over.
"For just £25 million, this straightforward scheme would open up a major rail artery between London and the south coast and provide a much-needed alternative to the overcrowded Brighton line."
"The South East desperately needs more track space so that congestion can be reduced in towns like Tunbridge Wells, Haywards Heath, Lewes, Brighton and Eastbourne."
Meanwhile, Eastbourne Tory MP Nigel Waterson told Mr Darling in a Commons exchange that priority should be given to improvements to the A27 between Lewes and Polegate.
No mention was made of the road in Mr Darling's announcement of plans to widen key congestion areas, most of which are in the north.
Mr Waterson said: "The fact is we need these improvements on the Lewes to Polegate stretch now."
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