The South Eastern and Chatham Railway agreed to make up any operating losses in exchange for an option to purchase the line at any time within the next 21 years from the date of opening. There are some problems of subsidence outside Rolvenden, which often requires speed restrictions to avoid further damage to the line's foundations. The habitats that survive there are incredible. Ex LSWR No 0127. The extension to Headcorn had been built with heavier rails than the Robertsbridge - Rolvenden section, and thus had a higher axle loading allowing the use of heavier locomotives. Fitted with flanged wheels and tested on the Kent & East Sussex Railway. The train was hauled by the ex LSWR Saddletank No 4. 1325 was loaned in 1946 and No. A scuffed copy of the Koran. Er zijn genoeg bezienswaardigheden om te bezoeken rond Salehurst and Robertsbridge. (Pic: Colin Tyson) Brent Cross West [3] is a railway station under construction on the Thameslink route on the Midland Main Line. Designed to serve rural villages, the railway opened in 1900 and originally ran between Robertsbridge and Tenterden. Prince Harry interview RECAP: Duke of Sussex fans say his Q&A with Gabor Mate 'should have been longer' Do not sell or share my personal information. In 1904, the Rother Valley Railway changed its name to the Kent & East Sussex Light Railway. Heady ideas of commanding enough finance to build lines to Rye, Cranbrook and Pevensey, all authorised over 1898-1900, together with Maidstone in 1905-06, faded. Conceived as the Rother Valley Railway, it opened from Robertsbridge to Rolvenden station (then named Tenterden) in 1900 and subsequently on to Tenterden Town in 1903. In 2010, the latter section was further extended to reach Junction Road. The railway track has been laid on nearly a third of the 3.5-mile route between Robertsbridge and Bodiam and a new Robertsbridge Junction station is being created, which has a five-coach capacity platform and sits adjacent to Network Rails mainline station. They're spending a lot of money at the Robertsbridge end, renewing bridges, building a station and other buildings. Access to the current KESR is largely made by private car or coach, so the railway would help reduce traffic movements on local rural roads. The line continued to be run as two sections. Number 107 in the K&ESR stocklist. [3], The Tenterden Railway was the next to be proposed, running from Maidstone to Hastings via Headcorn, Tenterden, and Appledore. [7], On the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the K&ESR came under government control, as did most railways at the time. The Tenterden Railway Company is now known as The Kent & East Sussex Railway (K&ESR), as of January 2004. Sold for scrap on 25 May 1944. Situated at Tenterden is the Colonel Stephens Railway Museum. Such workings continued on a diminishing basis until the 1958 season. As the Great War came to an end the Government decreed that the railways be re-organised into large private companies generally known as 'The Grouping'. Despite legally authorised extensions over much of the Kent Weald to Maidstone, Rye and Cranbrook, lack of capital meant that only an extension to Headcorn was to be built and opened in 1905. The railway was reconnected to the Network Rail (NR) mainline in December 2016 to permit stock transfers, and use of the RVR by NR plant for training and other purposes; and the newly installed turntable can also be accessed. Southern Railway No 3334 loaned to the Kent & East Sussex Light Railway in 1938 when No 4 was sent to. We are continuing to try to protect this for future generations. The use of compulsory purchase orders on farmland needed for the new track has even been branded The Great Robertsbridge Train Robbery by campaigners. In 1957, Drewry diesel locomotive 11220 was successfully trialled on the line, and it and 11223 were the regular locomotives for the final years of operation. Three compartment brake third. All ticket stock was withdrawn and new tickets were printed, and the staffing of stations was increased. Supporters include Network Rail and the National Trust, which will gain a rail link to the 14th century moated Bodiam Castle. Rother District Council granted planning permission last year. Operated under contract by William Hook & Son until the firm ceased trading in 1916. The K&ESR acquired a horse-drawn van and two drays in 1916. Purchased secondhand in 1906. In 1864, a proposed railway from Paddock Wood via Cranbrook and Tenterden to Hythe (the Weald of Kent Railway) also failed to obtain its Act of Parliament. A month passed before 32678 was recovered. The order of scrapping of the locomotives was 7, 5, 6 (steam railcar), 1, 9, 2 and 8.[7]. The line from Headcorn Junction was opened on 15th May1905 but the expansion programme had come to an end. Construction work commenced in 1898 but there were delays with contractors' bankruptcy and it was not until 9th January 1900 that the line was reported complete. A separate Company, the Rother Valley Railway (East Sussex) Ltd, was formed on 22 May 1991 with the approval of the Tenterden Railway Company to reconstruct the railway between Bodiam and Robertsbridge and has since simplified its name to Rother Valley Railway Ltd. The proposed Order is applied for by Rother Valley Railway Limited (RVR), working in partnership with the Kent and East Sussex Railway (K&ESR) which operates an existing heritage railway between Tenterden and Bodiam. The comments below have not been moderated. The Kent and East Sussex Railway is a preserved steam railway which makes for an excellent family day out. Used at the opening of the East Kent Light Railway in 1912 and inaugurated passenger services on that line in 1916. Great Western Railway 0-6-0 Dean Goods War Department Nos WD195, WD196 and WD197 were used on the Kent & East Sussex Light Railway between 1941 and 1943 when rail mounted rocket guns were stationed at Rolvenden and Wittersham. Rother Valley Railway chairman Gardner Crawley said the railway had requested that the hearing be delayed so it could gather more information on its impact on traffic. Built by the London and South Western Railway in 1892 as No. In Spring 2019 work began to prepare the former trackbed between Austen's Bridge and Junction Road for tracklaying, this work being substantially completed by the end of 2020. Formerly a model of its kind the K&ESR was now perceived as a run-down decrepit railway of the greatest charm. But the project has found support among Tenterden residents because of its potential to bring in visitors from London and boost tourism. 2655 was loaned from 1939 to 1945, 2678 was loaned in 1940. The Rother Valley Railway (RVR) is a heritage railway project based at Robertsbridge in East Sussex, England. Ten open wagons were purchased new from Hurst Nelson. Subscribe to Old Glory magazine today and receive your first 3 issues for just 5! The Kent & East Sussex Railway was one of the light railways operated by Colonel H.F. Stephens, the railway engineer. Headcorn was remodelled by the Southern Railway in 1930 to provide two through roads and the junction was then moved to the Tonbridge side of the station. Indeed in the provision of steam heating it was in advance of many main lines. Bekijk de beste plekken om te bezoeken in de regio en plan je volgende avontuur vandaag nog. In 1906, the K&ESR purchased a Great Western Railway. The Rother Valley Railway was a standard gauge line from a junction at Robertsbridge in East Sussex, on the SE&CR's Tonbridge-Hastings line, to Tenterden, 12 miles away in Kent. This is the reconstructed Robertsbridge Junction station, adjacent to the Network Rail station. We will be applying for final permission now from the Department of Transport which will require an Act of Parliament. The line was authorised to be built with 56 pounds per yard (27.8kg/m) rails but was actually built with 60 pounds per yard (29.8kg/m) rails. Only the section from the original Tenterden terminus to Tenterden Town was actually built of all these schemes.[6]. Three compartments plus brake. In a statement this week RVR chairman Gardner Crawley said: Their fears will be addressed as the scheme progresses and it is to be hoped that the economic benefits of the scheme will become apparent. Purchased new in 1904, seated 46. Kent and East Sussex Railway: 12-ton flat Built in 1926 by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway at Newtonheath as a Banana Van. The line runs through a lightly populated area and was never well . Two first-class four-wheel carriages were purchased new in 1901 for the opening of the line. What's for dinner? Wagons. Southern Railway No. The renamed Kent &. The Great Robertsbridge Train Robbery: Families accuse railway line stealing their farm land for a 7million extension project using a compulsory purchase order allowing companies to buy. With the help of a grant from the Railway Heritage Trust RVR acquired and removed the railway turntable from Hither Green depot in 2020, and following refurbishment this has recently been installed at Robertsbridge. Purchased secondhand in 1932. Plans to connect Tenterdens Kent & East Sussex Railway with the London-Hastings main line have finally been approved. The final passenger train over the line before closure was a Locomotive Club of Great Britain railtour on 11 June 1961. RM 2FMJAE2 - Tenterden, UK. Renumbered 3550 in 1912 and again renumbered to 6413 in 1923. The Kent and East Sussex Railway (K&ESR) refers to both a historical private railway company in Kent and East Sussex in England, as well as a heritage railway currently running on part of the route of the historical company. In 1900, the Kent & East Sussex railway was built from Tenterden to Robertsbridge giving access to the main line for the rural villages. RVR, which would pay 10 per cent above the market value of the land, is already building a heritage railway station opposite Robertsbridge mainline station and track has been laid for about half a mile towards the two farms. This houses a number of exhibits including as a wax dummy of the colonel, telling the story of the man himself and of his railways. Sold in 1909 to the Woolmer Instructional Military Railway, where it lasted until 1940. Planning permission was secured for its scheme at Robertsbridge, and the whole route is safeguarded in the Council's local plan. They claim the project is to allow 'rich men to play with their toys' and the threat of compulsory purchase orders, or CPOs, amounts to 'a land grab reminiscent of the Dark Ages'. One embankment is still visible but is covered by mature oak and other trees. From 2009 to 2010 the RVR with help from K&ESR and volunteers were able to complete the 1 mile (1.6km) extension westwards from near Bodiam station, through Quarry Farm, to the B2244 (Junction Road). The final working was the 7.55 am working from Robertsbridge on Saturday 10th June 1961 followed the next day by a rail tour. The lukewarm reception was partly because of the distance of the station from the town, and partly due to fears that the opening of the light railway from Robertsbridge would prevent a more heavily engineered line being built from Headcorn. The preserved railway has had a tempestuous history, with two financial crises and disputes between the volunteer group and their elected board of trustees. Crucially, however, the two families whose farms would be crossed by the line do not want to sell their land to RVR. The Tenterden to Robertsbridge section survived until 1961 for freight. Last edited on 21 February 2023, at 15:49, Learn how and when to remove this template message, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rother_Valley_Railway&oldid=1140748000, From 1988 until the early 1990s, another "Rother Valley Railway" had a brief existence on the site of, This page was last edited on 21 February 2023, at 15:49. Many representations for and against the scheme were submitted, and in June the Secretary of State for Transport announced that a public local inquiry would be held. 2684. Later it was able to achieve charity status, and is led by the Rother Valley Railway Heritage Trust. Mrs Ainslie's grandfather Robert de Quincey bought it in 1946 after returning from three years as a prisoner of war in Burma. This website and its associated newspaper are members of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). The East Sussex Light Railway was authorised in 1901. Plan meals, try new foods and explore cuisines with tested recipes from the country's top chefs. It partially reopened as a heritage railway where the public can enjoy journeys at 25mph on old steam locos and diesel trains 13 years later, running for ten and a half miles from Bodiam to Tenterden. June 14, 2022; indigo child symbol [2], The Ashford - Hastings line had originally been promoted to run via Headcorn and Tenterden, but the government preferred the more southerly route. Of wandelen of fietsen je ding is, Salehurst and Robertsbridge is een regio waar 20 verborgen pareltjes op je staan te wachten. It opened in 1900 and was extended to TenterdenTown station in 1903 (the original terminus was renamed Rolvenden), and through to a junction at Headcorn on the SE&CR . Built by London and South Western Railway. This has now been installed (Spring 2023). In May 1983, Manning Wardle 'Charwelton' was derailed between Wittersham Road and Rolvenden causing damage to approximately 100 yards of track and to the locomotive's axle boxes. Hire purchased in 1924 from Edmonds of Thetford. Afternoon Tea, Lunch and Evening Dining trains, Treat mum to something special this Mothers Day. ', End of the line:Those behind the current bid by the Rother Valley Railway, or RVR, argue it will attract an extra 50,000 visitors annually and add 4.1million a year to the local economy. The Rother Valley Railway proposes to restore the missing rail link between Bodiam and Robertsbridge. [8] The original junction at Headcorn was on the Ashford side of the station. 1426 was loaned to the Kent & East Sussex Light Railway in 1943. The railway was authorised by its own Act of Parliament in 1896, but with the passing later that year of the Light Railways Act, the directors obtained permission to bring the RVR under that Act for construction and operating purposes. A previous attempt by rail preservationists to take over the missing Bodiam to Robertsbridge section was quashed in 1973. There will be an end-on link with the Kent and East Sussex at Bodiam enabling through running. Originally numbered. The passenger railway finally came to an end on Saturday 2nd January 1954. Their extension by West_Stanley Fri Nov 23, 2012 4:20 am They're extending to their original terminus at Robertsbridge, about 4 miles away from their current one at Bodium. The public inquiry due to take place in June will now be scheduled for early 2020. The end was in sight and traffic decline was now steep. When this extension fever was over, the K&ESR was established as a growing and mostly profitable concern. It would wreck part of our farm, chopping fields into narrow pieces that we can't farm properly. By Victorian standards construction progress was slow. Mixed trains continued to run, but were now provided with a brake van. kent and east sussex railway extension to robertsbridge. Double-heading was prohibited between Rolvenden and Robertsbridge.[13]. By the 1930s it had lost much of the traffic it had been built to carry. In 1904, the Headcorn and Maidstone Junction Light Railway was authorised. Delivered to Rolvenden and used on the line before delivery to the East Kent Light Railway. For the opening . Brighton works between 1872 and 1880. While the RVR does not yet feature regular passenger trains, the base at Robertsbridge houses a small shop and visitor centre open to the public each Sunday, utilising a building formerly used as the London terminus of the Orient Express. The railway runs between Tenterden Town and Bodiam. Although the Rother Valley Railway and the Kent & East Sussex Light Railway originally ran separate passenger and freight trains, by the 1920s mixed trains were the norm. Purchased secondhand in 1905. A familiar and friendly face on our platforms, volunteer Geoff has reached the finals of this prestigious Visit England award but only your votes can help him win. Scrapped in 1948. There was occasional passenger traffic in the form of railtours. In the 1924 book A Parcel of Kent by F J Harvey Darton, the railway described is clearly based on the Kent & East Sussex Railway. The first advertised passenger service over this section ran on the weekend of 19/20 March 2011, although services are currently restricted to occasional gala days only. There has been some resistance from two landowners with regard to the proposed reinstatement, while the third missing section of route adjoining Junction Road has now been acquired by RVR Ltd and made ready for tracklaying. Tenterden had yearned for a railway connection for many years but finally received a connection in 1900.The origins of the line seem, in fact, to lie elsewhere than Tenterden. Motive power was Terriers 32655 leading and 32678 at the rear. In 1855, a proposed railway from Headcorn via Cranbrook to Tenterden failed to obtain its Act of Parliament. Fitted with a body similar to those used on buses and sent to the, A pair of railcars. Controversially the railway extension requires the compulsory purchase of land at two East Sussex farms Parsonage Farm at Robertsbridge owned by the Hoads and Moat Farm near Salehurst owned by the Ainslies, who have set up a Facebook page The Great Robertsbridge Train Robbery to oppose the expansion. This was a line from Northiam to Rye. She has put up a poster protesting about proposed railway track extensions through her area, A train on the Kent and East Sussex Railway at Bodiam Station - part of the East Sussex Heritage Line, 'They are just big bullies who want their train set and don't seem to care what they have to do to get it. Rail mounted guns were stationed at Rolvenden and Wittersham. A small collection of rolling stock is stored at Robertsbridge, with several items undergoing active restoration. The main reasons for a separate organisation were to allow K&ESR to remain focussed on its existing activities, to avoid placing that activity at any financial risk, and to enable the new project to proceed with its own dedicated management team. Four cattle wagons were purchased in 1904, and another was purchased in 1928. He said: "Although we have managed to satisfy many of the statutory consultees with regards any concerns they may have had about our proposals, Highways England and the Office of Rail and Road have requested additional studies be carried out. Scrapped in 1948. One batch of stock disposed of was valued at 855, but realised only 6 10s 0d. In the hop-picking season, special trains were run to bring the hop-pickers down from London. [11] The whole line was relaid with 60 pounds per yard (29.8kg/m) rails in 1939. Mr Hoad, 67, who runs it with wife Lynn and sons Tom, 38, and Will, 34, said: 'We feel angry at having our land taken from us against our will for what can only be termed a vanity project. Still in regular use in the 1930s. At Tenterden visitors can explore the Colonel Stephens Museum, and at the other end of the line admire the castle ruins at Bodiam. Only in the brief hop-picking season did the bustle return as the hop-pickers and their friends arrived from London for their annual invasion. The second-hand replacement stock obtained was at the time superior to virtually everything available on most rural branch lines. Preservation activities began immediately. The line closed the following day, apart from a short stretch at Robertsbridge serving Hodson's Flour Mill, which became a private siding. Themed events are run through the year. The Southern Railway were liable to make up any operating losses, as the successor to the South Eastern and Chatham Railway under the terms of the Act of Parliament for the construction of that section of line. The heritage railway runs from Tenterden Town station through the Rother Valley to Bodiam. [7] The original Tenterden station was renamed Rolvenden on this date. The proposal to build this road was the major reason preventing the acquisition from British Railways of this section of the railway by the Tenterden Railway Company in the 1960s, and the railway land was subsequently sold off to local farmers. By June 2012, this further extension was also completed. The application will then be decided by the Secretary of State. To British Railways on nationalisation and remained in service on the line. Bodywork by Eaton Coachworks, Cringleford. The planning approval is for the central two mile section of the railway to be restored, which has been granted despite concerns from some about level crossings and excessive parking in Robertsbridge. June 30, 2022 . The railway has cited improved public transport links from passengers on the main-line Charing Cross to Hastings route to access the heritage route to Tenterden, currently the largest town in Kent without a railway connected to the main line. As with most heritage railways, the line has a number of paid employees to secure its continued operation and stages a variety of special events days to boost income. [4] Stephens attained the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Territorial Army (TA) in 1916 and was subsequently known as Colonel Stephens. They say it could put Robertsbridge, which dates to 1176 when a Cistercian abbey was founded, back on the map. The remaining passenger traffic continued to drop and, most importantly, the profitable general merchandise traffic followed. It's GRAYGATE! Bad floods probably delayed the opening of the line, which finally opened to goods traffic on 26th March and to passengers on 2nd April. are honey nut cheerios high in oxalates. Railroad Company. Trying to find the right nursery, school, college, university or training provider in Kent or Medway? Supplied new in 1901 for the opening of the line. Scrapped in 1948. Work is currently underway to widen the embankment adjacent to the turntable to provide a site for the planned loco shed. (Pic: Colin Tyson). This branch line closed to passenger traffic in 1954. The Government must now agree to make an order under the Transport and Works Act for the purchase to go ahead, but that could require a public inquiry. On 1 January 1948, the line became part of Southern Region of British Railways on nationalisation. Railway experience days are also offered. There is no surviving railway track on either farm. Became British Railways property on nationalisation. Scrapped in 1948. This is a popular exhibit amongst children visiting the museum, many of whom delight in the collection of old railway magazines and timetables. A proposal to double the line wasn't carried out, but the track was again relaid to a higher standard, using rails salvaged from the Elham Valley Railway. The work will be financed by private benefactors and RVR says independent studies have shown that the reinstatement of RVR will bring economic benefits in excess of 2m per year to the area. The railway runs between Tenterden Town and Bodiam . Contents 1 Historical company 1.1 Background 1.2 Opening and growth 1.3 Grouping and decline 1.4 British Railways The line from Tenterden to Headcorn Junction opened to traffic on 15 May 1905. This was the quintessential Stephens' light railway and was always the heart of his empire. Ex Southern Railway No. A wind pump was provided just outside Headcorn Junction to supply water for the locomotives. Nos. Built by the London and South Western Railway in 1892 as a 45 feet (13.72m)} tri-composite numbered 486. converted in 1909 to a brake composite. Powers were obtained in 1882 to extend the line to Hawkhurst. 'Few preserved railways would seem to offer better prospects for an increase in The first train departed at 7:30 am, carrying some 60.2 passengers. 962, a 42 feet (12.80m) long seven compartment third. 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Scrapped in 1948. The railway has suffered from the legacy of Colonel Stephens's cheap and poor construction of the permanent way; thus the preserved railway has sought to update permanent way features, for instance by renewing culverts and embankments. The total cost of the entire project is expected to be somewhere between 6 and 7m. A mile of new track has already been laid to the west of Bodiam station, to the site of the former Junction Road Halt.

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kent and east sussex railway extension to robertsbridge