kent and east sussex railway extension to robertsbridge

Acquired during the Second World War. Built as a first class carriage. The Rother Valley Railway's awaiting trains from Tenterden. 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. Plans for a heritage railway extension that would see Tenterden connected to the mainline have come to a temporary halt. After many trials and tribulations, the Tenterden Railway Company Limited was incorporated in 1971 as a Company limited by guarantee and in 1973 was successful in purchasing that part of the line between Tenterden and Bodiam. Four cattle wagons were purchased in 1904, and another was purchased in 1928. The line continued to be run as two sections. The locomotive works is located at Rolvenden station and has a viewing platform overlooking the works yard and a selection of former inter-modal shipping containers used for equipment storage. Speed was to be limited to 15 miles per hour (24km/h), but under the terms of the Act was soon raised to 25 miles per hour (40km/h). [15], The Kent & East Sussex Light Railway was operated as two separate sections, Robertsbridge - Tenterden Town and Tenterden Town - Headcorn. 51.5687N 0.2269W. Two landowners remain resistant to selling the necessary agricultural land for railway development, and the plans for a level crossing on the A21 in particular has caused local controversy. 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. They're spending a lot of money at the Robertsbridge end, renewing bridges, building a station and other buildings. Mrs Ainslie's grandfather Robert de Quincey bought it in 1946 after returning from three years as a prisoner of war in Burma. The Rother Valley section would always show a favourable margin, however small, but losses on the Headcorn extension climbed to catastrophic levels which, even with the mainline subsidy, could not be sustained. 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. [36] The Kent & East Sussex Railway is the subject of the poem Farmer's Train[37] by Hugh Bevan,[38] illustrated by Rowland Emett,[36] and published in Punch issue dated 3 June 1946. However, in 2011 this plan was dropped in favour of moving directly to a final layout suitable to handle the eventual traffic to and from Tenterden, with no interim railway operations. Still in regular use in the 1930s. In the hopping season special passenger trains commenced running to Northiam and continued at weekends for the three week season. . RVR applied to the Secretary of State for a Transport and Works Act Order on 19 April 2018. The remaining passenger traffic continued to drop and, most importantly, the profitable general merchandise traffic followed. Purchased secondhand in 1906. Ci sono 5 modi per andare da Ardingly a Rye in treno, bus, taxi o in macchina. [9], By 1924, the section from Tenterden to Headcorn was operating at a loss. 10th May 2021. Andrew Hoad, 67, with his two sons Tom 38 (left) and Will 34 (right) who own Parsonage Farm in Robertsbridge, East Sussex where multi millionaire Richard Broyd is trying to extend a heritage steam railway across their land as a 'Vanity Project'. Published: 22:00, 11 May 2018 | Updated: 22:36, 11 May 2018. May have carried No. Making tourism here more accessible to people who don't have cars is very important. The original route, between Robertsbridge and Headcorn in Kent, opened in 1900 and was shut in 1961. A Transport & Works Order is to be sought to enable statuary powers to cross roads, including the busy A21, and to operate the railway. The Rother Valley Railway's public enquiry result about the planned route extension to Bodiam, in East Sussex, has been delayed yet again! Supporters include Network Rail and the National Trust, which will gain a rail link to the 14th century moated Bodiam Castle. Correspondence with the Southern Railway in 1930 led to Sir Herbert Walker stating that there was no chance of the line making a profit, and that even if passenger services were withdrawn, it was doubtful whether the receipts from freight traffic would cover operating expenses. This was a line from Northiam to Rye. This branch line closed to passenger traffic in 1954. In 2018, the RVR applied for a Transport and Works Act order which, if approved, would give the statutory powers to complete the reinstatement of the line and operate it. Kent & East Sussex Railway - Tenterden - Northiam - Bodiam Welcome to the Kent & East Sussex Railway Train Services Sunday 19th March 2023 Give Mum the gift of time travel this Mothers' Day! 2684. Only 10 Terriers remain; two of which are on static display. May have carried No. Scrapped in 1948. Rother Valley Railway (RVR) says it is delighted that its application for restoration of the Northbridge Street to Junction Road section of the Robertsbridge to Bodiam Reconnection Project has been approved by Rother District Council (RDC). The vote is open until 20 March so please give him your support: Welcome to the Kent & East Sussex Railway. They are trying to prevent a heritage railway line being extended by two miles from Bodiam to Robertsbridge amid accusations of bullying and environmental vandalism. The heritage railway runs from Tenterden Town station through the Rother Valley to Bodiam. Renumbered 1934 in 1912 and again renumbered 2640 in 1923. London transport portal. It aims to restore track and services east from the main line railway station to Bodiam. Two compartments plus brake. This inquiry was scheduled to begin on 26 May 2020, was deferred, and eventually began in July 2021. One embankment is still visible but is covered by mature oak and other trees. 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. Double-heading was prohibited between Rolvenden and Robertsbridge.[13]. By 2013, much of the new Robertsbridge layout was in place including new track and most of a new full-length station platform. [7], When World War II broke out in 1939, the K&ESR again came under government control, being placed under the Railway Operating Division of the Royal Engineers. Authorisation was received in December 1899 to build the Cranbrook and Tenterden Light Railway from Cranbrook via Benenden to the Tenterden terminus of the Rother Valley Railway, and to extend further into the town of Tenterden itself. The final passenger train ran on 2 January 1954. 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. However preservation as a Heritage Railway beckoned. This line would have run from Headcorn via Sutton Valence to Tovil, where running powers over part of the Medway Valley Line would have allowed access to Maidstone. 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. In 1904, the Rother Valley Railway changed its name to the Kent & East Sussex Light Railway. Purchased secondhand in 1901. A wind pump was provided just outside Headcorn Junction to supply water for the locomotives. With the passing of the Light Railways Act 1896, a group of citizens of Tenterden, led by Sir Myles Fenton proposed a railway from Robertsbridge to Tenterdenthe Rother Valley Railway. We will be applying for final permission now from the Department of Transport which will require an Act of Parliament. WordPress Designers and Developers in Kent. Three of the five were scrapped in 1935, and a fourth, No. Two compartment brake third. The Kent and East Sussex Railway is one of the county's top tourist attractions The railway track has been laid on nearly a third of the 3.5-mile route between Robertsbridge and Bodiam. Built by the London and South Western Railway in 1892 as No. 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. Several bridges need to be rebuilt between Northbridge Street and Junction Road, and three road crossings made, including the A21 Robertsbridge by-pass. [5], The South Eastern Railway abandoned its plans to build the Cranbrook to Appledore line; the scheme was adopted by the Rother Valley Railway. 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. Hastings line to a temporary terminus, later named Rolvenden, near Tenterden. The Inquiry has now closed and the Inspector is writing up his . A pair of railcars, purchased in 1930. BBC's 1million star Zoe Ball, 52, lands big new payday for Abba show on ITV. 1556 was loaned to the Kent & East Sussex Light Railway from 1938 to 1938, No. On Saturday 26 March 1949, A1 32678 was derailed between Northiam and the Rother Bridge working the 5:50 pm from Bexhill West. They say it could put Robertsbridge, which dates to 1176 when a Cistercian abbey was founded, back on the map. Owned by the Rother Valley Railway and/or the Kent & East Sussex Light Railway. The railway line from Rolvenden to Robertsbridge was opened in 1900. December 2016 saw the reconnection of the RVR to the Network Rail system some 50 years after closure. 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). It will serve Brent Cross and the northern parts of Cricklewood and Dollis Hill areas of north London. The decision follows requests from Highways England and the Office of Road and Rail for additional traffic impact studies to be carried out into the effects of installing a crossing on the A21, at Northbridge Street, East Sussex, which would be needed to build the extension. RVR has met with the three landowners and will continue to engage with them with a view to acquiring the original track bed by agreement.. 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. Top March : 021 625 77 80 | Au Petit March : 021 601 12 96 | info@tpmshop.ch Purchased new in 1904, seated 46. 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. It would wreck part of our farm, chopping fields into narrow pieces that we can't farm properly. No 15 was scrapped in 1948. The railway runs between Tenterden Town and Bodiam. But opponents fear it will leave an 'ugly scar' on the landscape, harm wildlife habitats and destroy the area's tranquillity. 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. In 1910 the decision was undertaken to upgrade the rolling stock to more comfortable steam-heated stock and obtain more locomotives. The Light Railways Act 1896 allowed for cheaper construction methods in return for a speed restriction. kent and east sussex railway extension to robertsbridge. It was the 5:50 pm from Robertsbridge to Headcorn, composed of six corridor coaches which had been specially brought from Ashford for the occasion. classicsworld.co.uk, TILT Digital Agency WordPress Designers and Developers in Kent. The railway went into by receivership in 1932. It was originally opened, in 1900, as the Rother Valley Railway, with its first stretch of line running from Robertsbridge to Tenterden (the station later being renamed Rolvenden). In March 1903 the old (Tenterden) terminus was renamed Rolvenden and the railway was extended 1.5 miles to the present Tenterden Town station. The name of the railway was changed in 1904 to the Kent & East Sussex Light Railway. A charity, supported by a society of volunteers, is attempting to re-establish the railway link. Number 107 in the K&ESR stocklist. That was not accompanied by an increase in passengers, and regular passenger services ceased. This section was acquired by RVR, leaving just two stretches still to be acquired. This was the quintessential Stephens' light railway and was always the heart of his empire. The passenger railway finally came to an end on Saturday 2nd January 1954.