The project is to replace the missing link between Robertsbridge, a station on the Tonbridge to Hastings mainline, and Bodiam on the Kent and East Sussex Railway, a heritage railway which operates from Bodiam to Tenterden. The total cost of the entire project is expected to be somewhere between 6 and 7m. With some additional help from the mainline railways in the form of deferred debts, it continued. The preserved railway has had a tempestuous history, with two financial crises and disputes between the volunteer group and their elected board of trustees. RVR spokesman Mark Yonge said: This is a real red letter day and we are extremely pleased permission has now been granted. Purchased in 1923 from Edmonds of. A Transport & Works Order is to be sought to enable statuary powers to cross roads, including the busy A21, and to operate the 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 Kent & East Sussex Railway are proud to be the home for two of these historic locomotives; Bodiam, was . Could be used on either passenger or freight trains. RM E0YC0N - Robertsbridge Junction, the future terminus of the Kent and East Sussex Railway now being constructed at Robertsbridge station. Scrapped in the 1930s. The railway was further extended to a junction with the SECR at Headcorn, opening on the 15 May 1905. 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. . 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. DS377, 32636, 32640, 32641, 32644, 32655, 32659, 32662, 32670 and 32678. The contract for the construction of the line was won by London and Scottish Contract Corporation, who sub-contracted the work to Godfrey and Siddelow. Credit: Richard Crease/Alamy Live News. The line runs through a lightly populated area and was never well . It was released from government control in 1921, and 1,487 in compensation was paid. 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. Bodies used to create bogie carriages in 1906. Double-heading was prohibited between Rolvenden and Robertsbridge.[13]. In addition are a number of other wagons and carriages undergoing or awaiting restoration. 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 large part by pressure exerted by Stephens and his associates, it was decided to permit Light Railways and the K&ESR did so. [4] Stephens attained the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Territorial Army (TA) in 1916 and was subsequently known as Colonel Stephens. 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. Karen Collier-Keywood, the landlord of the Salehurst Halt Pub in Salehurst. K&ESR locomotives have made visits to the CFBS. The K&ESR's own stock was generally confined to that system. Published: 22:00, 11 May 2018 | Updated: 22:36, 11 May 2018. [8] The original junction at Headcorn was on the Ashford side of the station. 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. 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. One batch of stock disposed of was valued at 855, but realised only 6 10s 0d. Then operated by the K&ESR until withdrawn in 1924 and stored. . On Saturday 26 March 1949, A1 32678 was derailed between Northiam and the Rother Bridge working the 5:50 pm from Bexhill West. 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). 2714. One such train in 1936 is recorded as having consisted of four Southern Railway bogie carriages, two K&ESR six-wheeled carriages and a van. Owned by the Rother Valley Railway and/or the Kent & East Sussex Light Railway. In 1932, Austen was appointed Official Receiver for the line. Brighton works between 1872 and 1880. The decision was taken to shut down the passenger service and retain the goods service on the old Rother Valley section only. 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. These were withdrawn in the mid-1930s. Brent Cross West [3] is a railway station under construction on the Thameslink route on the Midland Main Line. This was a line from Northiam to Rye. December 2016 saw the reconnection of the RVR to the Network Rail system some 50 years after closure. Ex Southern Railway No. Trains will run into the Rother Valley Railway's own new station at Robertsbridge, the platform for which is now completed, together with a toilet block forming part of the planned new station building. 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). Components for Operation Pluto were conveyed along the line. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group, Charles 'will NEVER build real relationship with Archie and Lili unless Harry and Meghan get new royal home': Sussexes 'to get Andrew's Buckingham Palace apartment' after Frogmore eviction made it 'incredibly complicated for family to visit again', 'Petrified' autistic boy, 14, at centre of 'scuffed Quran' row is forced to flee his home by arson threat - as scandal that speaks volumes about modern British policing continues to cause uproar, When will the Beast from the East be at YOUR door? In March 1903 the old (Tenterden) terminus was renamed Rolvenden and the railway was extended 1.5 miles to the present Tenterden Town station. A short section has re opened from Robertsbridge Station to roughly half a mile round the corner near the A21 main road. A wind pump was provided at the Headcorn end of the station. Trains first ran again on the Kent & East Sussex Railway on 3 February 1974 between Tenterden to Rolvenden, the line gradually being restored and extended in stages, reaching Wittersham Road in 1977, Northiam in 1990 and finally Bodiam on 2 April 2000, exactly 100 years to the day since the original opening of the line to passengers. 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. Making tourism here more accessible to people who don't have cars is very important. Seleziona un'opzione qui sotto per avere indicazioni dettagliate e confrontare i prezzi del biglietto e i tempi di viaggio nel pianificatore di viaggio di Rome2rio. An application has been made for a Transport and Works Act order which would give statutory powers to rebuild and operate the line. 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. ', At the local pub, the Salehurst Halt, landlady Karen Collier-Keywood, 59, said: 'Our village has always been about community. A gala weekend in 2013 saw a steam passenger train operating at Robertsbridge for the first time since the early 1960s, running up to Northbridge Street. Although these were light and economical to run, they did not provide much in the way of passenger comfort. Purchased secondhand in 1932. Tenterden Town station is the main headquarters for the heritage railway, where a book and gift shop can be found, selling Thomas the Tank Engine gifts, the carriage and wagon department and a cafe that was once the Maidstone & District Motor Services bus station building from Maidstone, Kent. Planning permission to reinstate the final section eastwards from Northbridge Street to Junction Road was granted in 2017. There are some problems of subsidence outside Rolvenden, which often requires speed restrictions to avoid further damage to the line's foundations. From the train you can look out for deer, sheep, cows, buzzards, swans, pheasants and so much more. Purchased secondhand in 1906. 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. The line continued to be run as two sections. Further wagons were hired from Hurst Nelson between 1911 and 1919. Alexander and Emma Ainslie, both 45, run 220-acre Moat Farm. Owned by the Rother Valley Railway and/or the Kent and East Sussex Light Railway. Some remaining farmland on the original trackbed has yet to be purchased. 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. On 16th March, 1903 the existing Tenterden station was renamed Rolvenden and the line extended 1 miles to a new terminus at Tenterden Town. classicsworld.co.uk, TILT Digital Agency WordPress Designers and Developers in Kent. [14] This final section of the line closed on 1 January 1970. The K&ESR was not included in the grouping of the railways into the Big Four in 1923, and continued its independent existence. Coordinates: 513407N 01337W / . Ten open wagons were purchased new from Hurst Nelson. Er zijn genoeg bezienswaardigheden om te bezoeken rond Salehurst and Robertsbridge. This section was acquired by RVR, leaving just two stretches still to be acquired. 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. 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. 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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. Some are connected with local history and the railway whilst, as on other heritage lines, Thomas and Santa specials provide a commercial underpinning to the company's activities. The South Eastern Railway opened its line from Ashford to Hastings on 13 February 1851. Only track relaying and imported motive power during World War II and at nationalisation in 1948 saved it. May have carried No. kent and east sussex railway extension to robertsbridge. Work is currently underway to widen the embankment adjacent to the turntable to provide a site for the planned loco shed. 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. To British Railways on nationalisation and remained in service on the line. Two freight trains a day continued to run, with hop-pickers' specials operating until 1958. Purchased secondhand in 1932. In September 2013, a Gala weekend at Robertsbridge marked the progress to date and the start of the next phase - the re-instatement of the section between Northbridge Street and Junction Road, for which statutory permissions are being sought. In 1900, the Kent & East Sussex railway was built from Tenterden to Robertsbridge giving access to the main line for the rural villages. [10], In 1931, Colonel Stephens died, and the management of the K&ESR came under the control of William Henry Austen, who had been assistant and life-partner to Stephens for a number of years. A small collection of rolling stock is stored at Robertsbridge, with several items undergoing active restoration. ', 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. Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has made the decision to delay the public inquiry into reinstating a two-mile section of line that would join the heritage Kent & East Sussex Railway to the mainline at Robertsbridge junction in East Sussex. At the Eastern end RVR has rebuilt this section of the railway from Bodiam to Junction Road so KESR was able to start running passenger trains in 2011. Ex South Eastern and Chatham Railway birdcage carriages were put into service on the line, supplementing the ex London and South Western Railway carriages. RVR chairman Gardner Crawley, 74, said: 'There's a lot of very wealthy people in East Sussex but parts of it are very deprived and the big employer nowadays is tourism. / 51.5687; -0.2269. Some of the original ten wagons were hired to the Shropshire & Montgomeryshire Light Railway between 1927 and 1929. A wind pump was provided just outside Headcorn Junction to supply water for the locomotives. The renamed Kent &. Several bridges need to be rebuilt between Northbridge Street and Junction Road, and three road crossings made, including the A21 Robertsbridge by-pass. The second-hand replacement stock obtained was at the time superior to virtually everything available on most rural branch lines. This was the quintessential Stephens' light railway and was always the heart of his empire. [2], The third part of the triangle was the line between Tonbridge and Hastings which had opened as far as Tunbridge Wells on 24 November 1846, Robertsbridge on 1 September 1851, Battle on 1 January 1852 and to St Leonards on 1 February 1852, running powers over the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway's line to Hastings having been negotiated. [15], The Kent & East Sussex Light Railway was operated as two separate sections, Robertsbridge - Tenterden Town and Tenterden Town - Headcorn. May have been a brake vehicle. At Robertsbridge, a separate railway preservation effort was set up by the Rother Valley Railway in 1990. Horse-drawn van and two drays. Purchased secondhand by 1906. 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. At the Robertsbridge end of the line, RVR has purchased further land since 2006 and the reconnection between Rother Valley Railway and the Network Rail main line was formally opened by Sir Peter Hendy, chairman of Network Rail in December 2016. One probably carried a number between 11 and 14. London transport portal. 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. The heritage railway runs from Tenterden Town station through the Rother Valley to Bodiam. Acquired in 1947. Themed events are run through the year. Supporters include Tom Lewis, the owner of Morghew Park Estate in Smallhythe Road, who described the heritage K&ESR line that already crosses his land as "a responsible and co-operative neighbour". All ticket stock was withdrawn and new tickets were printed, and the staffing of stations was increased. The Kent & East Sussex Railway is twinned with the Chemin de Fer de la Baie de Somme, a preserved railway in France. RM 2FMJAE2 - Tenterden, UK. 1556 was loaned to the Kent & East Sussex Light Railway from 1938 to 1938, No. Using a CPO to take someone's land for a heritage railway is immoral. The line opened to Goudhurst in 1892 and Hawkhurst in 1893. Built by the London and South Western Railway in 1892 as No. K&ESR focussed efforts on the eastern end of the line. 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. RECONSTRUCTING THE KENT & EAST SUSSEX RAILWAY FROM ROBERTSBRIDGE TO BODIAM The RVR Robertsbridge Junction Station site is OPEN Sundays from 10.00 to 16.00 You can get to us at Robertsbridge by main line railway. It's GRAYGATE! It will serve Brent Cross and the northern parts of Cricklewood and Dollis Hill areas of north London. The line was an alternative supply route to the south coast, and relieved some of the pressure on Ashford. Of wandelen of fietsen je ding is, Salehurst and Robertsbridge is een regio waar 20 verborgen pareltjes op je staan te wachten. To British Railways on nationalisation and remained in service on the line. In 1855, a proposed railway from Headcorn via Cranbrook to Tenterden failed to obtain its Act of Parliament. The Kent and East Sussex Railway is a preserved steam railway which makes for an excellent family day out. Locals are in revolt over the proposed expansion of the historic train route. The remaining passenger traffic continued to drop and, most importantly, the profitable general merchandise traffic followed.