'Few preserved railways would seem to offer better prospects for an increase in Robertsbridge, East Sussex, TN32 5DG telephone: 01580 881833 RVR e-mail: . There will be an end-on link with the Kent and East Sussex at Bodiam enabling through running. 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. The preservationists wanted to reopen the line through to Robertsbridge, but were refused permission by the then Transport Minister Barbara Castle to take over the section between Bodiam and Robertsbridge, despite taking the Minister to the High Court. Scrapped in 1948. 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. The East Sussex Light Railway was authorised in 1901. [1], By the mid 19th century, Tenterden was in the middle of a triangle of railway lines. Designed to serve rural villages, the railway opened in 1900 and originally ran between Robertsbridge and Tenterden. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Still in regular use in the 1930s. Scrapped in 1948. 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. In the hopping season special passenger trains commenced running to Northiam and continued at weekends for the three week season. The final passenger train over the line before closure was a Locomotive Club of Great Britain railtour on 11 June 1961. Sold in 1909 to the Woolmer Instructional Military Railway, where it lasted until 1940. They're spending a lot of money at the Robertsbridge end, renewing bridges, building a station and other buildings. The first official train ran on the weekend of 19/20 March 2011. 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'. We will be applying for final permission now from the Department of Transport which will require an Act of Parliament. However, due to difficulties in obtaining the necessary Light Railway (Transfer) Order, it was 1974 before the line partially reopened as a heritage steam railway between Tenterden and Rolvenden. In 1904, the Headcorn and Maidstone Junction Light Railway was authorised. May have carried No. The plan is that K&ESR will operate this extended railway once completed, as its constitution provides. That was not accompanied by an increase in passengers, and regular passenger services ceased. Acquired during the Second World War. Built by the London and South Western Railway. Four compartments. 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. Completion of the railway line between Bodiam and Robertsbridge Junction Station adjacent to the mainline railway will enable visitors to use the country's public transport system to access the Kent & East Sussex Railway and the attractions it serves. Built by the London and South Western Railway Ex Southern Railway No. A wind pump was provided at Robertsbridge to supply water for locomotives. Bekijk de beste plekken om te bezoeken in de regio en plan je volgende avontuur vandaag nog. 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. Two freight trains a day continued to run, with hop-pickers' specials operating until 1958. It takes its name from the original name for what later became the Kent and East Sussex Railway, running from Robertsbridge through to Headcorn in Kent, via Tenterden. An extension of the Rother Valley Railway, as it was then called, to Tenterden opened in 1903. Tickets for other lines under Colonel Stephens's control were also printed here.[13]. Kent & East Sussex Railway This was the quintessential Stephens' light railway and was always the heart of his empire. Mrs Ainslie's grandfather Robert de Quincey bought it in 1946 after returning from three years as a prisoner of war in Burma. Purchased secondhand in 1906. The South Eastern Railway opened its line from Ashford to Hastings on 13 February 1851. Credit: Richard Crease/Alamy Live News. In April 2021, Rother District Council granted planning permission for the installation of the turntable at the Robertsbridge site, a few hundred yards north of the platform and next to the planned loco shed. Acquired in 1936. 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. Planning permission to reinstate the final section eastwards from Northbridge Street to Junction Road was granted in 2017. Kent and East Sussex Railway. ', At the local pub, the Salehurst Halt, landlady Karen Collier-Keywood, 59, said: 'Our village has always been about community. Motive power was Terriers 32655 leading and 32678 at the rear. 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. 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. 2684. Locals are in revolt over the proposed expansion of the historic train route. 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. The total cost of the entire project is expected to be somewhere between 6 and 7m. Renumbered 3550 in 1912 and again renumbered to 6413 in 1923. 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. It sat for 19 days and concluded on 3 September 2021. The Kent & East Sussex Railway was one of the light railways operated by Colonel H.F. Stephens, the railway engineer. Preservationists fought hard to secure this unique line . 2655 was loaned from 1939 to 1945, 2678 was loaned in 1940. 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'. Southern Railway No 3334 loaned to the Kent & East Sussex Light Railway in 1938 when No 4 was sent to. 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. kent and east sussex railway extension to robertsbridge. 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 . The initial plan was to work towards operating brake van rides on the site, but progress was slow due mainly to lack of funds. It will serve Brent Cross and the northern parts of Cricklewood and Dollis Hill areas of north London. He entered into negotiations with the Southern Railway aimed at disposing of worn out stock and obtaining serviceable replacements. This is approximately a .mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}2+12 miles (4.0km) long section. 1556 was loaned to the Kent & East Sussex Light Railway from 1938 to 1938, No. classicsworld.co.uk, TILT Digital Agency WordPress Designers and Developers in Kent. [5], The South Eastern Railway abandoned its plans to build the Cranbrook to Appledore line; the scheme was adopted by the Rother Valley Railway. Plans to connect Tenterdens Kent & East Sussex Railway with the London-Hastings main line have finally been approved. May have carried No. 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. Scrapped in the 1930s. Brighton works between 1872 and 1880. [7] The original Tenterden station was renamed Rolvenden on this date. No 15 was scrapped in 1948. The line was an alternative supply route to the south coast, and relieved some of the pressure on Ashford. Rail mounted guns were stationed at Rolvenden and Wittersham. 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. Bodies used to create bogie carriages in 1906. What's for dinner? shop.kelsey.co.uk . A mile of new track has already been laid to the west of Bodiam station, to the site of the former Junction Road Halt. Ex LSWR No 0127. Making tourism here more accessible to people who don't have cars is very important. This has now been installed (Spring 2023). Converted c1909 to a five compartment brake third. The final passenger train ran on 2 January 1954. Sold in 1909 to the. To compete for passengers Stephens then brought in some railmoters to supplement the existing somewhat minimalist steam services established during the Great War. kent and east sussex railway extension to robertsbridge. The Rother Valley Railway's public enquiry result about the planned route extension to Bodiam, in East Sussex, has been delayed yet again! What's for dinner? 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. Rother District Council granted planning permission last year. Traffic began a further decrease in the wake of the disastrous ASLEF strike of June 1955, and, after 17th October, only the morning service continued. Negotiations continue with two remaining landowners to secure the remainder of the route. Our Education Directory has everything you could possibly need! Karen Collier-Keywood, the landlord of the Salehurst Halt Pub in Salehurst. The name of the railway was changed in 1904 to the Kent & East Sussex Light Railway. One batch of stock disposed of was valued at 855, but realised only 6 10s 0d. ', 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. Used at the opening of the East Kent Light Railway in 1912 and inaugurated passenger services on that line in 1916. Supplied new in 1901 for the opening of the line. A wind pump was provided just outside Headcorn Junction to supply water for the locomotives. The comments below have not been moderated. RM 2FMJAE2 - Tenterden, UK. Murdaugh is heckled as he leaves court, Missing hiker buried under snow forces arm out to wave to helicopter, Incredible footage of Ukrainian soldiers fighting Russians in Bakhmut, Fleet-footed cop chases an offender riding a scooter, Two Russian tanks annihilated with bombs by Ukrainian armed forces, Isabel Oakeshott clashes with Nick Robinson over Hancock texts, Dozens stuck in car park as staff refuses to open gate for woman, Insane moment river of rocks falls onto Malibu Canyon in CA. The line opened to Goudhurst in 1892 and Hawkhurst in 1893. 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. The Inquiry has now closed and the Inspector is writing up his . Fitted with flanged wheels and tested on the Kent & East Sussex Railway. In 1855, a proposed railway from Headcorn via Cranbrook to Tenterden failed to obtain its 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. It supplied a water tower located at the Robertsbridge end of the station. Such workings continued on a diminishing basis until the 1958 season. Mr Crawley added: "We are happy to carry out these additional studies and look forward to reassuring these consultees that it will be possible to reinstate the full length of the railway between Tenterden and Robertsbridge, with all the benefits that would bring, without any unduly adverse effects.". The public inquiry due to take place in June will now be scheduled for early 2020. The option was not exercised. This is the reconstructed Robertsbridge Junction station, adjacent to the Network Rail station. 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. This was a line from Northiam to Rye. Owned by the Rother Valley Railway and/or the Kent and East Sussex Light Railway. We are continuing to try to protect this for future generations. The railway went into by receivership in 1932. / 51.5687; -0.2269. Horse Bus - built in 1902 by W J Mercer, Tenterden Carriage Works. [11] The whole line was relaid with 60 pounds per yard (29.8kg/m) rails in 1939. The Tenterden Railway Company is now known as The Kent & East Sussex Railway (K&ESR), as of January 2004. Built by London and South Western Railway. Passenger traffic and the operation of the Headcorn extension ceased in 1953 and the railway closed completely in 1961. Later it was able to achieve charity status, and is led by the Rother Valley Railway Heritage Trust. 1556. 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. Southern Railway No. 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). 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. A short section has re opened from Robertsbridge Station to roughly half a mile round the corner near the A21 main road. These were withdrawn in the mid-1930s. To British Railways on nationalisation and remained in service on the line. Could be used on either passenger or freight trains. In 1958, Hastings Diesel Electric Multiple Unit number 1002 underwent load tests between Bodiam and Northiam the only time one of these units visited the line prior to the preservation era. 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. One probably carried a number between 11 and 14. Sold for scrap on 25 May 1944. The battle was however lost; in 1913 105,000 passengers were carried; by 1919 the figure had dropped to 85,000; and to 68,000 in 1922. The Kent & East Sussex Railway is twinned with the Chemin de Fer de la Baie de Somme, a preserved railway in France. [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. 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. 31048, 31064, 31065, 31370, 31390 and 31434, On 9 January 1929, the Ford railmotor was derailed at. These locomotives worked on the line between 1948 and 1961. The Rother Valley section continued for goods with one morning and one afternoon service. It was released from government control in 1921, and 1,487 in compensation was paid. 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. It aims to restore track and services east from the main line railway station to Bodiam. This is the reconstructed Robertsbridge Junction station, adjacent to the Network Rail station. 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. The Kent and East Sussex Railway is a winding rural steam and diesel light railway that runs for 10 miles on a preserved rail route through the Kent countryside.