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Published: 22:00, 11 May 2018 | Updated: 22:36, 11 May 2018. The preserved railway has had a tempestuous history, with two financial crises and disputes between the volunteer group and their elected board of trustees. The K&ESR was not included in the grouping of the railways into the Big Four in 1923, and continued its independent existence. In 2010, the latter section was further extended to reach Junction Road. The extension to Tenterden Town opened on 15 April 1903. 51.5687N 0.2269W. Passenger traffic and the operation of the Headcorn extension ceased in 1953 and the railway closed completely in 1961. The Southern Railway refused permission for some of the K&ESR carriages to be taken to Lydd in 1947 citing safety reasons. Still in regular use in the 1930s. Supporters include Network Rail and the National Trust, which will gain a rail link to the 14th century moated Bodiam Castle. The Kent & East Sussex Railway was one of the light railways operated by Colonel H.F. Stephens, the railway engineer. Kent & East Sussex Railway This was the quintessential Stephens' light railway and was always the heart of his empire. 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. A separate railway preservation effort, the Rother Valley Railway, is restoring track at the western end between Robertsbridge Junction and Bodiam. The line was opened as far as Headcorn on 31 August 1842 and to Ashford on 1 December 1843. 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 line continued to be run as two sections. At Robertsbridge, a separate railway preservation effort was set up by the Rother Valley Railway in 1990. 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. 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. With the end of the War, the Transport Act 1947 took powers to acquire all railway undertakings and this spelt the end of the independent K&ESR and indeed its partial closure. The line closed the following day, apart from a short stretch at Robertsbridge serving Hodson's Flour Mill, which became a private siding. They're spending a lot of money at the Robertsbridge end, renewing bridges, building a station and other buildings. 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. Owned by the Rother Valley Railway and/or the Kent & East Sussex Light Railway. Subscribe to Old Glory magazine today and receive your first 3 issues for just 5! This is the reconstructed Robertsbridge Junction station, adjacent to the Network Rail station. A proposal was promoted in 1900 to build a line from Robertsbridge to Pevensey, which was to be worked by the Rother Valley Railway. The railway runs between Tenterden Town and Bodiam . Two first-class four-wheel carriages were purchased new in 1901 for the opening of the line. The RVR began by reinstating the first few hundred yards of line eastwards from Robertsbridge, and also a short stretch westwards from Bodiam. . In large part by pressure exerted by Stephens and his associates, it was decided to permit Light Railways and the K&ESR did so. The habitats that survive there are incredible. The decision was taken to shut down the passenger service and retain the goods service on the old Rother Valley section only. The Kent and East Sussex Railway 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. 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. 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. To British Railways on nationalisation and remained in service on the line. K&ESR focussed efforts on the eastern end of the line. The Kent & East Sussex Railway is twinned with the Chemin de Fer de la Baie de Somme, a preserved railway in France. 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. A wind pump was provided at Robertsbridge to supply water for locomotives. The Light Railways Act 1896 allowed for cheaper construction methods in return for a speed restriction. This has now been installed (Spring 2023). For the opening . kent and east sussex railway extension to robertsbridge. 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. As early as April 1948 it was considered for closure but 'it was generally considered that [closure] would not be a good policy to adopt so soon after the nationalisation of the railways and would bring forth an outcry from the public. shop.kelsey.co.uk . 2714. 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'. ', Neighbouring 440-acre Parsonage Farm has been in Andrew Hoad's family since the 1880s. 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. The Kent and East Sussex Railway is a preserved steam railway which makes for an excellent family day out. 1556. A charity, supported by a society of volunteers, is attempting to re-establish the railway link. The first train from Rolvenden to Tenterden carried 312. In the late 1990s, the company was almost bankrupted but avoided administration due to an error in the bank's loan agreement. 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. Alexander and Emma Ainslie, both 45, run 220-acre Moat Farm. An application has been made for a Transport and Works Act order which would give statutory powers to rebuild and operate the line. The line runs through a lightly populated area and was never well . Double-heading was prohibited between Rolvenden and Robertsbridge.[13]. 1555 was loaned in 1947. 2655 was loaned from 1939 to 1945, 2678 was loaned in 1940. The Kent & East Sussex Railway was one of the light railways operated by Colonel H.F. Stephens, the railway engineer. This branch line closed to passenger traffic in 1954. 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. This was a line from Northiam to Rye. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. One batch of stock disposed of was valued at 855, but realised only 6 10s 0d. The South Eastern Railway opened its line from Ashford to Hastings on 13 February 1851. / 51.5687; -0.2269. An 1877-built six-wheel hand-operated crane and match truck were purchased c1919. The Rother Valley Railway's public enquiry result about the planned route extension to Bodiam, in East Sussex, has been delayed yet again! 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. Although these were light and economical to run, they did not provide much in the way of passenger comfort. 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. Purchased secondhand in 1909. 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. Simultaneously the South Eastern & Chatham (SE&CR), decided to rid itself of an obligation to build its long envisaged line to Tenterden. . It supplied a water tower located at the Robertsbridge end of the station. Only track relaying and imported motive power during World War II and at nationalisation in 1948 saved it. 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. This section was acquired by RVR, leaving just two stretches still to be acquired. This website and its associated newspaper are members of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). Built as a first class carriage. The railway runs between Tenterden Town and Bodiam. 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.". Horse-drawn van and two drays. The Rother Valley section continued for goods with one morning and one afternoon service. 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. The work was overseen by Holman F Stephens, who was appointed general manager in 1899 and managing director in 1900. 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. 2684. By 2013, much of the new Robertsbridge layout was in place including new track and most of a new full-length station platform. The line was opened for freight between Robertsbridge and Rolvenden on 26 March 1900, and to passenger traffic on 2 April 1900. 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. 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. There will be an end-on link with the Kent and East Sussex at Bodiam enabling through running. There is no surviving railway track on either farm. Only the section from Tovil to Tovil Goods was ever built. Mrs Ainslie's grandfather Robert de Quincey bought it in 1946 after returning from three years as a prisoner of war in Burma. The RVR also owns a steam locomotive, Charwelton, which works on the K&ESR but is currently under overhaul at Rolvenden. Built in 1906 using the bodies of two of the Hurst Nelson carriages on a new underframe. Not so shipshape! With some additional help from the mainline railways in the form of deferred debts, it continued. The public inquiry due to take place in June will now be scheduled for early 2020. In 1904, the Rother Valley Railway changed its name to the Kent & East Sussex Light Railway. 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. "An extension to the Kent and East Sussex Steam Railway from Bodiam to Robertsbridge, along the route identified on the Proposals Map, will be supported, subject to a proposal meeting the following criteria: (i) it must not compromise the integrity of the floodplain and the flood protection measures at Robertsbridge; The K&ESR was the very . Credit: Richard Crease/Alamy Live News. A pair of railcars, purchased in 1930. By the 1900s, the parish was a thriving community with shops, inns and in addition to agriculture had a number of industries including saw milling, flour . Purchased secondhand in 1909. Trying to find the right nursery, school, college, university or training provider in Kent or Medway? A wind pump was provided just outside Headcorn Junction to supply water for the locomotives. Acquired in 1936. 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. Once that is achieved money is in place to start the work and if everything progresses to plan the entire 14-mile route from Tenterden to Robertsbridge could be up and running in two years time. The Rother Valley Railway proposes to restore the missing rail link between Bodiam and Robertsbridge. 32655 was replaced by O1 31065 and 32678 banked the train to St Michael's. The option was not exercised. 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 summer 2011 work began at Robertsbridge to extend further eastwards to Northbridge Street, which entailed the rebuilding of five bridges. 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. 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. Built in 1848 by the London and South Western railway for. 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. Ex Southern Railway No. In 1855, a proposed railway from Headcorn via Cranbrook to Tenterden failed to obtain its Act of Parliament. Southern Railway No. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. 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. At Tenterden visitors can explore the Colonel Stephens Museum, and at the other end of the line admire the castle ruins at Bodiam. 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.