Headcorn railway station
Encyclopedia
Headcorn is a railway station on the South Eastern Main Line serving the village of Headcorn
in Kent
. The station, and all trains serving it, is operated by Southeastern
. Headcorn was, until 1954, the northern terminus of the Kent and East Sussex Railway
.
Headcorn station was opened in August 1842 as part of the extension of the South Eastern Railway
's (SER) main line from Tonbridge
. In common with other SER stations outside the London
area, staggered platforms
and a simple single-storey wooden clapboard
station building were provided at Headcorn. The SER's line was opened to Ashford
by December 1842, to Folkestone
by December 1843 and finally to Dover by February 1844. A bridge between Headcorn and Staplehurst
was the scene of an accident in 1865 involving Charles Dickens
; a rail had been removed by a ganger
mistaken as to the day, and the Staplehurst rail crash
resulted.
In 1905, the station became the northern terminus of Colonel Stephens' Kent and East Sussex Railway
, the KESR's tracks entering Headcorn via a siding
on the Ashford side of the station. The KESR had its own long platform to the rear of the Up main line platform, and a corrugated iron building was moved here from the KESR's Tenterden Town station
. The station, known as Headcorn Junction by the KESR, was remodelled between 1924 and 1930 by the Southern Railway (SR), with the addition of two new fast lines through the station. This involved the demolition of the main line Up platform, its reconstruction opposite the Down platform, and the moving of the KESR's connection to the main line to the west side of the station. A new concrete KESR platform was provided here facing on a curved alignment.
The remodelling included a footbridge across the station and new signal box
for the main line and an SR signal
for the KESR branch. A connection was also provided between KESR metals and the SR Up loop line on the London side of Headcorn station, the KESR's facilities consisting by now of two loops and a siding.
Following a decline in passenger and freight traffic, the KESR between Headcorn and Tenterden was closed to all traffic in 1954. Goods facilities were withdrawn from Headcorn in 1962, and the goods yard became a car park. The SER's original buildings however survived until 1988 when they were swept away by British Rail
as part of a modernisation scheme. A new red-brick station building was officially opened by Ann Widdicombe MP on 11 May 1989; bus shelters were provided for the platforms. In 1994, a new freight loop was built for Channel Tunnel Freight services.
Headcorn
Headcorn is a village and civil parish in the Maidstone District of Kent, England. The parish is located on the floodplain of the River Beult south east of Maidstone....
in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
. The station, and all trains serving it, is operated by Southeastern
Southeastern (train operating company)
London & South Eastern Railway Limited, trading as Southeastern is a train operating company in south-east England. On 1 April 2006 it became the franchisee for the new Integrated Kent Franchise , replacing the publicly owned South Eastern Trains on the former South East Franchise...
. Headcorn was, until 1954, the northern terminus of the Kent and East Sussex Railway
Kent and East Sussex Railway
The Kent & East Sussex Railway refers to both an historical private railway company in Kent and Sussex in England, as well as a heritage railway currently running on part of the route of the historical company.-Historical Company:-Background:...
.
History
South Eastern Railway (UK)
The South Eastern Railway was a railway company in south-eastern England from 1836 until 1922. The company was formed to construct a route from London to Dover. Branch lines were later opened to Tunbridge Wells, Hastings, Canterbury and other places in Kent...
's (SER) main line from Tonbridge
Tonbridge railway station
Tonbridge railway station is a station serving the town of Tonbridge in Kent, England. It is a junction between two important commuter routes; the South Eastern Main Line serving Ashford, Ramsgate and Dover and the Hastings Main Line serving Tunbridge Wells and Hastings, as well as a branch to...
. In common with other SER stations outside the London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
area, staggered platforms
Side platform
A Side platform is a platform positioned to the side of a pair of tracks at a railway station, a tram stop or a transitway. A pair of side platforms are often provided on a dual track line with a single side platform being sufficient for a single track line...
and a simple single-storey wooden clapboard
Clapboard (architecture)
Clapboard, also known as bevel siding or lap siding or weather-board , is a board used typically for exterior horizontal siding that has one edge thicker than the other and where the board above laps over the one below...
station building were provided at Headcorn. The SER's line was opened to Ashford
Ashford International railway station
Ashford International railway station serves Ashford in Kent, England. Services are provided by Southeastern, Southern and Eurostar.International services use platforms 3 & 4, whilst domestic trains use the original platforms 1 & 2, and a new island built when the Channel Tunnel opened...
by December 1842, to Folkestone
Folkestone East railway station
Folkestone East is a former railway station in Folkestone, England. Opened by the South Eastern Railway in 1843 as part of its main line from London, it was Folkestone's first station and handled substantial boat train traffic travelling to the Continent via Folkestone Harbour...
by December 1843 and finally to Dover by February 1844. A bridge between Headcorn and Staplehurst
Staplehurst railway station
Staplehurst railway station serves Staplehurst in Kent, England. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by Southeastern. Staplehurst is south east of London Charing Cross on the South Eastern Main Line....
was the scene of an accident in 1865 involving Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
; a rail had been removed by a ganger
Navvy
Navvy is a shorter form of navigator or navigational engineer and is particularly applied to describe the manual labourers working on major civil engineering projects...
mistaken as to the day, and the Staplehurst rail crash
Staplehurst rail crash
The Staplehurst rail crash was a railway accident at Staplehurst, Kent, England, which occurred on 9 June 1865 and in which ten passengers were killed and 40 injured...
resulted.
In 1905, the station became the northern terminus of Colonel Stephens' Kent and East Sussex Railway
Kent and East Sussex Railway
The Kent & East Sussex Railway refers to both an historical private railway company in Kent and Sussex in England, as well as a heritage railway currently running on part of the route of the historical company.-Historical Company:-Background:...
, the KESR's tracks entering Headcorn via a siding
Rail siding
A siding, in rail terminology, is a low-speed track section distinct from a running line or through route such as a main line or branch line or spur. It may connect to through track or to other sidings at either end...
on the Ashford side of the station. The KESR had its own long platform to the rear of the Up main line platform, and a corrugated iron building was moved here from the KESR's Tenterden Town station
Tenterden Town railway station
Tenterden Town railway station is a heritage railway station on the Kent and East Sussex Railway in Tenterden, Kent, in the United Kingdom.When the railway line first opened in 1900, Rolvenden Station was known as "Tenterden". Its name was changed when the line extended north three years later and...
. The station, known as Headcorn Junction by the KESR, was remodelled between 1924 and 1930 by the Southern Railway (SR), with the addition of two new fast lines through the station. This involved the demolition of the main line Up platform, its reconstruction opposite the Down platform, and the moving of the KESR's connection to the main line to the west side of the station. A new concrete KESR platform was provided here facing on a curved alignment.
Signal box
On a rail transport system, signalling control is the process by which control is exercised over train movements by way of railway signals and block systems to ensure that trains operate safely, over the correct route and to the proper timetable...
for the main line and an SR signal
Railway signal
A signal is a mechanical or electrical device erected beside a railway line to pass information relating to the state of the line ahead to train/engine drivers. The driver interprets the signal's indication and acts accordingly...
for the KESR branch. A connection was also provided between KESR metals and the SR Up loop line on the London side of Headcorn station, the KESR's facilities consisting by now of two loops and a siding.
Southern Region of British Railways
The Southern Region was a region of British Railways from 1948. The region ceased to be an operating unit in its own right in the 1980s and was wound up at the end of 1992. The region covered south London, southern England and the south coast, including the busy commuter belt areas of Kent, Sussex...
as part of a modernisation scheme. A new red-brick station building was officially opened by Ann Widdicombe MP on 11 May 1989; bus shelters were provided for the platforms. In 1994, a new freight loop was built for Channel Tunnel Freight services.
Services
As of May 2010 the typical off peak services from this station are:- 2tph (trains per hour) to London Charing CrossCharing Cross railway stationCharing Cross railway station, also known as London Charing Cross, is a central London railway terminus in the City of Westminster, England. It is one of 18 stations managed by Network Rail, and trains serving it are operated by Southeastern...
- 1tph to Dover PrioryDover Priory railway stationDover Priory railway station is the main station in Dover in Kent, with the other station being Kearsney situated on the outskirts of Dover. . All train services are provided by Southeastern...
and Canterbury WestCanterbury West railway stationCanterbury West railway station is one of two stations in Canterbury in Kent. It is north-northwest of the city centre. It is served by Southeastern....
(dividing at ) - 1tph to via Dover and Canterbury, dividing at Ashford