Tunbridge Wells West railway station
Encyclopedia
Tunbridge Wells West is a railway station located in Royal Tunbridge Wells
, Kent
. It is one of two railway stations in Tunbridge Wells constructed by rival companies. The other, Tunbridge Wells Central
was opened in 1845 by the South Eastern Railway
(SER). Tunbridge Wells West was closed to mainline passenger services in 1985, but part of it still remains as a heritage railway line. Opened in 1996, it stands next to the original engne shed (still in use). The line is called the Spa Valley Railway
.
The West station was opened in 1866 by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
(LBSCR), as the eastern terminus of the Three Bridges to Tunbridge Wells Central Line
from Three Bridges
. The station was built as part of a race between the LBSCR and SER conducted during the 1860s for access to the town; "the LBSC was becoming concerned at threatened incursions by the [SER] on its territory. So a battle was on. Tunbridge Wells was first reached from East Grinstead in 1866 via Groombridge. Two years later, with the South Eastern Railway (SER) looking towards Lewes, the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway countered with a line from Groombridge to Uckfield."
From Tunbridge Wells West there were direct services to the South Coast at Brighton
and Eastbourne
and to London Victoria. The Victoria services ran via Groombridge and Ashurst. As a sign outside the station proudly proclaimed, "New Route to London: Shortest, Quickest and Most Direct. Frequent Express Trains."
The imposing two-storey main station building was most likely designed by the LBSCR's Chief Engineer, F. Dale Bannister, who was responsible for other stations on the line. Called the "St. Pancras
of the Weald
" by the Wealden Line Campaign, it was a statement of intent to local inhabitants by the LBSCR which was establishing the limits of its territory. The station is composed of a central block flanked on the western side by a gable-fronted wing, and on the eastern side by a three-storey clocktower with a pyramidal slate roof surrounded by a louvred
cupola
with a weathervane. The facade of the building is constructed of red brick with ashlar
and black brick dressings; on the ground floor level are a series of nine round-arched windows and an arched doorway, with a decorated ashlar impost band connecting the windows. The eaves
are serrated with an ashlar cornice
. Inside the building was a gas-lit booking hall with four ticket windows and a panelled ceiling supported by arches springing from stone columns.
The station's facilities were much larger than those at Tunbridge Wells Central. The passenger station originally had five platform roads: three serving long platforms (two of which were island platform
s) and two other shorter bay platform
s. The reason for the station's extensive layout was that it served no fewer than six different routes: three of which bifurcated at or near Groombridge and two at Eridge. The station was self-contained on one site which incorporated a substantial goods yard, motive power depot
and carriage sidings. The station yard was controlled by two signalboxes, one at the west end with 45 levers (first known as "Tunbridge Wells West West" then as the "A Box"), and the other at the east end by Montacute Road Bridge (variously named "East Cabin", "No. 2 Box" and "B Box"). The A Box also controlled roads to the locomotive shed and carriage sidings.
. It was closed to steam locos in June 1965 but the tracks were used for storage of engineers rolling stock until the late 1970s when they were removed.
Although initially conceived as a terminus station, an agreement between the SER and the LBSCR saw Tunbridge Wells West linked by a short spur to the Hastings Line
thereby connecting it with the Central station. The spur came about as a consequence of the intense rivalry between the two railway companies which in 1864 had led to both simultaneously depositing bills before Parliament for competing routes across the south-east. The LBSCR obtained authorisation to construct the Ouse Valley Railway
, whilst the SER proposed a new line to Eastbourne
.
Conscious of the threat that the SER's line would pose to the Cuckoo Line, the LBSCR managed to persuade the SER to withdraw its proposal in return for a construction of a spur between the two stations in Tunbridge Wells. A short single-track spur was therefore opened from Tunbridge Wells West through Grove Tunnel after which the track curved north to join the main Hastings Line
towards Tunbridge Wells Central, enabling through-running to the Hastings Line and the Brighton Main Line
from the West station.
An LBSCR goods service first used the spur from about 1867, but the introduction of a passenger service was delayed until 1 February 1876. Even by 1894, only 5 passenger services and 1 goods train were using the spur in a down direction from the Central station. Usage did however increase when the Southern Railway took over the line following the grouping
and in 1924, 9 down passenger services used it. By 1952, this had increased to 13, and in 1958, to 29 plus one goods service each way, which made the spur one of the busiest single-track sections anywhere in the country. Through-running on the Cuckoo Line had been possible since 5 April 1880 when the LBSCR extended the line from Hailsham
to Eridge
which enabled services to run through to Tunbridge Wells West.
In 1903 Buffalo Bill
caused a storm when the special train carrying his famous show arrived at Tunbridge Wells West for a performance. Crowds of onlookers watched as the horses and coach involved in the show's "Deadwood Stage ambush event" dashed out of the circus marquee to head directly to the station where covered wagons were waiting to take them to their next venue. One of the bay platforms was subsequently nicknamed the "Jumbo Platform" - a name arising from the days when circus trains were unloaded at the station and the elephants were marched along the street to the circus site on nearby Tunbridge Wells Common.
In 1923 following the grouping ordered by the Railways Act 1921
, the station passed into the ownership of the Southern Railway
(SR). The SR added the suffix "West" to the station's name on 22 August 1923, in order to distinguish it from the other Tunbridge Wells station, which was named "Central". This period saw the station become very popular with cross-country services with over 100 trains passing each day. From Groombridge
to Tunbridge Wells West alone there were 83 workings, with trains proceeding to three destinations - Three Bridges
, Brighton
via the Oxted Line
and Eastbourne
via the Cuckoo Line
. The spur saw little use by 1925 - four daily workings to Brighton and two to Uckfield.
The six routes served were: (1) Oxted
and London via Edenbridge Town
; (2) Oxted and London via East Grinstead; (3) Three Bridges via East Grinstead; (4) Uckfield, Lewes and Brighton; (5) Heathfield, Hailsham
and Eastbourne; and (6) Tonbridge
and Sevenoaks
via Tunbridge Wells Central.
As the popularity of the motorcar increased, train services were severely cut back due to the lack of patronage, and the number of services passing through Tunbridge Wells West declined as one line after another was closed from the 1950s onwards. First, the East Grinstead to Lewes line
closed in 1958, then the Cuckoo Line
in 1965, the Three Bridges to Groombridge
in 1967, and finally the Wealden Line
in 1969. Tunbridge Wells West was itself listed for closure in 1966, only to be subsequently reprieved. The line to Tunbridge Wells West remained open, although in its latter years passenger services were mainly confined to a shuttle service between Tonbridge
(via the single line connection to Tunbridge Wells Central - now plain Tunbridge Wells
) and Eridge
with a few through trains to Uckfield; however there was a depot at the station which housed rolling stock for services on the Uckfield and East Grinstead - London (via East Croydon) lines, and there were plenty of empty stock moves early and late in the day.
Following a total lack of investment for decades (since Beeching
spending on anything other than essential repairs was non-existent), by the early 1980s the track and signalling needed to be replaced. British Rail
, at the time carrying out an upgrade of the Tonbridge
to Hastings Line which included the renewal of Grove Junction, decided that the cost of keeping the line from Eridge to the Central station open and undertaking the works, some £175,000, did not justify the outlay. It therefore announced the proposed closure of the line (including Groombridge
and the West station) from 16 May 1983 which was later deferred after public objections . The Secretary of State for Transport
agreed to the withdrawal of passenger services which took effect from from 6 July 1985, although the section between Tunbridge Wells West and Birchden Jn remained open for rolling stock movements until 10 August, when the depot at the West station was shut.
At the time of closure it is thought that Tunbridge Wells West station was the last station on British Rail to have gas lighting, which was in operation in the ticket office and under the canopy.
More than twenty years after its closure, Tunbridge Wells West is once again a busy train depot. Passenger services using heritage trains now run on the Spa Valley Railway (SVR) between Tunbridge Wells West, High Rocks and Groombridge , and are planned to Eridge in 2011. The SVR has its origins in a charitable society formed on 13 September 1985 to purchase and reopen the Tunbridge Wells West to Eridge line. Named the "Tunbridge Wells and Eridge Preservation Society" (TWERPS), it began a long struggle to reopen the line. The campaign received a setback in the late 1980s when Tunbridge Wells Borough Council gave planning permission for the construction of a large supermarket complex on the site of the derelict goods yard. While the 1891 locomotive shed and station building were protected as listed buildings, the remaining area of the site was obliterated, including the goods shed and signal boxes. However, planning permission was subject to the condition that the developer pay for construction of a new station platform and restoration of the engine shed. In 1996 the North Downs Steam Railway relocated from Dartford, where it was experiencing vandalism problems, and merged with TWERPS. It transferred its assets and helped establish a base in the locomotive shed. Also in 1996, the group acquired the line as far as Birchden Junction. Alongside the loco shed a new platform was built, from where services began running to Cold Bath Bridge (about 0.75 mile away) in December 1996. Services were extended to Groombridge in August 1997 and to Birchden Jn in 2005
In 2007, SVR marked the tenth anniversary of the opening of the line by transforming Groombridge into a busy interchange station, with trains arriving or departing every 15 minutes. The funds raised from this event went towards the "Return to Eridge" appeal to raise £500,000 for the extension to the Uckfield main line at Eridge. The heritage railway finally re-opened the line to Eridge on 25 March 2011
Following closure of the station, the main building was converted into a Beefeater restaurant
named "The Old West Station", before being purchased by Herald Inns and Bars which operate it under the same name as a pub-cum-restaurant. It is now a Smith & Western. The building was Grade II listed on 27 March 1986. The former goods yard and stabling sidings are lost under a Sainsbury's supermarket
and a Homebase
, and the trackbed has made into a car park and the frontage to the supermarket. An agreed corridor was left alongside Linden Park Road to enable any reinstated line to run through the site and a formal agreement was concluded between Tunbridge Wells Borough Council and Lord Sainsbury
whereby the company agreed that, if required, they will remove at their own cost any buildings obstructing the path of the railway. In the mid-1990s, a toilet block was constructed on the corridor, but this could be demolished in accordance with the terms of the agreement.
The spur to Grove Junction remains in an overgrown state; it was sold for £1 in 2001 to Railway Paths Ltd (a subsidiary of Sustrans
), but is protected by covenants
ensuring that it can only be used for railway purposes; the section is also safeguarded from development in the East Sussex
and Brighton and Hove Structure Plan 1991-2011 as well as the Wealden
Local Plan. Tunbridge Wells Borough Council has acknowledged the "considerable benefits" that the line's reopening would bring to the local community and economy, whilst at the same time admitting that this will not happen in the "near future". An inspection carried out by Mott MacDonald
in 1997 revealed that £100,000 would be required to bring Grove Tunnel back up to operating standards.
A reopening campaign has been run by the Wealden Line
Campaign since 1986. They are seeking to reopen the railway between Tunbridge Wells Central and Eridge and between Uckfield
and Lewes
as a part of the National Rail
network.
Although the SVR reopened the connection between Tunbridge Wells West and the national rail network at Eridge in 2011 they have no plans for the reinstatement of the line north to Tunbridge Wells Central.
Some of the obstacles facing re-opening this half mile section would include the following-
The Spa Valley Railway Station would have to be demolished.
The access road to Sainsbury's Supermarket car park would have to be resited and the supermarket's lorry unloading bay demolished. The bus terminal would have to be demolished or heavily modified. In addition, the former station building would need to be repurchased and converted back to station use. The approach cutting to Grove Tunnel has been partially infilled and would have to be re-excavated. Grove Tunnel would have to be repaired. Furthermore, some of the trackbed to the north has been sold, and a bridge has been demolished. Finally, the track and signalling would have to be reconnected and reconfigured at Grove Junction, and an agreement would have to be reached with Network Rail
to allow access onto third rail
electrified lines in Tunbridge Wells Central. Pathing trains into the Central station, which is already congested at peak hours, would also pose problems.
Royal Tunbridge Wells
Royal Tunbridge Wells is a town in west Kent, England, about south-east of central London by road, by rail. The town is close to the border of the county of East Sussex...
, 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...
. It is one of two railway stations in Tunbridge Wells constructed by rival companies. The other, Tunbridge Wells Central
Tunbridge Wells railway station
Tunbridge Wells railway station serves Royal Tunbridge Wells in Kent, England. The station and all trains serving it are currently operated by Southeastern. It is located directly on the double-tracked electrified Hastings Line....
was opened in 1845 by the South Eastern Railway
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...
(SER). Tunbridge Wells West was closed to mainline passenger services in 1985, but part of it still remains as a heritage railway line. Opened in 1996, it stands next to the original engne shed (still in use). The line is called the Spa Valley Railway
Spa Valley Railway
The Spa Valley Railway is a standard gauge heritage railway that runs between Tunbridge Wells, High Rocks, Groombridge, and Eridge railway station, where it links with the Oxted Line. En route it crosses the Kent and East Sussex border, a distance of 5 miles , along the former Three Bridges to...
.
Opening
London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1846 to 1922. Its territory formed a rough triangle, with London at its apex, practically the whole coastline of Sussex as its base, and a large part of Surrey...
(LBSCR), as the eastern terminus of the Three Bridges to Tunbridge Wells Central Line
Three Bridges to Tunbridge Wells Central Line
The Three Bridges to Tunbridge Wells Central Line was a railway line running from Three Bridges in West Sussex to Tunbridge Wells Central in Kent via East Grinstead in East Sussex, a distance of . Opened in 1855, the main section of the line was a casualty of the Beeching Axe the last train ran on...
from Three Bridges
Three Bridges railway station
Three Bridges railway station is located in and named after the village of Three Bridges, which is now a district of Crawley, West Sussex, England...
. The station was built as part of a race between the LBSCR and SER conducted during the 1860s for access to the town; "the LBSC was becoming concerned at threatened incursions by the [SER] on its territory. So a battle was on. Tunbridge Wells was first reached from East Grinstead in 1866 via Groombridge. Two years later, with the South Eastern Railway (SER) looking towards Lewes, the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway countered with a line from Groombridge to Uckfield."
From Tunbridge Wells West there were direct services to the South Coast at Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
and Eastbourne
Eastbourne
Eastbourne is a large town and borough in East Sussex, on the south coast of England between Brighton and Hastings. The town is situated at the eastern end of the chalk South Downs alongside the high cliff at Beachy Head...
and to London Victoria. The Victoria services ran via Groombridge and Ashurst. As a sign outside the station proudly proclaimed, "New Route to London: Shortest, Quickest and Most Direct. Frequent Express Trains."
Station buildings
St Pancras railway station
St Pancras railway station, also known as London St Pancras and since 2007 as St Pancras International, is a central London railway terminus celebrated for its Victorian architecture. The Grade I listed building stands on Euston Road in St Pancras, London Borough of Camden, between the...
of the Weald
Weald
The Weald is the name given to an area in South East England situated between the parallel chalk escarpments of the North and the South Downs. It should be regarded as three separate parts: the sandstone "High Weald" in the centre; the clay "Low Weald" periphery; and the Greensand Ridge which...
" by the Wealden Line Campaign, it was a statement of intent to local inhabitants by the LBSCR which was establishing the limits of its territory. The station is composed of a central block flanked on the western side by a gable-fronted wing, and on the eastern side by a three-storey clocktower with a pyramidal slate roof surrounded by a louvred
Louver
A louver or louvre , from the French l'ouvert; "the open one") is a window, blind or shutter with horizontal slats that are angled to admit light and air, but to keep out rain, direct sunshine, and noise...
cupola
Cupola
In architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....
with a weathervane. The facade of the building is constructed of red brick with ashlar
Ashlar
Ashlar is prepared stone work of any type of stone. Masonry using such stones laid in parallel courses is known as ashlar masonry, whereas masonry using irregularly shaped stones is known as rubble masonry. Ashlar blocks are rectangular cuboid blocks that are masonry sculpted to have square edges...
and black brick dressings; on the ground floor level are a series of nine round-arched windows and an arched doorway, with a decorated ashlar impost band connecting the windows. The eaves
Eaves
The eaves of a roof are its lower edges. They usually project beyond the walls of the building to carry rain water away.-Etymology:"Eaves" is derived from Old English and is both the singular and plural form of the word.- Function :...
are serrated with an ashlar cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
. Inside the building was a gas-lit booking hall with four ticket windows and a panelled ceiling supported by arches springing from stone columns.
Island platform
An island platform is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway interchange...
s) and two other shorter bay platform
Bay platform
Bay platform is a railway-related term commonly used in the UK and Australia to describe a dead-end platform at a railway station that has through lines...
s. The reason for the station's extensive layout was that it served no fewer than six different routes: three of which bifurcated at or near Groombridge and two at Eridge. The station was self-contained on one site which incorporated a substantial goods yard, motive power depot
Motive power depot
Motive power depot, usually abbreviated to MPD, is a name given to places where locomotives are stored when not being used, and also repaired and maintained. They were originally known as "running sheds", "engine sheds", or, for short, just sheds. Facilities are provided for refuelling and...
and carriage sidings. The station yard was controlled by two signalboxes, one at the west end with 45 levers (first known as "Tunbridge Wells West West" then as the "A Box"), and the other at the east end by Montacute Road Bridge (variously named "East Cabin", "No. 2 Box" and "B Box"). The A Box also controlled roads to the locomotive shed and carriage sidings.
Motive Power Depot
The original two-road locomotive shed (code number 75F) was capable of accommodating six engines and situated to the south of the station. It was opened in 1866 and replaced in 1891 by a larger four-road shed located to the north-west of the station. Following bomb damage on 20 November 1940 during the Second World War, the slate roof of the engine shed was replaced with corrugated asbestosAsbestos
Asbestos is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals used commercially for their desirable physical properties. They all have in common their eponymous, asbestiform habit: long, thin fibrous crystals...
. It was closed to steam locos in June 1965 but the tracks were used for storage of engineers rolling stock until the late 1970s when they were removed.
Grove Junction
Hastings Line
The Hastings Line is a railway line in Kent and East Sussex linking Hastings with the main town of Tunbridge Wells, and from there into London via Sevenoaks.-Openings:The line was opened by the South Eastern Railway in main three stages: – :...
thereby connecting it with the Central station. The spur came about as a consequence of the intense rivalry between the two railway companies which in 1864 had led to both simultaneously depositing bills before Parliament for competing routes across the south-east. The LBSCR obtained authorisation to construct the Ouse Valley Railway
Ouse Valley Railway
The Ouse Valley Railway was a railway which was to have formed part of the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway . It was authorised by an Act of Parliament and construction of the long line was begun, but not completed...
, whilst the SER proposed a new line to Eastbourne
Eastbourne
Eastbourne is a large town and borough in East Sussex, on the south coast of England between Brighton and Hastings. The town is situated at the eastern end of the chalk South Downs alongside the high cliff at Beachy Head...
.
Conscious of the threat that the SER's line would pose to the Cuckoo Line, the LBSCR managed to persuade the SER to withdraw its proposal in return for a construction of a spur between the two stations in Tunbridge Wells. A short single-track spur was therefore opened from Tunbridge Wells West through Grove Tunnel after which the track curved north to join the main Hastings Line
Hastings Line
The Hastings Line is a railway line in Kent and East Sussex linking Hastings with the main town of Tunbridge Wells, and from there into London via Sevenoaks.-Openings:The line was opened by the South Eastern Railway in main three stages: – :...
towards Tunbridge Wells Central, enabling through-running to the Hastings Line and the Brighton Main Line
Brighton Main Line
The Brighton Main Line is a British railway line from London Victoria and London Bridge to Brighton. It is about 50 miles long, and is electrified throughout. Trains are operated by Southern, First Capital Connect, and Gatwick Express, now part of Southern.-Original proposals:There were no fewer...
from the West station.
Railways Act 1921
The Railways Act 1921, also known as the Grouping Act, was an enactment by the British government of David Lloyd George intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, move the railways away from internal competition, and to retain some of the benefits which...
and in 1924, 9 down passenger services used it. By 1952, this had increased to 13, and in 1958, to 29 plus one goods service each way, which made the spur one of the busiest single-track sections anywhere in the country. Through-running on the Cuckoo Line had been possible since 5 April 1880 when the LBSCR extended the line from Hailsham
Hailsham railway station
Hailsham Railway Station was on the Cuckoo Line between Polegate and Hellingly serving the town of Hailsham. Originally built in 1849 by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway. it was a terminus station serving both passengers and livestock for the nearby market...
to Eridge
Eridge railway station
Eridge railway station serves a rural district around Eridge in East Sussex. Mainline train services from the station are provided by Southern, and the station is on the Uckfield branch of the Oxted Line. Also heritage services connecting to Groombridge, High Rocks and Tunbridge Wells West are run...
which enabled services to run through to Tunbridge Wells West.
Early years
Buffalo Bill
William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody was a United States soldier, bison hunter and showman. He was born in the Iowa Territory , in LeClaire but lived several years in Canada before his family moved to the Kansas Territory. Buffalo Bill received the Medal of Honor in 1872 for service to the US...
caused a storm when the special train carrying his famous show arrived at Tunbridge Wells West for a performance. Crowds of onlookers watched as the horses and coach involved in the show's "Deadwood Stage ambush event" dashed out of the circus marquee to head directly to the station where covered wagons were waiting to take them to their next venue. One of the bay platforms was subsequently nicknamed the "Jumbo Platform" - a name arising from the days when circus trains were unloaded at the station and the elephants were marched along the street to the circus site on nearby Tunbridge Wells Common.
Post-grouping
Railways Act 1921
The Railways Act 1921, also known as the Grouping Act, was an enactment by the British government of David Lloyd George intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, move the railways away from internal competition, and to retain some of the benefits which...
, the station passed into the ownership of the Southern Railway
Southern Railway (Great Britain)
The Southern Railway was a British railway company established in the 1923 Grouping. It linked London with the Channel ports, South West England, South coast resorts and Kent...
(SR). The SR added the suffix "West" to the station's name on 22 August 1923, in order to distinguish it from the other Tunbridge Wells station, which was named "Central". This period saw the station become very popular with cross-country services with over 100 trains passing each day. From Groombridge
Groombridge railway station
Groombridge railway station is a station on the Spa Valley Railway in Groombridge, East Sussex, England. Once a busy station serving four directions, it closed in 1985 to British Rail services...
to Tunbridge Wells West alone there were 83 workings, with trains proceeding to three destinations - Three Bridges
Three Bridges railway station
Three Bridges railway station is located in and named after the village of Three Bridges, which is now a district of Crawley, West Sussex, England...
, Brighton
Brighton railway station
Brighton railway station is the principal railway station in the city of Brighton and Hove, on the south coast of England. The station master is Mark Epsom...
via the Oxted Line
Oxted Line
The Oxted Line is a railway line in southern England. It was originally operated jointly by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway and the South Eastern Railway. It is now part of the Southern franchise....
and Eastbourne
Eastbourne railway station
Eastbourne railway station serves Eastbourne in East Sussex, England. It is on the East Coastway Line, and train services are provided by Southern. It is one of two railway stations in the town, the other being Hampden Park Station...
via the Cuckoo Line
Cuckoo Line
The Cuckoo Line is an informal name for the now defunct railway service which linked Polegate and Eridge in East Sussex, England, from 1880 to 1968. It was nicknamed the Cuckoo Line by drivers, from a tradition observed at the annual fair at Heathfield, a station on the route...
. The spur saw little use by 1925 - four daily workings to Brighton and two to Uckfield.
1950s heyday
With the introduction of the 1955 summer timetables, the services between London and Tunbridge Wells were entirely revised and the number of stopping passenger trains increased. On a normal weekday 136 trains called at Tunbridge Wells West: 66 departures and 70 arrivals; there were also nine goods trains (five in and four out) daily. In an 18-hour period between 6am and midnight, on average one passenger train departed or arrived every eight minutes.Oxted railway station
Oxted railway station is a relatively busy interchange station and terminus located in Surrey, in the South East region of England. At present, all train services are provided by Southern. The station is the busiest suburban station on the Oxted Line and is a terminus for some services on the...
and London via Edenbridge Town
Edenbridge Town railway station
Edenbridge Town railway station is one of two stations serving Edenbridge in Kent, UK. The station, and all trains serving it, is operated by Southern, and it is on the Uckfield branch of the Oxted Line....
; (2) Oxted and London via East Grinstead; (3) Three Bridges via East Grinstead; (4) Uckfield, Lewes and Brighton; (5) Heathfield, Hailsham
Hailsham railway station
Hailsham Railway Station was on the Cuckoo Line between Polegate and Hellingly serving the town of Hailsham. Originally built in 1849 by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway. it was a terminus station serving both passengers and livestock for the nearby market...
and Eastbourne; and (6) 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...
and Sevenoaks
Sevenoaks railway station
Sevenoaks railway station serves the town of Sevenoaks in Kent. Train services are provided by Southeastern.Trains from the station run northbound to London Bridge, Cannon Street , Waterloo East and London Charing Cross via Orpington, to London Blackfriars via Swanley and Catford, and southbound to...
via Tunbridge Wells Central.
Decline and closure
Bluebell Railway
The Bluebell Railway is a heritage line running for nine miles along the border between East and West Sussex, England. Steam trains are operated between and , with an intermediate station at .The railway is managed and run largely by volunteers...
closed in 1958, then the Cuckoo Line
Cuckoo Line
The Cuckoo Line is an informal name for the now defunct railway service which linked Polegate and Eridge in East Sussex, England, from 1880 to 1968. It was nicknamed the Cuckoo Line by drivers, from a tradition observed at the annual fair at Heathfield, a station on the route...
in 1965, the Three Bridges to Groombridge
Three Bridges to Tunbridge Wells Central Line
The Three Bridges to Tunbridge Wells Central Line was a railway line running from Three Bridges in West Sussex to Tunbridge Wells Central in Kent via East Grinstead in East Sussex, a distance of . Opened in 1855, the main section of the line was a casualty of the Beeching Axe the last train ran on...
in 1967, and finally the Wealden Line
Wealden Line
Taking its name from its route through the chalk hills of the North and South Downs of the Weald, England, the Wealden Line is a partly abandoned double track railway line in East Sussex and Kent that connected Lewes with Tunbridge Wells, a distance of ....
in 1969. Tunbridge Wells West was itself listed for closure in 1966, only to be subsequently reprieved. The line to Tunbridge Wells West remained open, although in its latter years passenger services were mainly confined to a shuttle service between 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...
(via the single line connection to Tunbridge Wells Central - now plain Tunbridge Wells
Tunbridge Wells railway station
Tunbridge Wells railway station serves Royal Tunbridge Wells in Kent, England. The station and all trains serving it are currently operated by Southeastern. It is located directly on the double-tracked electrified Hastings Line....
) and Eridge
Eridge railway station
Eridge railway station serves a rural district around Eridge in East Sussex. Mainline train services from the station are provided by Southern, and the station is on the Uckfield branch of the Oxted Line. Also heritage services connecting to Groombridge, High Rocks and Tunbridge Wells West are run...
with a few through trains to Uckfield; however there was a depot at the station which housed rolling stock for services on the Uckfield and East Grinstead - London (via East Croydon) lines, and there were plenty of empty stock moves early and late in the day.
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
spending on anything other than essential repairs was non-existent), by the early 1980s the track and signalling needed to be replaced. British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
, at the time carrying out an upgrade of the 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...
to Hastings Line which included the renewal of Grove Junction, decided that the cost of keeping the line from Eridge to the Central station open and undertaking the works, some £175,000, did not justify the outlay. It therefore announced the proposed closure of the line (including Groombridge
Groombridge railway station
Groombridge railway station is a station on the Spa Valley Railway in Groombridge, East Sussex, England. Once a busy station serving four directions, it closed in 1985 to British Rail services...
and the West station) from 16 May 1983 which was later deferred after public objections . The Secretary of State for Transport
Nicholas Ridley, Baron Ridley of Liddesdale
Nicholas Ridley, Baron Ridley of Liddesdale, PC was a British Conservative Party politician and government minister.-Personal life:...
agreed to the withdrawal of passenger services which took effect from from 6 July 1985, although the section between Tunbridge Wells West and Birchden Jn remained open for rolling stock movements until 10 August, when the depot at the West station was shut.
At the time of closure it is thought that Tunbridge Wells West station was the last station on British Rail to have gas lighting, which was in operation in the ticket office and under the canopy.
Spa Valley Railway
In 2007, SVR marked the tenth anniversary of the opening of the line by transforming Groombridge into a busy interchange station, with trains arriving or departing every 15 minutes. The funds raised from this event went towards the "Return to Eridge" appeal to raise £500,000 for the extension to the Uckfield main line at Eridge. The heritage railway finally re-opened the line to Eridge on 25 March 2011
Station buildings
Beefeater (restaurant)
Beefeater is a chain of pub restaurants in the United Kingdom, owned by Whitbread. There are currently 131 Beefeater restaurants in the UK.- History :...
named "The Old West Station", before being purchased by Herald Inns and Bars which operate it under the same name as a pub-cum-restaurant. It is now a Smith & Western. The building was Grade II listed on 27 March 1986. The former goods yard and stabling sidings are lost under a Sainsbury's supermarket
Supermarket
A supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...
and a Homebase
Homebase
Homebase is a British home improvement store and garden centre, with 350 stores across the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. It is well known by its green and orange colour scheme. Together with its sister company Argos , it forms part of Home Retail Group. Homebase recorded sales figures...
, and the trackbed has made into a car park and the frontage to the supermarket. An agreed corridor was left alongside Linden Park Road to enable any reinstated line to run through the site and a formal agreement was concluded between Tunbridge Wells Borough Council and Lord Sainsbury
John Sainsbury, Baron Sainsbury of Preston Candover
John Davan Sainsbury, Baron Sainsbury of Preston Candover, KG is the President of J Sainsbury, a British businessman and politician. He sits in the House of Lords as a member of the Conservative Party.-Early and private life:...
whereby the company agreed that, if required, they will remove at their own cost any buildings obstructing the path of the railway. In the mid-1990s, a toilet block was constructed on the corridor, but this could be demolished in accordance with the terms of the agreement.
The spur to Grove Junction remains in an overgrown state; it was sold for £1 in 2001 to Railway Paths Ltd (a subsidiary of Sustrans
Sustrans
Sustrans is a British charity to promote sustainable transport. The charity is currently working on a number of practical projects to encourage people to walk, cycle and use public transport, to give people the choice of "travelling in ways that benefit their health and the environment"...
), but is protected by covenants
Restrictive covenant
A restrictive covenant is a type of real covenant, a legal obligation imposed in a deed by the seller upon the buyer of real estate to do or not to do something. Such restrictions frequently "run with the land" and are enforceable on subsequent buyers of the property...
ensuring that it can only be used for railway purposes; the section is also safeguarded from development in the East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
and Brighton and Hove Structure Plan 1991-2011 as well as the Wealden
Wealden
For the stone, see Wealden GroupWealden is a local government district in East Sussex, England: its name comes from the Weald, the area of high land which occupies the centre of its area.-History:...
Local Plan. Tunbridge Wells Borough Council has acknowledged the "considerable benefits" that the line's reopening would bring to the local community and economy, whilst at the same time admitting that this will not happen in the "near future". An inspection carried out by Mott MacDonald
Mott MacDonald
The Mott MacDonald Group is an employee-owned company management, engineering and development consultancy serving the public and private sectors world-wide...
in 1997 revealed that £100,000 would be required to bring Grove Tunnel back up to operating standards.
Future
Wealden Line
Taking its name from its route through the chalk hills of the North and South Downs of the Weald, England, the Wealden Line is a partly abandoned double track railway line in East Sussex and Kent that connected Lewes with Tunbridge Wells, a distance of ....
Campaign since 1986. They are seeking to reopen the railway between Tunbridge Wells Central and Eridge and between Uckfield
Uckfield
-Development:The local Tesco has proposed the redevelopment of the central town area as has the town council. The Hub has recently been completed, having been acquired for an unknown figure, presumed to be about half a million pounds...
and Lewes
Lewes
Lewes is the county town of East Sussex, England and historically of all of Sussex. It is a civil parish and is the centre of the Lewes local government district. The settlement has a history as a bridging point and as a market town, and today as a communications hub and tourist-oriented town...
as a part of the National Rail
National Rail
National Rail is a title used by the Association of Train Operating Companies as a generic term to define the passenger rail services operated in Great Britain...
network.
Although the SVR reopened the connection between Tunbridge Wells West and the national rail network at Eridge in 2011 they have no plans for the reinstatement of the line north to Tunbridge Wells Central.
Some of the obstacles facing re-opening this half mile section would include the following-
The Spa Valley Railway Station would have to be demolished.
The access road to Sainsbury's Supermarket car park would have to be resited and the supermarket's lorry unloading bay demolished. The bus terminal would have to be demolished or heavily modified. In addition, the former station building would need to be repurchased and converted back to station use. The approach cutting to Grove Tunnel has been partially infilled and would have to be re-excavated. Grove Tunnel would have to be repaired. Furthermore, some of the trackbed to the north has been sold, and a bridge has been demolished. Finally, the track and signalling would have to be reconnected and reconfigured at Grove Junction, and an agreement would have to be reached with Network Rail
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
to allow access onto third rail
Third rail
A third rail is a method of providing electric power to a railway train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway track. It is used typically in a mass transit or rapid transit system, which has alignments in its own corridors, fully or almost...
electrified lines in Tunbridge Wells Central. Pathing trains into the Central station, which is already congested at peak hours, would also pose problems.
External links
- Spa Valley Railway
- Tunbridge Wells West - information and photos
- The Old West Station