Ashford–Ramsgate line
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The Ashford–Ramsgate line is a railway that runs through
The line was opened in 1846 by the
Services
Services are operated by
- One high-speed service from London St. Pancras International towards Margate, stopping at Stratford International, Ebbsfleet International, Ashford International and Canterbury West.
- One service from , stopping at all stations; changing at Ashford is generally faster than using this service to and from London
A small number of peak services on the Kent Coast line run onto the Ashford to Ramsgate line at Minster and then reverse as a school service, running Ramsgate–Minster–Sandwich–Deal (mornings) or the reverse (evenings).[2]
History
The line was proposed by the
The SER were not convinced the railway would be a success, and so built it as single track, with space to add an additional track if necessary, and crossed roads at level in several places, including Wye, Chartham and Sturry. The line ran through Minster to Ramsgate, then doubled back on a branch line to Margate Sands, which required trains reversing. The overall planned cost was £385,339.[4]
The line opened as far as Canterbury on 6 February 1846.
The goods and cattle facilities at Ramsgate made the line popular for transporting these, and they were extended in 1895. An additional siding was added at Wye in 1895 to serve racing traffic.[8]
After the LCDR's line reached Dover on 22 July 1861, there was serious competition between the two companies for continental port traffic.[9] The rivalry between the SER and LDCR almost bankrupted both companies, and consequently they formed a joined management committee, known as the South Eastern and Chatham Railway (SECR), in 1899.[9] This then became part of the Southern Railway (SR) as part of the grouping under the Railways Act 1921. In 1924, a 1.5-mile (2.4 km) extension began construction between the former SER line at Ramsgate and the former LCDR line at Dumpton Park. This opened on 2 July 1926. At the same time, the former SER branch to Margate Sands closed to passengers, as did the stations at Ramsgate Town and Ramsgate Harbour. The Margate Sands branch line survived as a goods depot until November 1976, when it was closed completely.[10]
The line was electrified in 1961 under the
Accidents and incidents
On 11 August 1858, an excursion train was derailed near Chilham. Three people were killed.[13]
On 1 January 1877, a major storm hit Kent, causing damage along the line. The roof at Canterbury West was damaged, and a timber bridge across the line blew down. The bridge was replaced three months later by a subway.[14]
On 9 October 1894, an early morning goods train carrying hop pickers from Ashford to Canterbury West collided with a horse and cart on a level crossing close to Horton Chapel Farm. Five people were killed immediately, and two later died from their injuries. The SER denied responsibility and blamed the cart driver who did not check to see if a train was coming.[8]
On 15 July 1970, an
On 26 July 2015, electric multiple unit 375 703 was in collision with a herd of cattle on the line at Chilham and was derailed. There were no injuries amongst the 70 passengers.[16][17] The line was closed until 30 July.[18]
References
Citations
- ^ "ACR mileages".
- ^ a b "Timetables". Southeastern. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
- ^ Gray 1990, p. 243.
- ^ a b Gray 1990, p. 244.
- ^ Butt 1995, p. 53.
- ^ Gray 1990, p. 245.
- ^ a b Gray 1990, p. 246.
- ^ a b Gray 1990, p. 251.
- ^ a b Grant 2017, p. 520.
- ^ McCarthy & McCarthy 2007, p. 52-53,66.
- ^ McCarthy & McCarthy 2007, p. 53.
- ^ McCarthy & McCarthy 2007, p. 123.
- ^ Kidner, R. W. (1977) [1963]. The South Eastern and Chatham Railway. Tarrant Hinton: The Oakwood Press. p. 48.
- ^ Gray 1990, p. 250.
- ISBN 0-7110-2807-9.
- ^ "Train derailed after hitting cows on line in Kent". BBC News Online. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
- ^ "Southeastern Train travelling between Chilham and Wye derails after hitting cattle". Kent Online. Kent Messenger Group. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
- ^ "Kent line closed by cows-on-line derailment to reopen". BBC News. 28 July 2015. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
Sources
- OL 11956311M.
- Grant, Donald (2017). Directory of the Railway Companies of Great Britain. Troubador Publishing Ltd. ISBN 978-1-788-03768-6.
- Gray, Adrian (1990). South Eastern Railway. Middleton Press. ISBN 978-0-906520-85-7.
- McCarthy, Colin; McCarthy, David (2007). Railway of Britain : Kent and Sussex. Ian Allan. ISBN 978-0-7110-3222-4.