Westenhanger railway station
Westenhanger Folkestone & Hythe England | |
---|---|
Grid reference | TR128372 |
Managed by | Southeastern |
Platforms | 2 |
Other information | |
Station code | WHA |
Classification | DfT category F1 |
History | |
Opened | 7 February 1844 |
Passengers | |
2018/19 | 76,602 |
2019/20 | 80,168 |
2020/21 | 18,902 |
2021/22 | 45,092 |
2022/23 | 54,372 |
Notes | |
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road |
Westenhanger railway station is on the
History
The station was built by the
The station became a junction when the SER's branch line to Sandgate opened on 10 October 1864. However, it was inconveniently placed, and the SER considered closing it and building a station somewhere else. Ultimately, the station was not closed and Sandling railway station opened.[4]
British Rail proposed the closure of the station as from 3 February 1969.[5] Objections were made which were considered by a Transport Users' Consultative Committee, after which the Minister of Transport decided against closure.[5]
In 2017, Shepway District Council announced plans to build a
Plans for the Otterpool garden town were approved by Folkestone and Hythe District Council in April 2023.
Racecourse station
In 1898, a station about 250 metres west of Westenhanger was built to serve the adjacent Folkestone Racecourse. It was only used on race days.[7] It closed in the 1960s.[8]1976 [9] As in 2022 the majority of the disused platforms were still in situ.
Facilities
The station is unstaffed and facilities are limited.
There is a self-service ticket machine at the station entrance and passenger help points located on each of the platforms. There is also a small (free) car park at the station entrance.
The station has step-free access available to the London bound platform although the Dover bound platform can only be reached via the footbridge meaning step-free access is not possible.[10]
Services
All services at Westenhanger are operated by Southeastern using Class 375 EMUs.
The typical off-peak service in trains per hour is:[11]
- 1 tph to London Charing Cross via Tonbridge
- 1 tph to Dover Priory
During the peak hours, there are also services to and from London Cannon Street and there is also 1 train per day to London Victoria.
Preceding station | National Rail | Following station | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Southeastern | ||||
Disused railways | ||||
Smeeth | British Rail Southern Region |
Sandling for Hythe |
References
Citations
- ^ Gray 1990, p. 140.
- ^ Gray 1990, pp. 20–21, 140.
- ^ Gray 1990, p. 141.
- ^ Gray 1990, pp. 149, 152.
- ^ a b "Minehead and Westenhanger closures postponed". Railway Magazine. 115 (814): 111. February 1969.
- ^ Kent Route Study Draft for Consultation (PDF). Network Rail (Report). March 2017. p. 74. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
- ^ Gray 1990, p. 155.
- ^ McCarthy & McCarthy 2007, p. 128.
- ^ Railway Passenger Stations by M.Quick page 476
- ^ "Westenhanger station information". Southeastern, September 2020.
- ^ Table 207 National Rail timetable, December 2021
Sources
- Gray, Adrian (1990). South Eastern Railway. Middleton Press. ISBN 978-0-906520-85-7.
- McCarthy, Colin; McCarthy, David (2007). Railways of Britain : Kent and Sussex. Ian Allan. ISBN 978-0-7110-3222-4.
External links
- Train times and station information for Westenhanger railway station from National Rail
51°05′42″N 1°02′17″E / 51.095°N 1.038°E