Tunbridge Wells West railway station
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Tunbridge Wells West | |||
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| Location | |||
| Location | Tunbridge Wells | ||
| Area | Tunbridge Wells, Kent | ||
| Grid reference | TQ578384 | ||
| Operations | |||
| Pre-grouping | London, Brighton and South Coast Railway | ||
| Post-grouping | Southern Railway Southern Region of British Railways Network SouthEast Spa Valley Railway |
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| Platforms | 2 | ||
| History | |||
| 1 October 1866 | Opened (Tunbridge Wells) | ||
| 22 August 1923 | Renamed (Tunbridge Wells West) | ||
| 4 September 1961 | Goods facilities withdrawn | ||
| 6 July 1985 | Closed to passengers | ||
| August 1997 | Services recommenced by Spa Valley Railway | ||
| Disused railway stations in the United Kingdom | |||
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Closed railway stations in Britain |
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Tunbridge Wells West is a railway station located in 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). Closed to mainline passenger services in 1985, the West station was re-opened in 1996 by the Spa Valley Railway.
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[edit] History
[edit] Early years
The West station was opened in 1866 by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LBSCR), as the eastern terminus of the Cuckoo Line from Polegate. 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."[1]
From Tunbridge Wells West there were direct services to the South Coast at Brighton and Eastbourne and to London Victoria. The Victoria services ran southbound and turned to join the Uckfield - London line via a line linking Groombridge and Ashurst. As a sign outside the station proudly proclaimed, "New Route to London: Shortest, Quickest and Most Direct. Frequent Express Trains."[1]
By 1 February 1876 the rivalry between the two companies had cooled to the extent that the two Tunbridge Wells stations were linked by a short single track spur 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.[2] On 5 April 1880 the LBSCR extended their line from Hailsham to Eridge which enabled services to run through to Tunbridge Wells West.[3] A number of enlargements were also carried out to the station in the last quarter of the 19th century, including the replacement of the original locomotive shed with a larger 4-road shed to the north-west of the station in 1891.[4]
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.[5]
In 1923 following the grouping ordered by the Railways Act, 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".[4] This period saw the station become very popular with cross-country services with over 100 trains passing each day.[2] 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 - but this had improved by the 1950s when 58 passenger services and two freight trains used the section in 1958, making it the most used section of single track in the country.[6]
One of the bay platforms was 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.
[edit] Decline and closure
As the popularity for 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 Three Bridges to Groombridge in 1967, the Cuckoo Line in 1968 and finally the Wealden Line in 1969. Tunbridge Wells West was itself listed for closure in 1966, only to be subsequently reprieved.[7] The line to Tunbridge Wells West remained open, although in its latter years passenger services were confined to a shuttle service between Tonbridge (via the single line connection to Tunbridge Wells Central - now plain Tunbridge Wells) and Eridge, although there was a depot at the station providing 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, it was discovered in the early 1980s that the track and signalling needed to be replaced. British Rail, at the time carrying out an upgrade of the Tonbridge to Hastings Line which planned the removal of Grove Junction, decided that the costs 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 closure of the line (including Groombridge and the West station) from 16 May 1983. The Secretary of State for Transport rubber stamped the decision with effect from 6 July 1985, although it did not actually close until 10 August when the depot at the West station was shut.[3]
[edit] Revival
A charitable society was formed on 13 September 1985 to purchase and reopen the Tunbridge Wells to Eridge line. Named the "Tunbridge Wells and Eridge Preservation Society" (TWERPS), it began a long struggle to re-open the Eridge to Tunbridge Wells West line. In the early 1990s, the group acquired the line to Groombridge and established their base in the West station's locomotive shed. TWERPS subsequently merged with the North Downs Steam Railway at Dartford, to become the Spa Valley Railway.[2]
The campaign received a set-back in the early 1990s when Tunbridge Wells Borough Council gave planning permission for the construction of a large supermarket complex on the site of the by now 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 signalboxes. However, the planning permission was subject to the condition that the developer pay for restoration of the station building and engine shed.[8]
In 1996 the Spa Valley Railway relocated from the North Downs Steam Railway where it was experiencing vandalism problems. It established a base in the locomotive shed alongside which a new platform was built from where services began running to Groombridge in August 1997.[8][2]
[edit] Present day
The Grade II listed imposing station building, complete with clocktower with louvred spirelet and weathervane, gas-lit booking hall and elaborate ornamental ceiling, was converted into a Beefeater restaurant named "The Old West Station", before being purchased by Herald Inns and Bars which run it under the same name as a pub-cum-restaurant. The former goods yard and stabling sidings are lost under a Sainsbury's supermarket and a Homebase, and the trackbed has been infilled up to platform level to form a car park.
More than twenty years after its closure Tunbridge Wells West is once again a busy train depot. Passenger services using heritage trains now run between Tunbridge Wells West, High Rocks, Groombridge and Birchden, with plans to extend once again into Eridge. In 2007 Spa Valley Railway 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.[9] The funds raised from this event went towards the "Return to Eridge" appeal to raise £500,000 for the extension to the Uckfield mainline at Eridge. The heritage railway hopes to open the line to Eridge by Summer 2008.[10]
There is also a parallel campaign, by the Wealden Line, to attempt to re-open the railway between Tunbridge Wells West and Eridge and then, further down the line, between Uckfield and Lewes as a part of the National Rail network.
[edit] Future
Although the Spa Valley Railway may well succeed in resurrecting the connection between Tunbridge Wells West and the national rail network at Eridge, the prospect of reinstating the line north to Tunbridge Wells Central would face numerous obstacles. The access road to Sainsbury's Supermarket car park would have to be resited and part of the supermarket, namely the lorry unloading bay, would have to be demolished. In addition, the station building would need to be repurchased and converted back into station use. 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 re-connected and re-figured 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.[11]
[edit] Gallery
 Station clocktower |
 Station platform from the north-west |
 Station platform from the north-east |
 Spa Valley Railway operations in former Engine Shed |
[edit] References
- ^ a b Oppitz, Leslie (2003). Lost Railways of Kent. Newbury, Berkshire: Countryside Books, p. 69. ISBN 978-1853068034.
- ^ a b c d Spa Valley Railway, History
- ^ a b Subterranea Britannica
- ^ a b Mitchell, Vice; Smith, Keith (1984). Branch Lines to East Grinstead. Midhurst, West Sussex: Middleton Press. ISBN 090652007X.
- ^ Kent and Sussex Courier, "Drama over pecking order for buffalo bill's red indians", 3 August 2007, p. 30
- ^ Subterranea Britannica, Heathfield station
- ^ "Replay: 27 December 1966 - 12 stations to be closed", The Independent, 27 December 1966.
- ^ a b Kent Rail, Spa Valley Railway
- ^ Kent and Sussex Courier, "Full steam ahead for anniversary", 14 September 2007, p. 21
- ^ Spa Valley Railway, Eridge Appeal
- ^ Spa Valley Progress
[edit] External links
- Spa Valley Railway
- Tunbridge Wells West - information and photos
- The Old West Station
