Maidstone West railway station
Encyclopedia
Maidstone West railway station is one of three railway stations which serve the Town Centre of Maidstone, the County Town of Kent.
It lies approximately halfway along the Medway Valley Line
9.99 mi (16.1 km) from Paddock Wood; 17 km (10.6 mi) from Strood
) and train services are provided by Southeastern
.
in 1842. The line ran approximately eight miles to the south, with the nearest station being at Maidstone Road (later renamed Paddock Wood). On 25 September 1844, a branch line was opened from Paddock Wood to Maidstone West. This was extended further up the Medway Valley to the North Kent Line
at Strood on 18 June 1856. The main station building is believed to date from this time.
Maidstone West has a signal box — located at the southern end of the station — which is used as the point at which the mileage measurements and the "Up" and "Down" directions to London change. South of the signal box, the distance from London is measured via Paddock Wood, and the Up (towards London) direction is southbound. From the signal box northwards, however, mileages are measured via Strood and the northbound line is the Up direction. On 3 August 1944, the signal box was severely damaged when a doodlebug landed nearby. Seven people were killed, as well as two dray horses belonging to Maidstone brewers Fremlins. The signalbox was repaired and returned to service.
Just south of Maidstone West was a station at Tovil . Passenger services ceased on 15 March 1943. A short line ran on a bridge across the River Medway
to a goods station at Tovil Goods until 3 October 1977, from which point the branch line closed completely.
. Connections to London are available from any of these three stations.
Four trains each way per day using Class 395 Javelin
units operate between Maidstone West and via and .
It lies approximately halfway along the Medway Valley Line
Medway Valley Line
The Medway Valley Line is the name given to the railway line linking and the Medway Towns with and onward to , and London St Pancras International...
9.99 mi (16.1 km) from Paddock Wood; 17 km (10.6 mi) from Strood
Strood railway station
Strood Railway Station serves the town of Strood in Medway. It is on the North Kent Line and is a terminus for the Medway Valley Line. Train services are operated by Southeastern.-History:...
) and train services are provided 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...
.
History
Due largely to opposition from the town's merchants, and the fear expressed by the then Mayor that Maidstone will be ruined as a commercial town, the town was bypassed when the South Eastern Main Line opened by the South Eastern Railway (SER)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...
in 1842. The line ran approximately eight miles to the south, with the nearest station being at Maidstone Road (later renamed Paddock Wood). On 25 September 1844, a branch line was opened from Paddock Wood to Maidstone West. This was extended further up the Medway Valley to the North Kent Line
North Kent Line
The North Kent Line is a railway line which connects central and south east London with Dartford and Medway.-Construction:The North Kent Line was the means by which the South Eastern Railway were able to connect its system to London at London Bridge...
at Strood on 18 June 1856. The main station building is believed to date from this time.
Maidstone West has a signal box — located at the southern end of the station — which is used as the point at which the mileage measurements and the "Up" and "Down" directions to London change. South of the signal box, the distance from London is measured via Paddock Wood, and the Up (towards London) direction is southbound. From the signal box northwards, however, mileages are measured via Strood and the northbound line is the Up direction. On 3 August 1944, the signal box was severely damaged when a doodlebug landed nearby. Seven people were killed, as well as two dray horses belonging to Maidstone brewers Fremlins. The signalbox was repaired and returned to service.
Just south of Maidstone West was a station at Tovil . Passenger services ceased on 15 March 1943. A short line ran on a bridge across the River Medway
River Medway
The River Medway, which is almost entirely in Kent, England, flows for from just inside the West Sussex border to the point where it enters the Thames Estuary....
to a goods station at Tovil Goods until 3 October 1977, from which point the branch line closed completely.
Services
The typical off-peak service from the station is one train per hour to Paddock Wood and , and two trains an hour to StroodStrood railway station
Strood Railway Station serves the town of Strood in Medway. It is on the North Kent Line and is a terminus for the Medway Valley Line. Train services are operated by Southeastern.-History:...
. Connections to London are available from any of these three stations.
Four trains each way per day using Class 395 Javelin
British Rail Class 395
British Rail Class 395 is a dual-voltage electric multiple unit used by train operating company Southeastern for its services along High Speed 1 and onwards to the Kent coast. The trains were built in Japan by Hitachi and shipped to the United Kingdom to operate new high speed domestic services...
units operate between Maidstone West and via and .