Ramsgate railway station
Encyclopedia
Ramsgate railway station serves the town of Ramsgate
in Thanet
in Kent
, England, and is located about 10 minutes away on foot from the town centre. The station lies on the Chatham Main Line
127 km (79¼ miles) east of London Victoria, the Kent Coast Line
, and the Ashford to Ramsgate (via Canterbury West) line
. Train services are currently provided by Southeastern
.
, London Victoria
and London St Pancras
the typical off-peak service is
(SER) opened a line from Canterbury. It terminated at Ramsgate SER, later to be called Ramsgate Town, which, unlike the present-day station, was in the town centre. Later the same year the line opened across Thanet to Margate, to Margate SER, (later Margate Sands). Trains from Canterbury for Margate had to reverse at Ramsgate Town; a chord was built bypassing the station, but not often used. St Lawrence station was opened in 1864 just before this chord but closed in 1916.
The London Chatham and Dover Railway (LCDR) reached Margate from Herne Bay in 1863. This called at Margate C&D (later Margate West), East Margate (later Margate East), Broadstairs and via a 1630 yd tunnel terminated at Ramsgate C&D (later Ramsgate Harbour
), located near the harbour and beach.
This arrangement was inherited by Southern Railway
on grouping in 1923. To simplify the arrangement in 1926 a new line was opened connecting the SER line from east of Ramsgate Town to the LCDR line just south of Broadstairs. The current Ramsgate station and a new station at Dumpton Park were built on this new line. The Ramsgate Harbour station, line through the tunnel, and the Ramsgate Town station and old SER line across to Margate Sands were all closed in July 1926. This change made for operational convenience, but has the disadvantage that the town centre is no longer served.
near Ramsgate Station in April 1846. This was closed by the Southern Railway in 1926 and replaced by a larger facility in 1930. This closed to steam locomotives in 1959 and was converted for use servicing electric multiple units. It remains in use today.
Ramsgate
Ramsgate is a seaside town in the district of Thanet in east Kent, England. It was one of the great English seaside towns of the 19th century and is a member of the ancient confederation of Cinque Ports. It has a population of around 40,000. Ramsgate's main attraction is its coastline and its main...
in Thanet
Thanet
Thanet is a local government district of Kent, England which was formed under the Local Government Act 1972, and came into being on 1 April 1974...
in 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...
, England, and is located about 10 minutes away on foot from the town centre. The station lies on the Chatham Main Line
Chatham Main Line
The Chatham Main Line is a British railway line that runs from either London Victoria to Dover Priory / Ramsgate or London St Pancras to Faversham, with both services travelling via Medway...
127 km (79¼ miles) east of London Victoria, the Kent Coast Line
Kent Coast Line
The Kent Coast Line is railway line that runs from Dover Priory to Margate in the English county of Kent.It was electrified by BR under the 1955 Modernisation Plan.- Services :...
, and the Ashford to Ramsgate (via Canterbury West) line
Ashford to Ramsgate (via Canterbury West) line
The Ashford to Ramsgate line is the railway that runs from Ashford to Ramsgate via Canterbury West. The same termini can be reached by the Kent Coast LineThe line is electrified .-Services:...
. Train services are currently 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...
.
Architecture
Ramsgate railway station is "possibly the finest New Classical railway station in southern England". It was built between 1924 and 1926 by Edwin Maxwell Fry and is a Grade II listed building.Services
Trains from the station run to London Charing CrossCharing Cross railway station
Charing Cross railway station, also known as London Charing Cross, is a central London railway terminus in the City of Westminster, England. It is one of 18 stations managed by Network Rail, and trains serving it are operated by Southeastern...
, London Victoria
Victoria station (London)
Victoria station, also known as London Victoria, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex. It is named after nearby Victoria Street and not Queen Victoria. It is the second busiest railway terminus in London after Waterloo, and includes an air terminal for passengers...
and London St Pancras
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...
the typical off-peak service is
- 1 tph (trains per hour) to London Charing Cross via , Ashford and Tonbridge
- 1 tph to London Charing Cross via Deal, Dover Priory, Ashford and Tonbridge
- 1 tph (high-speed) to London St Pancras via Canterbury West and Ashford
- 2 tph to London Victoria via , and the Medway Towns
- 1 tph to Margate
History
Trains first reached Ramsgate in April 1846 when the South Eastern RailwaySouth 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) opened a line from Canterbury. It terminated at Ramsgate SER, later to be called Ramsgate Town, which, unlike the present-day station, was in the town centre. Later the same year the line opened across Thanet to Margate, to Margate SER, (later Margate Sands). Trains from Canterbury for Margate had to reverse at Ramsgate Town; a chord was built bypassing the station, but not often used. St Lawrence station was opened in 1864 just before this chord but closed in 1916.
The London Chatham and Dover Railway (LCDR) reached Margate from Herne Bay in 1863. This called at Margate C&D (later Margate West), East Margate (later Margate East), Broadstairs and via a 1630 yd tunnel terminated at Ramsgate C&D (later Ramsgate Harbour
Ramsgate Harbour railway station
Ramsgate Harbour railway station is a former railway station in Ramsgate, in the Thanet district of Kent, England. Opened in 1863 as part of the Kent Coast Railway company's extension of its line from Herne Bay, it was conveniently situated for the seaside resort's beach, but it closed in 1926...
), located near the harbour and beach.
This arrangement was inherited by 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...
on grouping in 1923. To simplify the arrangement in 1926 a new line was opened connecting the SER line from east of Ramsgate Town to the LCDR line just south of Broadstairs. The current Ramsgate station and a new station at Dumpton Park were built on this new line. The Ramsgate Harbour station, line through the tunnel, and the Ramsgate Town station and old SER line across to Margate Sands were all closed in July 1926. This change made for operational convenience, but has the disadvantage that the town centre is no longer served.
Motive power depot
The SER opened a motive power depotMotive 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...
near Ramsgate Station in April 1846. This was closed by the Southern Railway in 1926 and replaced by a larger facility in 1930. This closed to steam locomotives in 1959 and was converted for use servicing electric multiple units. It remains in use today.