Rother Valley Railway

The Rother Valley Railway is the original name of what became the Kent and East Sussex Railway. Nowadays, the Rover Valley Railway refers to the ‘Missing Link’ between Robertsbridge, a station on the Tonbridge to Hastings mainline, and Bodiam on the Kent and East Sussex Railway, a heritage railway. A society of volunteers are attempting to re-establish the railway link. To date (2007) the society has re-laid the first few hundred yards of line eastwards from Robertsbridge, together with a platform and buffet (utilising a building formerly used as the London terminus of the Orient Express). The society intends to instigate Brake van rides once the necessary infrastructure and approvals are in place.

Origins

The Kent & East Sussex Railway Preservation Society was formed in 1961 following closure of the line.

After many trials and tribulations, the Tenterden Railway Company Limited was incorporated in 1971 as a Company limited by guarantee and in 1973 was successful in purchasing that part of the line between Tenterden and Bodiam. The Tenterden Railway Company is now known as The Kent & East Sussex Railway, as of January 2004. The preservationists were refused permission by the then Transport Minister Barbara Castle to take over the section between Bodiam and Robertsbridge, despite taking the Minister to the High Court. The latter section was lifted and became abandoned.

Trains first ran again on the Kent & East Sussex Railway on the 3 February 1974 between Tenterden to Rolvenden, the line gradually being restored and extended in stages, reaching Wittersham Road in 1977, Northiam in 1990 and finally Bodiam on the 2 April 2000, exactly 100 years to the day since the original opening of the line to passengers. The Tenterden Railway Company has powers under its Memorandum and Articles of Association to operate the Railway between Tenterden and Robertsbridge, but has no current plans to extend beyond Bodiam.

A separate Company, the Rother Valley Railway (East Sussex) Ltd, was formed on the 22 May 1991 with the approval of the Tenterden Railway Company to reconstruct the railway between Bodiam and Robertsbridge and has since simplified its name to Rother Valley Railway Ltd.

Achievements

Since 1991, the railway has been acquiring parts of the trackbed as and when possible. Negotiations continue with remaining landowners to secure the remainder of the route. In addition the Railway is liaising with various authorities to ensure that the necessary planning consents and orders can be granted.

A small collection of currently unrestored rolling stock is in storage on the railway.

In 2005, the RVR was given a donation of ¾ mile (1.2km) of track, recovered by the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) from the former colliery at Betteshanger on the Kent coalfield.

Rolling Stock

The following are on sitecite web |url=http://www.classicrvr.hoofbags.me.uk/rollingstock.html |title=Rolling Stock |accessdate=2008-04-22 |author=Skullclamp Creations]
*"TITAN" 0-4-0DM shunter, Vulcan Foundry works number D140.
*97701, Matisa shunter. [http://craigrailpics.fotopic.net/p39169003.html pic]
*D99 0-4-0 shunter, Vulcan Foundry works number D77 [http://craigrailpics.fotopic.net/p39169002.html pic]

Future plans

The Rother Valley Railway proposes to restore the missing rail link between Bodiam and Robertsbridge. This is approxiamately a 3½ mile (5.6km) long section. There will be an end-on link with the Kent and East Sussex at Bodiam enabling through running. Trains will initially run into the Rother Valley Railway's own station at Robertsbridge, but the ultimate aim is to run trains into the bay platform, which still exists as an engineers siding.

Several bridges need to be rebuilt, and three road crossings reinstated including the A21 Robertsbridge by-pass, which was the original stumbling block and major reason which prevented the acquisition of this section by the Tenterden Railway Company in the 1960’s. Recently however official attitudes have moderated and the Railway is convinced that when the time is right, assistance and permissions will be granted.

ee also

* Kent and East Sussex Railway
* Colonel Stephens

External links

* [http://www.rvr.org.uk RVR Official Website]
* [http://www.kesr.org.uk KESR official website]
* [http://www.hfstephens-museum.org.uk/ Col. Stephens Museum]

References