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East Kent Light Railway
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East Kent Light Railway
The East Kent Light Railway was a light railway in south-east England, which formed part of Colonel H. F. Stephens' collection of cheaply-built railways, that ran from its own terminus at Shepherdswell to Wingham (Canterbury Road) with a branch from Eastry to Richboro Port. Built primarily for colliery traffic within the Kent Coalfields, the line featured several spurs and branches to serve them, with cancelled extensions to other proposed sites. The success of Tilmanstone colliery allowed the remainder of the line to continue operation until the 1980s, this section becoming part of the East Kent heritage railway.
When the initial construction of the Channel Tunnel was halted in the 1880s, the associated tunnelling company commenced research to confirm the speculation of coal being situated in Kent. The result led to the discovery of iron ore and coal in 1890. Keen to exploit the discovery, test bores began to be sunk in east Kent by the turn of the 20th century and the first collieries were established at Tilmanstone, Guilford, Stonehall, Snowdown, Goodmanstone, Chislet and Wingham.
Proposals to serve the Kent coalfields by rail were not conceived until 1909, when the East Kent Mineral (Light) Railways put forward a network of lines consolidated from no fewer than 40 prior proposals linking nine collieries to a new coal port at Richborough and a junction at Shepherdswell alongside a branch to Canterbury. The light railway was promoted by the Kent Coal Concessions, who owned the majority of the new mines.
Following public enquiries in October 1910, the revised application made the following February saw the Wingham–Canterbury line removed as a result of local opposition and the East Kent Light Railways Order 1911 was granted on 19 June 1911.
The need for materials to build two of the first collieries at Tilmanstone and Guilford resulted in the railway's rapid construction from Shepherdswell, where a temporary line to Tilmanstone was put in place by October 1911, a more permanent line being established in June 1912. Further parts of the network opened in stages, with lines to Eastry, Guilford, Hammill and Wingham collieries opening throughout 1912.
Although the East Kent Light Railway (EKLR) operated a passenger train carrying the railway's shareholders to Tilmanstone in November 1912, regular services did not commence until 16 October 1916, at first running between Shepherdswell and Wingham Colliery before extending to Wingham Town in 1920, all stations (or essentially halts) receiving basic facilities. The next major extension to the EKLR opened in April 1925 from Eastry to Sandwich Road, followed by a shorter extension to Wingham (Canterbury Road) that November.
Subsequently, though at an unknown date, the EKLR built its final extension to Richboro [sic] Port, reaching there via two bridges, each spanning the South Eastern and Chatham Railway (SE&CR)'s Dover–Ramsgate line and the River Stour. However, the actual bridge erected over the latter differed largely from the proposals, which led to passenger trains being refused permission to traverse the line. As a result, Richboro Port station never opened.
Many of the new collieries that the Light Railway was meant to serve failed in their early years, owing to the coal being of poor quality; the mines needing a large depth to access the material, leading to the increased risk of floodings; and their lack of profitability. Only Tilmanstone became successful, though its coal failed to sell on the export market.
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East Kent Light Railway
The East Kent Light Railway was a light railway in south-east England, which formed part of Colonel H. F. Stephens' collection of cheaply-built railways, that ran from its own terminus at Shepherdswell to Wingham (Canterbury Road) with a branch from Eastry to Richboro Port. Built primarily for colliery traffic within the Kent Coalfields, the line featured several spurs and branches to serve them, with cancelled extensions to other proposed sites. The success of Tilmanstone colliery allowed the remainder of the line to continue operation until the 1980s, this section becoming part of the East Kent heritage railway.
When the initial construction of the Channel Tunnel was halted in the 1880s, the associated tunnelling company commenced research to confirm the speculation of coal being situated in Kent. The result led to the discovery of iron ore and coal in 1890. Keen to exploit the discovery, test bores began to be sunk in east Kent by the turn of the 20th century and the first collieries were established at Tilmanstone, Guilford, Stonehall, Snowdown, Goodmanstone, Chislet and Wingham.
Proposals to serve the Kent coalfields by rail were not conceived until 1909, when the East Kent Mineral (Light) Railways put forward a network of lines consolidated from no fewer than 40 prior proposals linking nine collieries to a new coal port at Richborough and a junction at Shepherdswell alongside a branch to Canterbury. The light railway was promoted by the Kent Coal Concessions, who owned the majority of the new mines.
Following public enquiries in October 1910, the revised application made the following February saw the Wingham–Canterbury line removed as a result of local opposition and the East Kent Light Railways Order 1911 was granted on 19 June 1911.
The need for materials to build two of the first collieries at Tilmanstone and Guilford resulted in the railway's rapid construction from Shepherdswell, where a temporary line to Tilmanstone was put in place by October 1911, a more permanent line being established in June 1912. Further parts of the network opened in stages, with lines to Eastry, Guilford, Hammill and Wingham collieries opening throughout 1912.
Although the East Kent Light Railway (EKLR) operated a passenger train carrying the railway's shareholders to Tilmanstone in November 1912, regular services did not commence until 16 October 1916, at first running between Shepherdswell and Wingham Colliery before extending to Wingham Town in 1920, all stations (or essentially halts) receiving basic facilities. The next major extension to the EKLR opened in April 1925 from Eastry to Sandwich Road, followed by a shorter extension to Wingham (Canterbury Road) that November.
Subsequently, though at an unknown date, the EKLR built its final extension to Richboro [sic] Port, reaching there via two bridges, each spanning the South Eastern and Chatham Railway (SE&CR)'s Dover–Ramsgate line and the River Stour. However, the actual bridge erected over the latter differed largely from the proposals, which led to passenger trains being refused permission to traverse the line. As a result, Richboro Port station never opened.
Many of the new collieries that the Light Railway was meant to serve failed in their early years, owing to the coal being of poor quality; the mines needing a large depth to access the material, leading to the increased risk of floodings; and their lack of profitability. Only Tilmanstone became successful, though its coal failed to sell on the export market.
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