ON THE CRAB AND WINKLE

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: june 2018 :: RMTnews 28 The Canterbury and Whitstable Railway, the ‘Crab and Winkle Line’ as it became known, was one of the world’s earliest railways, opened in 1830 between Canterbury and Whitstable in Kent, England. Built by engineers George Stephenson and Joseph Locke over three steep gradients, it boosted the world’s first railway bridge, the world’s first railway tunnel – 828-yards under Tyler's Hill –and the world's first season ticket was issued on the line in 1834. The line was even inspected by Isambard Kingdom Brunel in 1835 to silence criticism of his proposals for the Great Western Railway, particularly the perceived problems of working a tunnel on a steep gradient, which Brunel wished to do at Box Tunnel. Despite this illustrious history, the line never prospered and suffered setbacks from competing lines including the Chatham and Dover Railway opened in 1860 running trains to London. The line finally closed to passengers in 1931. It continued to carry coal, grain and munitions to the harbour during World War II. By 1948, Whitstable Harbour had fallen into disuse and what was left of the line's trade had disappeared and finally closed for goods in 1952. However it was re-opened for several weeks in 1953 after the great floods cut the main coastal line before the line was finally taken up. Local RMT member Glenn Craddock and his parents are fans of the Crab and Winkle and he cycles the seven mile long path opened in 1999 along part of the original trackbed. His Mum is from Whitstable and his Dad is from Canterbury who remembers sleeping in Tyler's Hill tunnel as a toddler along with hundreds of others sheltering from incendiary bombs dropped by the German Luftwaffe during the Blitz. Glenn also remembers messing about in the tunnel when he was a kid. However today it is sealed up following severe subsidence in 1974 after The University of Kent built on the top of the hill having been wrongfully advised that it was safe to build over the tunnel. “It is a shame that such an old and pioneering structure is now closed because its significance to Britain’s transport heritage, as the first of its kind, cannot be overestimated. “In fact most of the rail infrastructure has been removed except for The Goods Shed at the start of the path at Canterbury West station which was been restored as the country's first six-day farmers' market and restaurant. “The world’s oldest railway bridge in Whitstable was also knocked down in 1971 to make way for cars and by 1997 the whole route was disused, overgrown and almost entirely forgotten. “But today it is a lovely bike ride through some beautiful countryside with a bit of unique railway history thrown in,” he says before saddling up. ON THE CRAB AND WINKLE Popular Kentish cycle path runs along the bed of one of the world’s first railway lines RMT member Glen craddock