EAST KENT HERITAGE

Once a thriving industrial line serving the Kent coalfield, the East Kent Railway (EKR) begins at the village of Shepherdswell and takes you on a four-mile round trip taking in the village of Eythorne. Rolling countryside, steep chalk-lined cuttings and the fascinating 550-yard Golgotha tunnel make this a visit worth making. The East Kent Railway was completed in 1917 to serve the growing Kent coalfields being developed in the area. It was envisaged that the line would link the collieries with the mainline but planned branch lines to Canterbury, Deal, and Birchington were never completed. The line from Shepherdswell to Tilmanstone Colliery remained operational until the 1984/85 Miners Strike. Tilmanstone Colliery reopened for a short while but eventually ceased production in 1986 and closure of the line followed in 1987. The East Kent Railway Society was formed as a charity in 1985 to save the line, but it was not until 1989 that volunteers began the huge task of clearing the thick vegetation that had claimed the railway since closure. In 1993, the Light Railway Order was obtained, allowing regular passenger trains to run after an absence of over forty years. Since then, a new station has been built at Eythorne. EKR general manager Matthew Plews explains that this small heritage line near Dover and Deal is really a forgotten gem which still has a lot to offer visitors and is still expanding since reopening services in 1995. “There has been an HERITAGE: Eythorne Station Signal Box, and Platform approach ramp, at the East Kent Railway Trust, Shepherdswell near Dover. EAST KENT HERITAGE Take a scenic journey through the industrial history of the Kent coalfields RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: september/october 2024 :: RMTnews 26