Tonbridge and Malling rail manifesto

[MarkyMarkD]

I don't know how feasible it is to reverse at Strood, but replacing some of the Medway Valley line services would make sensible use of rolling stock. I'd even tolerate a slow stopping service along that part of the route if necessary to make the huge benefit of uninterrupted travel to Gatwick a possibility.

Once you've decided to start at Gillingham, there's no reason not to start even further down the line - somewhere like Dover even!

It could even connect the rather minor Kent International Airport to Gatwick, although the journey time would be a bit lengthy.

 

[OxtedL]

Now we're heading out of the box a bit, how about a semi-fast Ebbsfleet-Reading? Lots of connectivity there.

 

[tsr]

Now we're heading out of the box a bit, how about a semi-fast Ebbsfleet-Reading? Lots of connectivity there.

It's a good idea - one I did once imagine very vaguely around the time of Ebbsfleet International's construction - but let's face it, the North Downs Line needs the now rather neglected freight diversion route suggestions, which would bring electrification and hopefully a line speed increase (although I don't know if that was ever officially mentioned), as well as several loops in various places, to allow efficient use of rolling stock and passengers' time!

Once improvements on that scale can be thought about, I could even imagine a reinstatement of the old London Charing Cross - Reading services. Just. But that's nothing to do with Kent, really.

If some extra paths were added between Gatwick Airport and Southampton/Portsmouth via Horsham or even, more usefully, Brighton/Hove, could a service be run to those cities from somewhere like Tonbridge or Maidstone? This would be a semi-fast service.

 

[TheJRB]

Population per 2001 census:

Ashford 58,936

Gillingham 99,773
Chatham 70,540
Rochester 27,000
Strood 33,182

Total 230,000 (approx)

Hmm, obviously makes sense to start the train from Ashford rather than Gillingham (before proceeding to Maidstone, Tonbridge, etc. on either route).

Having moved to Ashford in October 2000, I can safely say that Ashford has grown significantly since 2001. Ashford Council reckon the population stands at about 112,000 now.

But then I wasn't the one who suggested the service should start back from Ashford though.

 

[Eagle]

For its size, Maidstone has always been a bit of a Cinderella in terms of train services, largely due to the machinations of the Victorian railway companies.

It's more to do with the machinations of the Victorian NIMBYs, who refused to let the LCDR and the SER build their mainlines anywhere near the town (a logical London to Dover mainline would follow what is now the M20 corridor). It was only when they moved into their branchline-building phase that the residents relented, and Maidstone is stuck with two lines of lesser importance.
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Now we're heading out of the box a bit, how about a semi-fast Ebbsfleet-Reading? Lots of connectivity there.

Would be obviated if Crossrail ever gets extended to do Gravesend–Reading as safeguarded.

 

[yorksrob]

It's more to do with the machinations of the Victorian NIMBYs, who refused to let the LCDR and the SER build their mainlines anywhere near the town (a logical London to Dover mainline would follow what is now the M20 corridor). It was only when they moved into their branchline-building phase that the residents relented, and Maidstone is stuck with two lines of lesser importance.

Parliament ordering the SER to share the Brighton main line as far as Redhill would have had a lot to do with it missing out in the first place (although I believe Maidstone did get it's branch from Paddock Wood as early as the mid 1840's).

By the time the Chatham came on the scene it started in East Kent originally, so it's natural route Westwards would have been through North Kent and the Medway towns.

I think the best service Maidstone's ever had was when Network SouthEast used to run express trains from the coast calling at Ashford, Bearstead, Maidstone East then fast to London Bridge. This may only have been at weekends though.

 

[starlightEXPRESS]

let's face it, the North Downs Line needs the now rather neglected freight diversion route suggestions, which would bring electrification and hopefully a line speed increase (although I don't know if that was ever officially mentioned), as well as several loops in various places, to allow efficient use of rolling stock and passengers' time!

AIUI one of the major hurdles to developing the NDL as a through freight route are the two tunnels between Guildford and Shalford Junction, which I understand restrict the gauge to W7. Any enlargement of the tunnels would require both SWT along the Portsmouth Direct Line as well as the FGW services to be suspended whilst the gauge was increased. http://www.networkrail.co.uk/upload...te_Plans/Route Specifications 2011 Wessex.pdf

The North Downs Line itself is currently cleared for W6 and AIUI remodelling of the curves at Shalford and Redhill (and possibly Ash) is required to increase the gauge.

 

[telstarbox]

(deleted)

 

[OxtedL]

Would be obviated if Crossrail ever gets extended to do Gravesend–Reading as safeguarded.

Quite possibly. Journeys from Dorking round to Ebbsfleet might still be faster on a direct train though, and as things stand at the moment, Tonbridge to Reading is 2 hours via Redhill (including a 25 minute wait at Redhill) vs 1h 50 via London, although of course the London option also includes a stupidly long connection time.

Going all the way from Ebbsfleet to Reading might appear to slightly pointless as that particular journey wouldn't be useful, but the number of routes you could link up with such a service is quite large, giving many people access to Gatwick and to Eurostar at Ebbsfleet.

It's a bit out there, but on the face of it it could be more justifiable than a Tonbridge to Gatwick. The network just isn't capable of it at the moment.

While I'm thinking about it, how easy is it for trains to turn at Ebbsfleet from the South at the moment? Can 375s do it if there's disruption?

 

[ji459]

Having moved to Ashford in October 2000, I can safely say that Ashford has grown significantly since 2001. Ashford Council reckon the population stands at about 112,000 now.

That's an estimate for the borough, not the town (in 2001 the borough's population was 103,000). MarkyMarkD's estimate of 58,936 for the town is correct for 2010 not 2001 (the ONS estimates 59,232).

Direct trains to Gatwick from Ashford would be nice though. I find it amusing that the most convenient airport from Ashford (in terms of changing trains) is the one that's furthest away - Luton: get off at London Bridge and catch the Luton train from the same platform.