Walmer railway station

Walmer
National Rail
General information
LocationWalmer, Dover
England
Grid referenceTR364503
Managed bySoutheastern
Platforms2
Other information
Station codeWAM
ClassificationDfT category E
History
Opened17 June 1881
Original companyDover and Deal Joint Railway
Pre-groupingDover and Deal Joint Railway
Post-groupingSouthern Railway
Passengers
2019/20Increase 0.229 million
2020/21Decrease 64,392
2021/22Increase 0.147 million
2022/23Increase 0.179 million
2023/24Increase 0.200 million
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Walmer railway station serves Walmer in Kent, England. The station and all trains serving it are operated by Southeastern.

Facilities

[edit]

The station has two platforms, connected by a subway. A ticket office is open part-time.[1]

History

[edit]

The first plans for a station here were by the Kent Railway in 1836.[2] However, Walmer was slow to grow as a resort compared to many other towns on the Kent coastline, and progress stalled. Further schemes to connect Walmer to the railway network were proposed in November 1846 and March 1854, but neither secured sufficient funding.[3] The London, Chatham & Dover Railway (LDCR) announced plans for a line between Walmer, Deal and Adisham in October 1872, but failed to secure the funding from Parliament.[4]

Construction of the station was delayed owing to problems buying the relevant land, and it cost £14,000 to build.[5] The station was opened on 15 June 1881 by the Dover and Deal Joint Railway when it opened the line from an end-on connection at Deal to Buckley Junction near Dover.[6][7] The line was the only one jointly owned by the rival South Eastern Railway and London, Chatham and Dover Railway and remained independent until the Grouping.[8] The line has been described as one of the more spectacular in southern England.[9] Gas lighting was installed at the station by the end of the year.[10] A station closer to the sea was proposed in 1898, but rejected.[11]

A Pullman camping coach was positioned here by the Southern Region from 1963 to 1967.[12] Goods services were withdrawn from the station in 1961.[13]

Services

[edit]

All services at Walmer are operated by Southeastern using Class 375 and 395 EMUs.

The typical off-peak service in trains per hour is:[14]

Additional services, including trains to and from London Charing Cross via Tonbridge call at the station during the peak hours.

Preceding station National Rail National Rail Following station
Southeastern

Incidents

[edit]

On 6 July 1898, a set of vehicles at the station broke free and ran down the incline towards Deal, where they collided with an empty train, causing £269 of damage.[15]

References

[edit]

Citations

  1. ^ "Walmer". National Rail. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  2. ^ Gray 1990, p. 251.
  3. ^ Gray 1990, p. 254.
  4. ^ Gray 1990, p. 253.
  5. ^ Gray 1990, pp. 255–256.
  6. ^ Quick 2022, p. 464.
  7. ^ Grant 2017, p. 152.
  8. ^ Casserley 1968, p. 115.
  9. ^ White 1992, p. 60.
  10. ^ Gray 1990, p. 256.
  11. ^ Gray 1990, p. 257.
  12. ^ McRae 1998, p. 59.
  13. ^ McCarthy & McCarthy 2007, p. 128.
  14. ^ Table 207 National Rail timetable, December 2021
  15. ^ Gray 1990, p. 258.

Sources

[edit]

51°12′11″N 1°22′59″E / 51.203°N 1.383°E / 51.203; 1.383