Spa Valley Railway, West Station, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN2 5QY
Telephone: 01892 537715
enquiries@spavalleyrailway.co.uk

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Read the Steam Railway Magazine Article "Great Eridge-spectations" outlining the project

"Platform 2 for Groombridge, High Rocks and Tunbridge Wells West!"

The wait is over - for the first time since 1966 you can again travel from Eridge to Tunbridge Wells by steam train. In fact, since 1985 by any train at all! The project to return Spa Valley trains to Eridge has taken eight years, although the first negotiations began long before that.

The challenges of running a safe heritage operation alongside a 60mph main line are significant and unique - this has never been done before, and the Spa Valley team has had to set precedents on almost every aspect of the project.

Here are a few facts about the extension:

· It is 1 mile from Groombridge to Birchden Junction, and a further mile to Eridge from there.

· The line drops from Groombridge on a gradient of 1 in 100 towards Birchden Junction, from where it climbs at a rate of between 1 in 200 and 1 in 300 to Eridge station.

· Due to the absence of a run-round loop at Eridge, engines are usually changed here, with the relieved engine waiting in Platform 3 for the train to return.

· If circumstances demand a fifth coach to be added to the train, we employ "top and tail" operation, with an engine on each end of the train. This is because there is only room to run round four carriages in the loop at Tunbridge Wells.

· Spa Valley manages its own track between Birchden Junction and Eridge and operates as a stand-alone system from the adjacent main line.

· All maintenance and patrols on the section are performed by Keltbray Rail, our nominated NR-approved contractors.

· Spa Valley leases part of Eridge station from the train operating company, Southern.

· Forge Farm level crossing is manned by a Spa Valley Crossing Attendant, who authorises and supervises Spa Valley movements over the crossing.

· All of the expenditure on the extension has been funded from income from the existing operation, and by generous sponsorship from industry partners, Spa Valley members and the public. We haven't borrowed a penny in realising our dream!

The Spa Valley Railway provides a valuable heritage link to visitors and locals alike, linking the tourist attractions of Tunbridge Wells, High Rocks and Groombridge with a fast, comfortable main line railway linking Uckfield, Crowborough, Edenbridge, Oxted, East Croydon and London – Eridge is under an hour from London Bridge by train. The station at Eridge is also adjacent to the A26 trunk road, convenient for visitors driving to Tunbridge Wells from the South Coast enabling “park and ride” or a coach party drop off point.

We already offer joint ticketing with Groombridge Place Gardens, and with Southern from any of their stations to any of ours! We see ourselves as the mortar between the bricks of local tourist destinations, offering an exciting and fun way of getting to them from the Capital. Air-conditioned travel on Southern's new express trains from London Bridge and a steam train ride through the beautiful Weald landscape certainly beats trying to placate the children in a traffic jam on the M25!

Watch an Eridge promotional video detailing travel from our new terminus station.

Many people have made invaluable contributions to the project over the years, but our sincere thanks go to:

· Network Rail

· Keltbray Rail

· Invensys Rail (Westinghouse)

· McNealy Brown and Frankhams

· And the myriad people who have made midnight oil a rare commodity, giving freely of their time and energies to make an unlikely dream a fantastic reality.

Of course, much remains in the To Do pile; notably re-instatement of the loop at Eridge to allow engines to run round their train, and completion of the Groombridge signalling scheme. These two projects aren't cheap, but they are fundamental to the long-term viability of the line. Your generosity will help us get there.

Please download and fill out the Standing Order form and return to:

Eridge Appeal, Tunbridge Wells and Eridge RPS, West Station, Tunbridge Wells , TN2 5QY .

Photo by Tom Waghorn.