General information | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Location | Maidstone, Maidstone England | ||||
Grid reference | TQ755553 | ||||
Managed by | Southeastern | ||||
Platforms | 2 | ||||
Other information | |||||
Station code | MDW | ||||
Classification | DfT category E | ||||
Key dates | |||||
25 September 1844 | Opened (Terminus) | ||||
18 June 1856 | Through station opened | ||||
Passengers | |||||
2019/20 | 0.905 million | ||||
Interchange | 0.120 million | ||||
2020/21 | 0.210 million | ||||
Interchange | 29,289 | ||||
2021/22 | 0.549 million | ||||
Interchange | 73,597 | ||||
2022/23 | 0.642 million | ||||
Interchange | 0.133 million | ||||
2023/24 | 0.797 million | ||||
Interchange | 0.173 million | ||||
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Maidstone West railway station is one of three railway stations which serve the town of Maidstone,in Kent,England. It is on the Medway Valley Line,42 miles 36 chains (68.3 km) from London Charing Cross via Strood and situated between Maidstone Barracks and East Farleigh. The station and all trains serving it are operated by Southeastern.
Due largely to opposition from the town's merchants,and the fear expressed by the then Mayor that "Maidstone will be ruined as a commercial town", [1] the town was bypassed when the South Eastern Main Line opened by the South Eastern Railway (SER) in 1842. The line ran approximately eight miles to the south,with the nearest station being at Maidstone Road (later renamed Paddock Wood). On 25 September 1844,a branch line was opened from Paddock Wood to Maidstone West. This was extended further up the Medway Valley to the North Kent Line at Strood on 18 June 1856. The main station building is believed to date from this time. [2]
Maidstone West has a signal box —located at the southern end of the station —which is used as the point at which the mileage measurements and the "Up" and "Down" directions to London change. [3] South of the signal box,the distance from London is measured via Paddock Wood,and the Up (towards London) direction is southbound. From the signal box northwards,however,mileages are measured via Strood and the northbound line is the Up direction. [4] On 3 August 1944,the signal box was severely damaged when a doodlebug landed nearby. Seven people were killed,as well as two dray horses belonging to Maidstone brewers Fremlins. The signalbox was repaired and returned to service. [5]
Just south of Maidstone West was a station at Tovil ( TQ 752 549 ). Passenger services ceased on 15 March 1943. A short line ran on a bridge across the River Medway to a goods station at Tovil Goods ( TQ 754 545 ) until 3 October 1977,from which point the branch line closed completely. [6]
All services at Maidstone West are operated by Southeastern using Class 375 and 395 EMUs.
The typical off-peak service in trains per hour is: [7]
A small number of morning,mid afternoon and late evening trains continue beyond Paddock Wood to Tonbridge.
The station is also served by two peak hour high speed services per day to and from London St Pancras International.
On Sundays,the service is reduced to hourly in each direction.
Preceding station | National Rail | Following station | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Southeastern | ||||
Southeastern Peak Hours Only | Terminus | |||
Disused railways | ||||
Terminus | Headcorn &Maidstone Junction Light Railway | Tovil Goods |
Tonbridge and Malling is a local government district with borough status in Kent,England. The council is based at Kings Hill. The borough also includes the towns of Tonbridge and Snodland along with numerous villages including Aylesford,West Malling and surrounding rural areas.
The Medway Valley line is the name given to the railway line linking Strood in the Medway Towns via Maidstone West to Tonbridge. High Speed services also link between Maidstone West,Snodland,Strood and London St Pancras International. The section from Maidstone West to Paddock Wood passes through some of Kent's most picturesque countryside along the narrower sections of the River Medway.
Gravesend railway station serves the town of Gravesend in north Kent,England. It is 23 miles 75 chains (38.5 km) down the line from London Charing Cross.
Strood railway station serves the town of Strood in Medway,England. It is on the North Kent Line and is also a terminus of the Medway Valley Line. It is 31 miles 11 chains (50.1 km) down the line from London Charing Cross.
The Chatham Main Line is a railway line in England that links London Victoria and Dover Priory / Ramsgate,travelling via Medway.
Tonbridge railway station is on the South Eastern Main Line in England,serving the town of Tonbridge,Kent. It is 29 miles 46 chains (47.6 km) from London Charing Cross via Sevenoaks. Trains calling at the station are operated by Southeastern and Southern.
Paddock Wood railway station is on the South Eastern Main Line and Medway Valley Line in south-east England,serving the Borough of Tunbridge Wells town of Paddock Wood. The station also serves the villages of Matfield,Brenchley and Horsmonden,which do not have stations of their own. It is 34 miles 67 chains (56.1 km) down the line from London Charing Cross. The station and all trains calling there are operated by Southeastern.
Cuxton railway station is on the Medway Valley Line in Kent,England,and lies well to the east of the village of Cuxton. It is 33 miles 36 chains (53.8 km) down the line from London Charing Cross via Strood and is situated between Strood and Halling. The station and all trains that serve the station are operated by Southeastern.
Maidstone Barracks railway station is one of three railway stations which serve the town of Maidstone in Kent,England. Originally opened as Barracks station,it is named after the nearby Invicta Park Barracks and lies on the Medway Valley Line,42 miles (68 km) from London Charing Cross via Strood between Aylesford and Maidstone West. The station and all trains serving it are operated by Southeastern.
Halling railway station is on the Medway Valley Line in Kent,England,and lies a little to the north of the village of Halling. It is 35 miles 18 chains (56.7 km) down the line from London Charing Cross via Strood and is situated between Cuxton and Snodland. The station and all trains that serve the station are operated by Southeastern.
Snodland railway station is on the Medway Valley Line in Kent,England. It serves the town of Snodland,which lies some way to the west. The station is 36 miles 59 chains (59.1 km) down the line from London Charing Cross via Strood and it is situated between Halling and New Hythe. All trains that serve the station,and the station itself,are operated by Southeastern.
New Hythe railway station is on the Medway Valley Line in Kent,England,serving the village of New Hythe. It is 38 miles 3 chains (61.2 km) down the line from London Charing Cross via Strood and is situated between Snodland and Aylesford. The station and all trains that serve the station are operated by Southeastern.
Aylesford railway station is on the Medway Valley Line in Kent,England,serving the village of Aylesford. It is 38 miles 74 chains (62.6 km) down the line from London Charing Cross via Strood and is situated between New Hythe and Maidstone Barracks. The station opened on 18 June 1856.
East Farleigh railway station is on the Medway Valley Line in Kent,England,located to the south-west of Maidstone and close to the village of East Farleigh,on the opposite (south) bank of the River Medway,though the station is actually located in Barming parish. It is 42 miles 75 chains (69.1 km) down the line from London Charing Cross via Paddock Wood. The station and all trains that serve the station are operated by Southeastern.
Wateringbury railway station is on the Medway Valley Line in Kent,England,serving the villages of Wateringbury and Nettlestead. It is 39 miles 77 chains (64.3 km) down the line from London Charing Cross via Paddock Wood and is situated between Yalding and East Farleigh. The station and all trains that call are operated by Southeastern.
Yalding railway station is on the Medway Valley Line in Kent,England,serving the village of Yalding. It is 38 miles 19 chains (61.5 km) down the line from London Charing Cross via Paddock Wood and is situated between Beltring and Wateringbury. The station and all trains that call are operated by Southeastern.
Beltring railway station is on the Medway Valley Line in Kent,England,serving the village of Beltring. It is 36 miles 50 chains (58.9 km) down the line from London Charing Cross via Paddock Wood and is situated between Paddock Wood and Yalding. The station and all trains that call are operated by Southeastern.
The South Eastern Main Line is a major long-distance railway route in South East England,UK,one of the three main routes crossing the county of Kent,going via Sevenoaks,Tonbridge,Ashford and Folkestone to Dover. The other routes are the Chatham Main Line which runs along the north Kent coast to Ramsgate or Dover via Chatham and High Speed 1 which runs through the centre of Kent to the coast at Folkestone where it joins the Channel Tunnel.
The Headcorn and Maidstone Junction Light Railway was a proposed railway in Kent. An Act of Parliament authorised its construction,but only a short branch at Tovil,opened to goods only,was built.
Tovil station is a closed railway station on the Medway Valley Line. The station opened in 1884 and closed in 1943.