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720:ÂŁ3250 for the highest price paid at auction for such a sign. The site of Brasted station is now under the westbound hard shoulder lane of the M25 although the station approach road and site of the goods yard can be seen alongside the motorway. The site of Chevening Halt is now a field alongside the M25/A21 interchange although it is possible the platform may still exist buried when the cutting was infilled for the M25/A21 roadworks.
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469:, and as train fares rose dramatically from 1938, passenger numbers fell. By 1960 the line was reported to be losing ÂŁ26,000 per year and a proposal was made to close it in April 1960. However, the Central Transport Users' Consultative Committee argued against this move, claiming that 200 passengers per day used the line.
550:, were no longer prepared to simply lease the line to a private operator. Instead, they now required an outright sale of the line to the Association for ÂŁ53,000. Thanks to the help of an anonymous backer, the Association was able to put forward an offer of ÂŁ30,000 for the track, buildings, land and branch platform at
642:
0-4-4T locomotive No. 31263 had been agreed and were awaiting collection. Initially, British
Railways had allowed the stock to be stored at Dunton Green, but since the intervention of the Kent County Council, it became 'reluctant' to allow this and threatened to scrap the stock were it not collected.
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was formed to oversee its construction and to take over formal ownership. An agreement was then concluded in 1879 with the South
Eastern Railway by which the latter would undertake the construction works and eventually operate the line. The actual cost of construction was in the region of ÂŁ70,000 and
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is now covered by a road known as "The Flyers Way" after the name by which the train was known locally. Perhaps of additional interest to collectors of railway memorabilia is the extreme rarity of the former
Southern Railway target station sign for Brasted, which currently (2008) holds the record of
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The withdrawal of the backer following the refusal of his planning application to develop land at
Westerham Station cast serious doubt on the proposed re-opening. In the Association's Annual General Meeting on 2 November 1963, members were informed that efforts to raise the ÂŁ30,000 plus ÂŁ10,000 for
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offered the ownership of the line for ÂŁ30,000 on the basis that a commuter service would be provided, thereby allowing it to cease its subsidies of bus services which were now over-subscribed following the closure of the
Westerham branch. In July 1962, British Railways granted a lease of Westerham
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bypass to cross it. The cost of this bridge was estimated by the
Council at ÂŁ14,000, added to which was the annual rent of the line of ÂŁ3,000. The estimate of ÂŁ14,000 was revised upwards in August 1964, to a figure of ÂŁ26,215 (equivalent to ÂŁ355,800 in modern currency) which was to be paid by 24
601:
More positive news was received later in
November 1963 when it was revealed that not only had a new backer been found, but also that terms were agreed with British Railways for the sale of the land to the Association. However, one month later, Kent County Council contacted the Association and
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By
November 1964 the funds to construct the bridge had still not been found and, following the infilling of the Chevening cutting, the Association realised that their plans to re-open the line could no longer be realised. This was notwithstanding intervention by the MP for
620:
However, in April 1964, the
Council indicated their willingness to lease the line to the Association, thereby ensuring the line's continued existence if the Association were to finance the cost of constructing a bridge over the railway cutting at Chevening to enable the
554:. British Railways accepted this offer subject to the condition that a commuter service be provided, thereby enabling it to cease its annual subsidy of ÂŁ8,700 towards the additional bus services laid on following the line's closure.
602:
informed them that the
Council's intended purchase of the land would save taxpayers the sum of ÂŁ120,000 and, furthermore, that in the event British Railways were unwilling to sell the land to it, as had been intimated,
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similar to the original 1864 bill. The line was to be built in two phases: phase one from Dunton Green via Brasted to Westerham, and phase two covering the 4 miles from Westerham to Oxted, where it would join the
897:
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408:) would have to change. Formal ownership of the line was transferred to the South Eastern Railway in August 1881 at which point the Westerham Valley Railway Company was dissolved.
533:, began to investigate the possibility of re-opening the line, staffed by volunteers, for commuters on weekdays and as a heritage railway at weekends between April and October.
1407:
566:' ' episode, 'Drawing the Fires', from 1963, Westerham Station was shown empty, with a litter-strewn track, and ending symbolically with a signal 'halting' a train service.
480:, and the last day of operation of the line would be 28 October 1961. He rejected a petition against closure signed by almost 2,500 local inhabitants and presented by the
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would be used. Faced with the prospect of a compulsory sale, British Railways now broke off negotiations with the Association and agreed to sell the line to the Council.
375:(SER). No works having been undertaken by 1876, several local inhabitants, aware of the advantages of the railway and impatient for action, rallied together to sponsor a
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492:. The Minister claimed that service was losing ÂŁ26,000 per year which was equivalent to ÂŁ150 per passenger. One of the last trains to run was the "Westerham Flyer", a
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However, British Railways were later to change their policy regarding the disposal of disused branch lines and, as they had done with the
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384:, the construction of which had not by then been completed. However, the second phase was never realised due to opposition from the SER.
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Station building, which became the Headquarters of the Association. A lease of Brasted Station was also later agreed.
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Save for the section taken by the M25, a surprising amount of the line still remains and it is possible to walk from
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Even during this time of hopeful negotiation, a seeming inevitability of closure was accepted, when, in the '
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from Sundridge Road to Westerham commenced in December 1976 and were completed in December 1979.
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In 1923, the Westerham Valley branch, together with its operators the SECR, became part of the
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Searle, MV (1983) Lost Lines: Anthology of Britain's Lost Railways, New Cavendish Books P42
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Authorisation for the construction of the line was obtained in 1864, 1867 and 1870 by the
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equipment had failed. Furthermore, British Railways were now in talks with the
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bypass which required the demolition of a bridge along the route of the line.
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Flyer distributed by the Westerham Valley Railway Association in c1963
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the line opened on 7 July 1881. Initially, the service ran only from
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near Chevening crossing the route of the line running left to right
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regarding the sale of the line to enable the construction of the
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The Westerham branch in relation to other railway lines in Kent
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August, otherwise works would commence to infill the cutting.
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The line began to suffer competition with buses, notably the
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The Southern Railway was nationalised in 1948 and became the
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as far as junction 5 on the motorway which is situated near
525:, born of a merger between two local interest groups, the
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Chevening Halt railway station on Subterranea Britannica
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Westerham railway station on Subterranea Britannica
681:
Kent & East Sussex Railway Preservation Society
668:, who unsuccessfully attempted to persuade the new
866:Model railway simulation of the route of the line
856:Brasted railway station on Subterranea Britannica
715:, near the site of the old station. The site of
679:In autumn 1965, the Association merged with the
634:In the meantime, the purchase of several former
527:Westerham Branch Railway Passengers' Association
387:The line was authorised on 24 July 1876 and the
411:In 1899, SER merged with its bitter rival, the
643:The coaches were loaned and later sold to the
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8:
830:"Walking part of the Westerham Branch Line"
1408:Closed railway lines in South East England
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500:and bearing the notice "Flyer 1881-1961".
147:
120:
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871:Photographs of the line whilst still open
355:, a distance of 4.5 miles (7.2 km).
79:Learn how and when to remove this message
1423:Railway companies disestablished in 1879
1347:Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway
42:This article includes a list of general
729:
570:Intervention of the Kent County Council
103:
400:where passengers wishing to travel to
1443:British companies established in 1876
1418:Railway companies established in 1876
1377:Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway
774:"Disused Stations: Westerham Station"
760:
745:
613:Westerham Valley Railway Association
472:This advice was rejected by the then
7:
814:. Usk, Monmouth: The Oakwood Press.
523:Westerham Valley Railway Association
509:Westerham Valley Railway Association
1064:Ramsgate (via Canterbury West) line
907:Railway lines in South East England
440:Southern Region of British Railways
786:Winkworth, D.W. (September 1952).
48:it lacks sufficient corresponding
25:
1352:Cholsey & Wallingford Railway
1261:Aylesbury–Princes Risborough line
1012:Windsor & Eton Riverside line
645:Keighley and Worth Valley Railway
417:South Eastern and Chatham Railway
413:London, Chatham and Dover Railway
970:
531:Westerham Valley Railway Society
389:Westerham Valley Railway Company
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1448:1881 establishments in England
1438:1876 establishments in England
1367:Kent & East Sussex Railway
1281:Slough–Windsor & Eton line
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1:
788:"The Westerham Valley Branch"
237:
201:
179:
1433:Railway lines closed in 1961
1428:Railway lines opened in 1881
1170:Sutton and Mole Valley lines
322:Westerham Valley branch line
18:Westerham Valley Branch Line
1362:Isle of Wight Steam Railway
1464:
647:and the locomotive to the
604:compulsory purchase powers
564:Look at Life (film series)
542:Offer to purchase the line
367:Westerham station in c1902
1321:Staines-West Drayton line
1123:Hampton Court branch line
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630:Purchase of rolling stock
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1286:Reading–Basingstoke line
812:Westerham Valley Railway
651:where it remains today.
494:Class H 0-4-4T No. 31518
1074:South Eastern Main Line
944:Great Western Main Line
672:Minister of Transport,
353:South Eastern Main Line
275:South Eastern Main Line
63:more precise citations.
1413:Rail transport in Kent
1316:Hundred of Hoo Railway
1160:Shepperton branch line
1155:Portsmouth Direct line
1118:Eastleigh–Fareham line
1079:Redhill–Tonbridge line
810:Gould, David (1999) .
700:
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558:Promoted Inevitability
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1236:Lymington branch line
1211:Eastleigh–Romsey line
1175:Tattenham Corner line
1006:Waterloo–Reading line
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612:
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474:Minister of Transport
373:South Eastern Railway
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94:
1266:Reading–Taunton line
1256:Oxford–Bicester line
1201:Cherwell Valley line
1196:Ascot–Guildford line
1180:West of England line
1165:South West Main Line
1134:Chertsey branch line
951:West Coast Main Line
795:The Railway Magazine
636:Metropolitan Railway
402:London Charing Cross
347:with the village of
1291:Seaford branch line
1089:Surrey/Sussex/Hants
699:The Flyers Way road
577:Kent County Council
415:(LCDR) to form the
1382:Spa Valley Railway
1311:Fawley branch line
1271:West Coastway line
1241:Marlow branch line
1226:Henley branch line
1216:East Coastway line
1144:New Guildford line
1139:Epsom Downs Branch
1108:Brighton Main Line
1054:Medway Valley line
1039:Dartford Loop Line
958:Chiltern Main Line
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1357:East Kent Railway
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1246:Marston Vale line
1034:Chatham Main Line
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717:Westerham station
504:Attempted revival
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16:(Redirected from
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1342:Bluebell Railway
1276:Wessex Main Line
1251:North Downs Line
1103:Arun Valley line
1029:Bexleyheath line
987:Berks/Bucks/Oxon
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797:. pp. 624–6
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548:Bluebell Railway
535:British Railways
424:Southern Railway
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1044:Kent Coast line
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69:February 2012
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1326:Varsity line
928:High Speed 1
833:. Retrieved
811:
799:. Retrieved
794:
768:
741:
732:
705:Dunton Green
702:
678:
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552:Dunton Green
545:
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490:John Rodgers
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398:Dunton Green
388:
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349:Dunton Green
324:was a short
321:
319:
283:Dover Priory
254:Dunton Green
75:
66:
47:
26:
1231:Island line
801:8 September
455:Sanderstead
131:branch line
61:introducing
1402:Categories
1149:Oxted line
1098:Alton line
761:Gould 1999
746:Gould 1999
724:References
674:Tom Fraser
655:Final days
498:Union Jack
382:Oxted Line
44:references
1091:to London
989:to London
980:Secondary
713:Westerham
709:Chevening
662:Faversham
623:Sevenoaks
584:Sevenoaks
496:flying a
486:Sevenoaks
467:Sevenoaks
463:Westerham
447:403 route
394:Westerham
345:Chevening
337:Westerham
167:Westerham
1335:Heritage
937:National
835:9 August
529:and the
459:Chelsham
428:grouping
419:(SECR).
351:and the
914:Primary
640:Class H
451:Croydon
434:Decline
426:at the
359:History
341:Brasted
326:railway
189:Brasted
57:improve
1189:Others
818:
670:Labour
285:&
140:Legend
46:, but
1218:(inc
791:(PDF)
404:(via
293:
269:
837:2007
816:ISBN
803:2007
593:The
484:for
461:and
453:via
377:bill
343:and
333:Kent
329:line
320:The
685:M25
595:A21
581:A21
465:to
396:to
331:in
281:to
1404::
793:.
753:^
664:,
488:,
482:MP
476:,
457:,
442:.
430:.
339:,
1222:)
899:e
892:t
885:v
839:.
824:.
805:.
776:.
121:e
114:t
107:v
82:)
76:(
71:)
67:(
53:.
20:)
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