24:
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709: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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458:, 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.
539:, 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
631:
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.
380:
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
708:
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
563:
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
526:
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
614:
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
590:
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
648:
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
609:
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
543:. 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.
591:
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
886:
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397:) 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.
522:, 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.
1396:
555:' ' 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.
469:, 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
595:
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.
364:(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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481:. 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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373:, 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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665:, to hold an enquiry into the County Council's plans to convert the line into motorway.
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700:. Nothing remains of the three stations, save for several houses in Railway Terrace,
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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.
17:
434:
The line began to suffer competition with buses, notably the
427:
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
514:, 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
670:
Kent & East Sussex Railway Preservation Society
657:, who unsuccessfully attempted to persuade the new
855:Model railway simulation of the route of the line
845:Brasted railway station on Subterranea Britannica
704:, near the site of the old station. The site of
668:In autumn 1965, the Association merged with the
623:In the meantime, the purchase of several former
516:Westerham Branch Railway Passengers' Association
376:The line was authorised on 24 July 1876 and the
400:In 1899, SER merged with its bitter rival, the
632:The coaches were loaned and later sold to the
880:
102:
8:
819:"Walking part of the Westerham Branch Line"
1397:Closed railway lines in South East England
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489:and bearing the notice "Flyer 1881-1961".
136:
109:
95:
860:Photographs of the line whilst still open
344:, a distance of 4.5 miles (7.2 km).
68:Learn how and when to remove this message
1412:Railway companies disestablished in 1879
1336:Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway
31:This article includes a list of general
718:
559:Intervention of the Kent County Council
92:
389:where passengers wishing to travel to
1432:British companies established in 1876
1407:Railway companies established in 1876
1366:Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway
763:"Disused Stations: Westerham Station"
749:
734:
602:Westerham Valley Railway Association
461:This advice was rejected by the then
7:
803:. Usk, Monmouth: The Oakwood Press.
512:Westerham Valley Railway Association
498:Westerham Valley Railway Association
1053:Ramsgate (via Canterbury West) line
896:Railway lines in South East England
429:Southern Region of British Railways
775:Winkworth, D.W. (September 1952).
37:it lacks sufficient corresponding
14:
1341:Cholsey & Wallingford Railway
1250:Aylesbury–Princes Risborough line
1001:Windsor & Eton Riverside line
634:Keighley and Worth Valley Railway
406:South Eastern and Chatham Railway
402:London, Chatham and Dover Railway
959:
520:Westerham Valley Railway Society
378:Westerham Valley Railway Company
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225:
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211:
189:
167:
145:
22:
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1437:1881 establishments in England
1427:1876 establishments in England
1356:Kent & East Sussex Railway
1270:Slough–Windsor & Eton line
219:
1:
777:"The Westerham Valley Branch"
226:
190:
168:
1422:Railway lines closed in 1961
1417:Railway lines opened in 1881
1159:Sutton and Mole Valley lines
311:Westerham Valley branch line
1351:Isle of Wight Steam Railway
1453:
636:and the locomotive to the
593:compulsory purchase powers
553:Look at Life (film series)
531:Offer to purchase the line
356:Westerham station in c1902
1310:Staines-West Drayton line
1112:Hampton Court branch line
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619:Purchase of rolling stock
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1275:Reading–Basingstoke line
801:Westerham Valley Railway
640:where it remains today.
483:Class H 0-4-4T No. 31518
1063:South Eastern Main Line
933:Great Western Main Line
661:Minister of Transport,
342:South Eastern Main Line
264:South Eastern Main Line
52:more precise citations.
1402:Rail transport in Kent
1305:Hundred of Hoo Railway
1149:Shepperton branch line
1144:Portsmouth Direct line
1107:Eastleigh–Fareham line
1068:Redhill–Tonbridge line
799:Gould, David (1999) .
689:
606:
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547:Promoted Inevitability
507:
357:
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1225:Lymington branch line
1200:Eastleigh–Romsey line
1164:Tattenham Corner line
995:Waterloo–Reading line
687:
601:
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463:Minister of Transport
362:South Eastern Railway
355:
83:
1255:Reading–Taunton line
1245:Oxford–Bicester line
1190:Cherwell Valley line
1185:Ascot–Guildford line
1169:West of England line
1154:South West Main Line
1123:Chertsey branch line
940:West Coast Main Line
784:The Railway Magazine
625:Metropolitan Railway
391:London Charing Cross
336:with the village of
1280:Seaford branch line
1078:Surrey/Sussex/Hants
688:The Flyers Way road
566:Kent County Council
404:(LCDR) to form the
1371:Spa Valley Railway
1300:Fawley branch line
1260:West Coastway line
1230:Marlow branch line
1215:Henley branch line
1205:East Coastway line
1133:New Guildford line
1128:Epsom Downs Branch
1097:Brighton Main Line
1043:Medway Valley line
1028:Dartford Loop Line
947:Chiltern Main Line
690:
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1346:East Kent Railway
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1235:Marston Vale line
1023:Chatham Main Line
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706:Westerham station
493:Attempted revival
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1331:Bluebell Railway
1265:Wessex Main Line
1240:North Downs Line
1092:Arun Valley line
1018:Bexleyheath line
976:Berks/Bucks/Oxon
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786:. pp. 624–6
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638:Bluebell Railway
537:Bluebell Railway
524:British Railways
413:Southern Railway
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118:Westerham Valley
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48:this article by
39:inline citations
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1070:(and in Surrey)
1048:North Kent line
1033:Kent Coast line
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1011:Kent to London
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990:Aylesbury line
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985:Elizabeth line
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680:The line today
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655:Terence Boston
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1195:Cotswold Line
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1117:Hastings line
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276:Charing Cross
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61:
58:February 2012
51:
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41:
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20:
19:
16:
1315:Varsity line
917:High Speed 1
822:. Retrieved
800:
788:. Retrieved
783:
757:
730:
721:
694:Dunton Green
691:
667:
647:
622:
608:
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562:
550:
541:Dunton Green
534:
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511:
509:
479:John Rodgers
460:
433:
426:
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399:
387:Dunton Green
377:
375:
359:
338:Dunton Green
313:was a short
310:
308:
272:Dover Priory
243:Dunton Green
64:
55:
36:
15:
1220:Island line
790:8 September
444:Sanderstead
120:branch line
50:introducing
1391:Categories
1138:Oxted line
1087:Alton line
750:Gould 1999
735:Gould 1999
713:References
663:Tom Fraser
644:Final days
487:Union Jack
371:Oxted Line
33:references
1080:to London
978:to London
969:Secondary
702:Westerham
698:Chevening
651:Faversham
612:Sevenoaks
573:Sevenoaks
485:flying a
475:Sevenoaks
456:Sevenoaks
452:Westerham
436:403 route
383:Westerham
334:Chevening
326:Westerham
156:Westerham
1324:Heritage
926:National
824:9 August
518:and the
448:Chelsham
417:grouping
408:(SECR).
340:and the
903:Primary
629:Class H
440:Croydon
423:Decline
415:at the
348:History
330:Brasted
315:railway
178:Brasted
46:improve
1178:Others
807:
659:Labour
274:&
129:Legend
35:, but
1207:(inc
780:(PDF)
393:(via
282:
258:
826:2007
805:ISBN
792:2007
582:The
473:for
450:and
442:via
366:bill
332:and
322:Kent
318:line
309:The
674:M25
584:A21
570:A21
454:to
385:to
320:in
270:to
1393::
782:.
742:^
653:,
477:,
471:MP
465:,
446:,
431:.
419:.
328:,
1211:)
888:e
881:t
874:v
828:.
813:.
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110:e
103:t
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65:(
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56:(
42:.
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