Canterbury East & West

[becsfaversham]

Hi,

In my local paper there was someone who had written a letter basically saying that they think the link between East and West should be reinstated, and that it could easily be done as the track bed was still there.

The reason given was to allow greater flexibility when engineering works were on etc.

Firstly I never knew the two were ever linked by track. When did it come up and if the track bed is still there what route through Canterbury did it take as I cannot think where the track would run between the two.

Is someone able to enlighten me?

[chapelwood]

Apr 14, 2009 6:51:54 GMT becsfaversham said:

Firstly I never knew the two were ever linked by track. When did it come up and if the track bed is still there what route through Canterbury did it take as I cannot think where the track would run between the two.

Not exactly between East and West, but there used to be a spur where the two lines cross, which enabled trains from Faversham to run to West and on to Thanet. It was opened in 1918, mainly for ammunition trains to Richborough, and closed in 1920. The track was not lifted until 1935. It was then reinstated in 1941 and used mainly for special military traffic, and last used in 1946. It was again brought back into use in 1953, following the East Coast floods, but closed again afterwards, and the track was lifted in 1955, though the signalbox buildings, originally built in 1918, survived until 1969.