Hothfield railway station (later Hothfield Halt) was a railway station on the Maidstone Line at Hothfield, Kent. It was situated between Ashford and Charing stations. The station opened in 1884; it closed to passengers in 1959 and general freight in 1964 although the sidings continued to be used for deliveries of aggregate traffic.
Hothfield | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Location | England |
| Coordinates | 51°10′52″N 0°49′58″E / 51.1812°N 0.8328°E |
| Grid reference | TQ 980 462 |
| Platforms | 2 |
| Other information | |
| Status | Disused |
| History | |
| Original company | London, Chatham and Dover Railway |
| Pre-grouping | South Eastern and Chatham Railway |
| Post-grouping | Southern Railway |
| Key dates | |
| 1 July 1884 | Station opened |
| 25 September 1937 | Reduced to unstaffed halt |
| 2 November 1959 | Closed to passengers |
| 22 February 1964 | Closed to general freight |
History
editHothfield station was opened by the London, Chatham and Dover Railway on 1 July 1884, when the railway between Maidstone East and Ashford West opened.[1] From 1 January 1899, passenger trains ran to and from the former South Eastern Railway's Ashford station.[2] In 1922, weekday passenger services comprised ten down and nine up trains. Four trains ran in each direction on Sundays. The station was listed as "Hothfield for Westwell".[3] From 6 January 1935, eleven trains served the station daily.[1][4]
On 25 September 1937, the station was reduced to an unstaffed halt.[5] From 2 July 1939, an hourly service was provided.[1][4] During the Second World War the station buildings were damaged by enemy action. The station closed to passengers on 2 November 1959, and freight on 22 February 1964, as it was deemed uneconomical to improve the station to cater for electrification of the Maidstone line.[6] but the platforms remained and were used by railway staff until the 1980s. The signal box at Hothfield remained in use until 28 April 1984, and then served as a ground frame until 16 February 1985.[7] Freight facilities comprised four sidings on the down side of the station, one of which served a goods shed. A crane of 1 ton 15 cwt (1,800 kg) capacity was provided.[8]
| Preceding station | Disused railways | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashford West | London, Chatham and Dover Railway Maidstone Line |
Charing | ||
| Ashford | British Rail Southern Region Maidstone Line |
Charing |
References
edit- ^ a b c Mitchell & Smith 1994, Historical Background.
- ^ Mitchell & Smith 1994, Ashford West.
- ^ Bradshaw 1986, pp. 240–41.
- ^ a b Mitchell & Smith 1994, Passenger Services.
- ^ Mitchell & Smith 1994, Illustration 108.
- ^ Mitchell & Smith 1994, Illustration 110.
- ^ Mitchell & Smith 1994, Illustration 109.
- ^ Mitchell & Smith 1994, Hothfield Halt.
- Sources
- Bradshaw, George (1986) [1922]. Bradshaw's Guide. Swindon: Book Club Associates.
- Mitchell, Vic; Smith, Keith (1994). Swanley to Ashford. Midhurst: Middleton Press. ISBN 1 873793 45 6.