Maidstone West railway station

Railway station in Kent, England

Maidstone West

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

Notes

Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Maidstone West railway station in 1958

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.

## History

[edit]

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]

## Services

[edit]

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]

* 2 tph to Strood
* 2 tph to Paddock Wood

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

|
|

Maidstone Barracks

| | Southeastern

Medway Valley Line

| |

East Farleigh

Snodland

| | Southeastern

High Speed 1

Peak Hours Only

| | Terminus
| Disused railways  |
Terminus |  | Headcorn & Maidstone
Junction Light Railway |  | Tovil Goods

## References

[edit]

1. ^ J M Russell:The History of Maidstone published by John Hallewell Publications, 1978 (reprint of 1st Ed. 1881)
2. ^ Body, Geoffrey. PSL Field Guide – Railways of the Southern Region (1984), page 128. Patrick Stephens Ltd, Cambridge. ISBN 0-85059-664-5
3. ^ Marsden, Colin J. Route Recognition: 1 — Southern Region (1985), pages 124-125. Ian Allan Publishing, Shepperton. ISBN 0-7110-1553-8
4. ^ Body, page 128.
5. ^ Angela Cole (30 July 2010). "Deadly doodlebug attack on signal box:a first-hand account". Kent Messenger. p. 38.
6. ^ Body, page 128
7. ^ Table 208 National Rail timetable, December 2022

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Maidstone West railway station.

* Train times and station information for Maidstone West railway station from National Rail

* v
* t
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Railway stations in Kent

London Charing Cross to Gillingham|

* Dartford
* Stone Crossing
* Greenhithe
* Swanscombe
* Northfleet
* Gravesend
* Higham
* Strood
* Rochester
* Chatham
* Gillingham

Other alternative routes from London to Dartford via Sidcup and via Bexleyheath.

London Victoria to Ramsgate
via Chatham|

* Swanley
* Farningham Road
* Longfield
* Meopham
* Sole Street
* Rochester
* Chatham
* Gillingham
* Rainham
* Newington
* Sittingbourne
* Teynham
* Faversham
* Whitstable
* Chestfield & Swalecliffe
* Herne Bay
* Birchington-on-Sea
* Westgate-on-Sea
* Margate
* Broadstairs
* Dumpton Park
* Ramsgate

London Victoria to Dover
via Chatham|

* Swanley
* Farningham Road
* Longfield
* Meopham
* Sole Street
* Rochester
* Chatham
* Gillingham
* Rainham
* Newington
* Sittingbourne
* Teynham
* Faversham
* Selling
* Canterbury East
* Bekesbourne
* Adisham
* Aylesham
* Snowdown
* Shepherds Well
* Kearsney
* Dover Priory

London Victoria to Ashford
via Maidstone East|

* Eynsford
* Shoreham
* Otford
* branch line to Sevenoaks via Bat & Ball
* Kemsing
* Borough Green & Wrotham
* West Malling
* East Malling
* Barming
* Maidstone East
* Bearsted
* Hollingbourne
* Harrietsham
* Lenham
* Charing
* Ashford International

London St Pancras to Paris & Brussels
High Speed 1|

* Ebbsfleet International
* Ashford International
* Also London to Faversham via Ebbsfleet & Chatham, and to Dover & Ramsgate via Ashford

London Charing Cross to Dover
via Tonbridge|

* Dunton Green
* Sevenoaks
* Hildenborough
* Tonbridge
* Paddock Wood
* Marden
* Staplehurst
* Headcorn
* Pluckley
* Ashford International
* Westenhanger
* Sandling
* Folkestone West
* Folkestone Central
* Dover Priory

London Charing Cross to Hastings|

* Dunton Green
* Sevenoaks
* Hildenborough
* Tonbridge
* High Brooms
* Tunbridge Wells

London Bridge to Uckfield|

* Edenbridge Town
* Hever
* Cowden
* Ashurst

Ashford to Ramsgate
via Canterbury West|

* Ashford International
* Wye
* Chilham
* Chartham
* Canterbury West
* Sturry
* Minster
* Thanet Parkway
* Ramsgate

Dover to Margate|

* Dover Priory
* Martin Mill
* Walmer
* Deal
* Sandwich
* Thanet Parkway
* Ramsgate
* Dumpton Park
* Broadstairs
* Margate

Redhill–Tonbridge|

* Edenbridge
* Penshurst
* Leigh
* Tonbridge

Sittingbourne to Sheerness-on-Sea|

* Sheerness-on-Sea
* Queenborough
* Swale
* Kemsley
* Sittingbourne

Ashford to St Leonards
Marshlink|

* Ashford International
* Ham Street
* Appledore

Strood to Paddock Wood
Medway Valley Line|

* Strood
* Cuxton
* Halling
* Snodland
* New Hythe
* Aylesford
* Maidstone Barracks
* Maidstone West
* East Farleigh
* Wateringbury
* Yalding
* Beltring
* Paddock Wood

Heritage railways

East Kent Railway|

* Shepherdswell (EKR) (Adjacent to Shepherds Well)
* Eythorne

Kent & East Sussex Railway|

* Tenterden Town
* Rolvenden
* Wittersham Road

Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway|

* Hythe
* Burmarsh Road
* Dymchurch
* St Mary's Bay
* Warren Halt
* New Romney
* Romney Sands
* Dungeness

Spa Valley Railway|

* Tunbridge Wells West

* v
* t
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Thameslink, Great Northern, Southern and Southeastern routes

Southeastern routes serving this station

Medway Valley line|

* Strood
* Cuxton
* Halling
* Snodland
* New Hythe
* Aylesford
* Maidstone Barracks
* Maidstone West
* East Farleigh
* Wateringbury
* Yalding
* Beltring
* Paddock Wood
* Tonbridge

High Speed 1|

* St Pancras International
* Stratford International
* Ebbsfleet International
* Gravesend
* Strood
* Snodland
* Maidstone West
* Rochester
* Chatham
* Gillingham
* Rainham
* Sittingbourne
* Faversham
* Whitstable
* Herne Bay
* Birchington-on-Sea
* Margate
* Broadstairs
* Ramsgate
* Canterbury West
* Ashford International
* Folkestone West
* Folkestone Central
* Dover Priory
* Martin Mill
* Walmer
* Deal
* Sandwich

Stations in italics are served on limited occasions, at peak hours or on Sundays only.

* Govia
* National Rail
* Thameslink
* Great Northern
* Southeastern
* Southern
* Gatwick Express

51°16′14.50″N 0°30′56.50″E﻿ / ﻿51.2706944°N 0.5156944°E﻿ / 51.2706944; 0.5156944
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