Rochester

Rochester

For a city of its size, Rochester has had a fairly complex railway history, more so as a result of various uses of its name. The first company to purport to serve the location was the 1844-formed ‘’Gravesend & Rochester Railway’’, which began running train services between Denton and Strood on 10th February 1845. It never reached the latter location in its name, the SER taking the reigns at the end of the year as part of its North Kent Line building programme. In fact, Rochester did not receive any rails until the East Kent Railway extended their 1858-opened line from Chatham, over the Medway in March of that year, to connect with the metals of the SER and run into that company’s Strood station. Despite this, still no station was provided exclusively for the historic city, but the LC&DR initially compromised: when the company commenced through running to Victoria on 3rd December 1860, a station on the northern bank of the river was opened as ‘’Strood’’. This was then renamed the following year to ‘’Rochester Bridge’’, presumably to provide differentiation from the older SER establishment (for the record, the somewhat remote LC&DR station was closed for good on 1st January 1917). It would actually be the SER which would open the city’s first two stations, but the second of these would instead bear the name of its neighbour, Chatham! The SER had attempted to negotiate running rights over the LC&DR’s metals from Strood to give the company access to Chatham. However, a non-cooperative LC&DR resulted in the SER planning its own route to the naval town. For this, a lattice girder double-track bridge was built parallel with the existing LC&DR structure over the Medway, and on the southern bank of the river 20th July 1891, the SER opened ‘’Rochester Common’’ – the city now had its first ‘’proper’’ station! However, a second station was afoot and on 1st March of the following year, the SER opened a short extension to a misleadingly named terminus: Chatham Central. This was still well within the borders of Rochester. Although this whole undertaking by the SER was expensive and, in short, unnecessary, the people of Rochester may thank this company for its troubles, for it instigated the LC&DR to build a rival, but far more conveniently-sited station, with improved rail connections to the capital and East Kent. This formally opened on 1st March 1892.

The LC&DR was fond over its high-level station entrances at this point in time, which adjoined a perpendicular road bridge across the platforms. Indeed, Bromley South, Bickley and Chatham were rebuilt in 1894 to incorporate entrances straddling the tracks (the former two being so treated to accommodate the quadrupled line), but at Rochester the company experienced the reverse situation. Here, the running lines were instead elevated, which called for a low-level station building, on the ‘’up’’ side. The company was still able to utilise its favoured cream brickwork and in doing so, produced a pleasing two-storey symmetrical design worthy of this city’s historical cathedral and medieval castle. From the outset there were two wooden-decked platforms either side of the curving double-track, these of which were protected by rectangular canopies boasting the same ornate valances still in existence today at Faversham. The station’s signal box was positioned at the London end of the ‘’up’’ platform, but both this and the general layout had a very short life span, as will soon be discovered.

A northward view of the station site from around 1983 reveals that only the ''up'' side retained its canopy, although

by this time it had weathered considerably. Of particular note is the lengthy lattice footbridge on the right, which

indicates the position of the goods yard. Just below the footbridge can be observed the wall of the huge LC&DR

goods shed, now devoid of a roof. Behind the footbridge is the ''power box'' of 1959 origin. The severe curvature

of the line here can be appreciated in this view. Chris

This is the symmetrical station building façade, pictured on 31st May 2006. The station is built

upon a viaduct, and the platform canopy can be seen clearly on the right. The left-hand side of

the ground floor is let out to a taxi firm. David Glasspool

Rochester

The spire of the cathedral can be seen on the left of this westward view from 11th March 2004.

The platform canopy dates from refurbishment of 1953, and whilst it still follows the fundamental

LC&DR design, it is far less ornate than its predecessor. Nevertheless, it provides copious protection

from the elements. Sadly, platforms 3 and 4 had their canopy removed, although the traditional lift

tower was retained. Typical 1970s bus shelter-style structures are now present on those platforms,

obscured in this picture by the 4 Vep and 4 Cig formation. David Glasspool

In April 1979, 4 Vep No. 7888 was seen approaching Rochester from the London-bound direction.

The double-slip in the foreground gave access to the low-level goods yard which, in this view, was

Next: the History Continues >>

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