Many of you will have heard by now that on 9th May 2023 our friends at the Rother Valley Railway received the news that the Secretary of State for Transport had decided to make the Order under the Transport and Works Act 1992 to enable completion of the railway between Bodiam and Robertsbridge. This represents a significant achievement on their part and is the result of years of dogged determination in the true style of Colonel Stephens. We owe them a debt of gratitude.
For us, the hard work starts now. We will need to work closely with the RVR to ensure that, when the new section of line is complete, we can operate it safely and in a way which brings the maximum benefit to the Kent & East Sussex Railway. It won’t simply be a matter of bolting an additional three miles onto our existing 10.5 miles.
The project gives us a huge opportunity to continue the development of our Railway as an attraction allowing visitors to experience a bygone age and as a hub for volunteering and the preservation of heritage artefacts and skills. It will also open up a new hinterland for us.
There will of course be challenges ahead, some of them quite major ones. I am sure that we can overcome them. We are currently developing a structure and process to maximise the benefits. We will need people with the right skills. If you would like to be considered as part of this, do please get in touch with me in the first instance.
But in the meantime, let’s savour the moment and look forward to the realisation of the dream of the early preservationists.
Simon MarshÂ
ChairmanÂ
10th May 2023Â
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The TWA order is at
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bodiam-to-robertsbridge-junction-order-transport-and-works-act-order
