Richboro Port railway station
| Richboro Port | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Place | Richborough |
| Area | Dover (district) |
| Coordinates | 51°17′30″N 1°20′43″E / 51.2917°N 1.3454°ECoordinates: 51°17′30″N 1°20′43″E / 51.2917°N 1.3454°E |
| Grid reference | TR333600 |
| Operations | |
| Original company | East Kent Light Railway |
| Platforms | 1 |
| History | |
| c. 1925 | Construction |
| Disused railway stations in the United Kingdom | |
| Closed railway stations in Britain A B C D–F G H–J K–L M–O P–R S T–V W–Z |
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Richboro Port railway station was constructed by the East Kent Light Railway, as part of its branch to Richborough Port, which never opened to passengers. Authorisation to operate a passenger service over the branch was never requested by the East Kent as it considered that the Port had first to develop before expenses could be outlaid on improving the branch's bridges over the Southern Railway and River Stour, which His Majesty's Railway Inspectorate would no doubt have required before giving its consent. The station was named Richboro Port, dropping the "ugh" off the end of Richborough, as witnessed by the nameboard on the station and contemporary maps.
In 1911, the East Kent Light Railway obtained a Light Railways Order authorising the construction of a number of lines, among which was "Railway No. 1" from Shepherdswell to Stonar on the River Stour. Covering a total distance of 10 miles 2 furlongs (16 kilometres), Railway No. 1 was intended to provide the collieries being sunk at Guilford and Tilmanstone with the means to bring in construction materials and to allow coal to be shipped out once mining started. A subsequent Railways Order in 1920 authorised "Railway No. 28", a 2 furlongs (1,320.00 feet; 402.34 metres) spur from Stonar to Lord Greville's Wharf.
To complete the line, bridges would have to be constructed over the River Stour and the South Eastern and Chatham Railway's Deal to Minster line. An easement for a bridge over the SECR's line was agreed in November 1913 and formal consent was given by its successor, the Southern Railway, in 1924. Progress on the construction of Railway No. 1 beyond Eastry was however slow due to the East Kent's financial difficulties and the military importance of Stonar during the First World War. Preparatory work on the construction of the bridges across the Southern and the Stour began in 1923 and 1924; although the completion date of the bridge is unknown, it was built as a fixed bridge without the opening span that had been stipulated in the original authorisation. The Board of Trade subsequently gave its approval for the bridge. The first record of traffic through to Lord Greville's Wharf occurred in April 1929.
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