Canterbury West

The London Chatham & Dover Railway appeared on the scene on 9th July 1860 when it opened its own Canterbury (LCDR) station on the alternative line to Dover. This concern had humble beginnings back in Faversham, where it was initially formed as the ''East Kent Railway''. The LC&DR was a great threat to the SER's traffic and hitherto monopoly of the county's railways, but the former's Canterbury station was neither on the scale nor the grandeur of the earlier SER establishment. As had been done at Tonbridge, and later Gravesend Central on the North Kent Line, the far-sighted SER installed four running lines in-between two platform faces at its Canterbury station - this compared to the LC&DR's standard double track arrangement through the City. The SER pursued the policy of installing ''through lines'' at strategic locations on its network, which allowed fast services to overtake slower trains. The through tracks at the SER station served little more than freight and empty stock movements and were removed in the 1970s, although stations such as Gravesend, Tonbridge and Paddock Wood retained these lines, which were of greater practical use. The fast lines were complemented by a spacious goods yard to the east of the tracks and a diminutive single-road engine shed was situated on the opposite side of the lines, used by tank engines operating services on the Whitstable branch.

Amalgamation of the two main rival railway companies in Kent came on 1st January 1899, Canterbury (SER) and Canterbury (LCDR) receiving the amended suffixes of ''West'' and ''East'' respectively. This was an unusual name change in light of the former SER station actually being north of the LC&DR station. However, it is possible that the names were used as a result of the two stations' positions in relation to the Stour, the pair being on opposite sides of the river. Indeed, there was formerly a ''Canterbury South'' station which was situated on a double-track line between Harbledown Junction (1½ miles south of Canterbury (SER)) and Cheriton Junction (approximately two miles west of Folkestone). This link line between the SER Canterbury route and the SER trunk line to Dover colloquially became known as the ''Elham Valley Line'', and fully opened for passenger traffic on 1st July 1889. The route was lightly used from the outset and partial singling came in 1931 on the section between Canterbury and Lyminge. This was soon followed in 1940 by the closure of the majority of the line as the Canterbury to Lyminge section ceased operation: this stretch was used during World War II by the military for mobile guns and weapon storage. The remains of the open section between Lyminge and Cheriton Junction then closed in 1943, when the country was on the verge of invasion from the continent. A sudden change of fate saw the Lyminge to Cheriton Junction section re-open for passenger traffic in October 1946, but then permanently closed to passengers again on 16th June 1947, and then to freight on 10th October of the same year.

The names of the Canterbury stations remained unchanged after the 1923 Grouping, and in 1928 the ''West'' station acquired a timber-built signal box upon a gantry, straddling the running lines to the north of the platforms. This replaced two smaller signal boxes at either end of the station layout. The signal box was formerly of the London Bridge area, but re-signalling at the latter saw it dismantled and subsequently reused at Canterbury. Under the auspices of the Southern Railway, the Whitstable branch rapidly began losing importance as services were reduced, and was subsequently closed to passengers on 1st January 1931. The line remained in place for freight trains, which lasted for more than two decades until the branch ceased use completely, officially being put out of use on 1st December 1952. The engine shed at West had seen a similar decline, related to the closure of the branch, and this too succumbed in March 1955, with the sole remaining steam locomotive of the shed transferring to Ashford. Demolition of the building occurred a few years later. The Ashford to Ramsgate route via Canterbury West was included within Phase 2 of the Kent Coast Electrification and for this the station received concrete platform extensions at its southern end to accept longer EMU formations. The full Phase 2 electric timetable came into use on 18th June 1962.

Departing towards Thanet underneath the signal box is No. 375926. The signal box was originally

built by the SE&CR in 1901, during the enlargement of London Bridge. On the left of this view,

behind the unit, immediately beyond the signal box, is the former site of the single-road engine

shed. In the foreground, to the bottom right of this view is the sole remaining spur of the goods

yard, seen on 12th February 2005. By this time, colour aspect lights had replaced semaphore

signals, but the signal box was still operational. David Glasspool

A view towards Ashford reveals the station buildings and canopies. These canopies replaced two

respective trainshed roofs which spanned the width of the platform and its associated line. The

layout is seen on 12th February 2005. David Glasspool

A view towards the signal box on 12th February 2005 reveals the gaping hole where two through

tracks used to be situated. The Canterbury and Whitstable branch fed into the signal box end of

the ''down'' platform (left-hand side), where it terminated. The platforms are linked by means of a

subway. David Glasspool

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