Folkestone West
Mention should be made of the ‘’Continental Traffic Agreement’’ between the SER
and LC&DR. Formally signed on 7th October 1865, the contract stated that the
receipts from all Continental traffic stretching from Hastings to Margate was to
be directed into a common pool of funds. Also included within this scheme was
all domestic traffic between the capital, Folkestone, and Dover. The money
accumulated in this fashion would subsequently be reallocated to the companies,
the SER and LC&DR initially receiving 68% and 32% of the takings respectively. A
hidden agenda of the SER’s during the 1881 rebuilding of Shorncliffe Camp was to
deprive the LC&DR of funds. To do this, the station was recreated on a much
larger scale than its predecessor: this would attract local passengers away from
Folkestone Junction and Harbour stations. Then, by retaining the name
‘’Shorncliffe Camp’’, the SER could claim that the station was in fact not part
of Folkestone, thus was not bound by the agreement! Unfortunately for the
company, the LC&DR’s subsequent legal action of 1887 cost a significant sum in
compensation - some £85,000 - and Shorncliffe Camp was included within the agreement; the
existing name was, however, retained.
The Southern Railway brought early change to the station’s name. On 2nd July
1926, the ‘’Camp’’ suffix was dropped; 40,000 Canadian troops had been in
training at the nearby British Army base during the first half of World War I.
The SR altered the lamppost design at the station, but even more significant was
the degrading and subsequent closure of the Elham Valley Line at Cheriton
Junction, which removed Shorncliffe’s importance as an interchange point for
such services. However, in retrospect, this branch to Canterbury was always
loss-making, which resulted in the majority of it closing to passenger traffic
on 2nd December 1940. This was not before the line’s singling during World War
I. Only the small stretch between Cheriton Junction and Lyminge remained in use:
passenger traffic over this ceased on 16th June 1947 and total closure came on
10th October of the same year. Despite this, the additional third track
installed for slow traffic from the branch remained in use and indeed, as part
of the Kent Coast Electrification, was to be joined by another line. During 1960
/ 1961, the stretch of line between Cheriton Junction and Folkestone Central was
quadrupled, which included the complete rebuilding of the latter. As far as
Shorncliffe was concerned, the loops were opened out as running lines. This
required the rebuilding of the ‘’up’’ platform’s western end, which followed the
curvature of the loop line. The decision was also taken at this time to rebuild
both platforms in prefabricated concrete. Electric services commenced on
this stretch of line on 12th June 1961, and although Folkestone East power box
came into use on 18th February 1962, it would seem likely that Shorncliffe’s
cabin remained open beyond this date for the existing goods yard. Most goods
traffic was officially withdrawn from the site as of 26th April 1965, but coal
continued to be handled here until 22nd April 1968. Meanwhile, further changes
had occurred: the bay platform had gone out of use and the ornate canopies had
been replaced with shorter plain metal types. On 10th September 1962, the
station had also been renamed ‘’Folkestone West’’, now harmonious with the
Central and East stations. The final spout of degrading came after the 1994
closure of Dover Western Docks as a result of the Channel Tunnel opening. With
the loss of boat traffic over the Folkestone Line, the quadrupled section
between Cheriton and Central station was degraded to double-track working, which
prevented any passing at the West station. Consequently, the running lines
diverge apart at this point to serve the spaced-out platform faces.
The existence of this totem was somewhat short-lived. The station retained the name ''Shorncliffe'' until 10th September 1962, after
which it became ''Folkestone West''. Approximately eight years down the line, totems such as this began being replaced by plain
white rectangular name boards. Raymond Fuell
A westward view on 21st June 2007 reveals the former site of the ''up'' side goods yard, which
remains undeveloped, instead serving as road access to the line. David Glasspool
Both structures are visible in this 21st June 2007 view, taken from the ''down'' side. The bay
platforms on this side formerly came in from the right. Their site is now partly used for car
parking, but much of the land appears to have become a junk yard. David Glasspool
The ''down'' side was also seen on 25th February 2006, complete with palisade fencing. This
replaced a chest-height brick wall. Also, note the height of the canopy here: the station building's
retaining wall for this used to stretch about another three lengths of fencing to the right, but has
only recently been cut back to accommodate the palisade barricade. The valances here are now
uninspiring corrugated metal, but once the framework was graced with the design still in
existence at Chislehurst. The space where an additional two tracks laid is obvious.
David Glasspool
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