Rochester

The amalgamation of 1899 resolved the rivalry between the erstwhile separate SER and LC&DR, and some sensible economies were made (although most would be undertaken during Southern Railway ownership, the Thanet reorganisation being a prime example). One of these was the closure of the Chatham Central branch on 1st October 1911, to allow enlargement of Rochester station on the main line. This involved the demolition of the adjacent ex-SER brick viaduct and the expansion of the station layout eastwards, allowing the provision of two island platforms serving four tracks. The original station building survived the remodelling, but the platforms it served were vastly improved: the main line remained double-track, but the incorporation of loops at this point allowed fast trains to overtake stopping services. Platform lifts were now a modern feature and the canopies provided here were ornate and copious, displaying an intricate valance design similar to that still in existence at Margate. Underneath these canopies were clapboard offices and waiting facilities. Finally, a signal box built by Saxby & Farmer emerged on the ‘’down’’ side, beyond the Chatham end of the platform – this ultimately replaced the aforementioned cabin of the old two-platform layout.
 
The station’s late opening, coupled with its elevated nature, put paid to it having a goods shed or yard of its own, but in some respects this situation did change on the closure of the Chatham Central branch. When the SER originally built this line, it had established a large goods presence to the north of its terminus (and today’s Rochester station). On closure to passengers, the goods facilities here were retained and a dedicated ‘’Chatham Goods Sidings’’ signal box was installed to control access to the complex. The goods yard began alongside the elevated ‘’Chatham’’ main line where the London end of Rochester’s islands left off. The station had no direct connection with the yard, therefore in retrospect, could not legitimately claim the large expanse as its own!

Apart from electric services commencing from London to as far as Gillingham on 2nd July 1939, there was little other change at the station during Southern Railway ownership. Significant modifications arrived under Southern Region auspices, the first of these occurring during 1953. This included the lengthening and partial rebuilding of the island platforms in concrete, but more importantly, the total replacement of the canopies’ ornate valances with much more plain types, these of which still utilised vertically-aligned timber strips. The Kent Coast Electrification saw the commissioning of a new power box to the north of the layout, immediately adjacent to the goods yard entrance, and this came into use on 10th May 1959, replacing the two mechanical signal boxes in the Rochester vicinity, and those at Chatham. Yet more change was to occur, however, the station not totally escaping the demolitions of the 1970s. Circa 1973, the ‘’down’’ island canopy was removed and replaced by dreary CLASP waiting facilities, leaving the lift column as the sole original structure on this platform – even the clapboard offices disappeared. The ‘’up’’ island was fortunate enough to retain its coverage, but the main station building lost its canopy protecting the main entrance from the elements.
 

A Class 508 trundles towards Strood in this westward view from 11th March 2004. This

was during the period of the Strood Tunnel closure, when direct services from London to

Gillingham via Dartford were suspended for a year. Strood Tunnel was lined inside with

concrete to prevent successive chalk falls inside in the future, allowing the speed limit to

be raised from 20 MPH to 75 MPH. Class 508s were used to form shuttle services between

Gillingham and Strood, where at the latter passengers would transfer onto a bus for Higham.

David Glasspool

At the opposite end of the platforms, the line begins to curve around residential areas before

plunging into a tunnel on the way to Chatham. The 4 Cig pictured formed an eight coach

train with a 4 Vep on a Victoria to Faversham stopping service. David Glasspool

A westward view on 31st May 2006 reveals the remaining ''up'' platform canopy and the dreaded

CLASP structures on the ''down'' side. As aforementioned, the canopy was rebuilt in 1953, this being

done to a style which makes it easily mistaken as a product of the Southern Railway. The first valance

to grace the framework was based on similar lines to the example on the island at Margate. David Glasspool

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