Faversham railway station

Faversham
Location
Place	Faversham
Local authority	Borough of Swale
Grid reference	TR016609
Operations
Station code	FAV
Managed by	Southeastern
Number of platforms	4
DfT category	C2
Live arrivals/departures, station information and onward connections from National Rail Enquiries
Annual rail passenger usage*
2004/05	1.356 million
2005/06	1.366 million
2006/07	1.461 million
2007/08	1.545 million
2008/09	1.577 million
2009/10	1.465 million
2010/11	1.468 million
2011/12	1.472 million
2012/13	1.444 million
2013/14	1.382 million
2014/15	1.430 million
History
Key dates	Opened 25 January 1858
National Rail – UK railway stations
* Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Faversham from Office of Rail and Road statistics. Methodology may vary year on year.
UK Railways portal

Faversham railway station is on the Chatham Main Line in north Kent, and serves the town of Faversham, 52 miles (84 km) from London Victoria and 49 miles (78 km) from London St Pancras. Train services are provided by Southeastern.

History

The original 1858 station (built for the East Kent Railway) was rebuilt in 1898 and is an example of London, Chatham and Dover Railway architecture. The buildings are Grade II listed,^[1] and have been well maintained by Network Rail in recent years. A brick engine shed (also Grade II listed ^[2]) has, however, fallen into ruinous condition at the junction to the east of the station, mainly due to its inaccessibility. A further engine shed, formerly on the Faversham Creek spur has now been renovated and converted as offices. Sidings and other small buildings remain, some a legacy from pre-electrification days (1959) when Faversham Shed (73E) was of some importance. The spur line to Faversham Creek has now disappeared and incorporated into a housing development. The track ran along Standard Quay (a building beside the creek). In 1967, the track on Standard Quay was lifted, although a tiny section survives and Iron Wharf still has a few railway goods vans,^[3] now used by the boating fraternity. The brick built signal box dated from 1959 when electrification was completed. In 2009 preparatory works were completed before services to London St Pancras via Ebbsfleet International commenced on 13 December 2009. This forms part of the UK's first domestic high speed service (beyond Gravesend) with typical journey times of around 65 minutes. The Chatham Main Line was re-signalled east of Faversham during 2011, and the Faversham signal box was decommissioned in late December (still remaining in situ in August 2014). Signalling responsibilities were transferred to the power box at Gillingham.

Faversham had two platform lifts, but they were removed in 2009 as part of a multimillion-pound station upgrade.^[4] Replacements were installed in March 2012, but they were not in use until finally later in the year. As at May 2016 the lifts are out of use owing to design errors, with no resolution apparently in sight. ^[5]

Accidents and incidents

• In May 1862, a passenger train was derailed due to defective track. Three people were killed.^[6]

Services

Typical journey times for fastest services to Victoria is 70 minutes, and 65 minutes to St Pancras. In off-peak hours Faversham is the terminus for the domestic highspeed service from St Pancras on the Chatham line.

Typical off-peak services are:

• 2 tph to London St Pancras via Gravesend and Ebbsfleet International with 1 tph starting here (High Speed)
• 1 tph to London St Pancras via Ramsgate, Deal, Dover Priory, Ashford International and Ebbsfleet International (High Speed)
• 3 tph to London Victoria via Bromley South (Main Line)
• 2 tph to Dover Priory via Canterbury East (Main Line)
• 1 tph to Ramsgate via Herne Bay and Margate (Main Line)

References

1. "Faversham Railway Station, Faversham". www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
2. "Engine Shed at Faversham Station, Faversham". www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
3. "Old railway van, Iron Wharf boatyard, Faversham Creek". www.geograph.org.uk. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
4. "New lifts at rail station". www.thisiskent.co.uk. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
5. "Faversham train passengers angry at lift delay". www.favershampeople.co.uk. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
6. Kidner, R. W. (1977) [1963]. The South Eastern and Chatham Railway. Tarrant Hinton: The Oakwood Press. p. 89.

External links

• Train times and station information for Faversham railway station from National Rail

Coordinates: 51°18′41″N 0°53′30″E / 51.31139°N 0.89167°E