The station was constructed in 1851 by the South Eastern Railway and designed by William Tress. It became a junction station in 1881 when a branch line opened to Lydd and New Romney; this closed to passengers in 1967 following the Beeching Report, though the line remains open for goods traffic to Dungeness Nuclear Power Station. Despite a recommendation in the report that Appledore should also close, it has remained open into the 21st century.
Name and location
A train stopping at Appledore, showing the staggered platforms
According to National Rail, this station's official name is Appledore (Kent), despite the other Appledore station in Devon having closed in 1917. On official documents and railway company websites, the station is referred to as Appledore (Kent), although signs at the station simply list 'Appledore'.[2][3]
The station is located almost two miles from Appledore village and 8+1⁄2 miles (13.7 km) south of Ashford International, on the B2080, a local road. Owing to its distance from the village, it is in the Parish of Kenardington, not Appledore.[4][5]
Appledore is just north of a junction of a freight branch line running to Dungeness nuclear power station via Lydd.[6] Appledore is also the start of the single track section of the Marshlink line, which runs through to Ore near Hastings with a passing loop at Rye.[7] Along with several other stations on the line, the platforms are staggered.[4]
When British Rail introduced widespread provision of enamel totem station signs Appledore was one of very few that had some wooden ones fitted.[8]
History
The station was first proposed by the South Eastern Railway (SER) in June 1848 as a stop on the Ashford to Hastings line. That September, hop planters near Appledore petitioned the early construction of the line to help with harvest; however a formal decision to build a station was not taken until June 1850.[9]
The station was designed, along with others along the line, by William Tress. The main building was built in an Italianate style with red brick with a Welsh slate roof.[4][1] It opened, along with the rest of the line on 13 February 1851.[10] A pub, the Man of Kent Railway Tavern was built in 1853 on the opposite side of the road (now the B2080). It was rebuilt adjacent to the station in the late 19th century.[4] A waiting room was built in 1894, followed by a goods shed in 1896 and a station master's house the following year.[11]
In 1881, Appledore was upgraded to become a junction station to cater for a branch line to Lydd, with new signals installed. The branch line opened on 7 December, and was further extended to New Romney in 1884.[4][11] The station platforms were widened in June 1887 to accommodate longer trains.[11] A line was also proposed from Appledore to Tenterden, but this was never built.[4]
The goods shed was closed in 1963.[13] Appledore ceased to be a junction station for passengers when the branch line to Lydd and New Romney closed in 1967. However, it continued to be used for goods traffic to Dungeness.[14]
In 2001, the station building and goods shed were Grade II listed. The main building is in good condition and has been largely unaltered since its original 1851 construction.[1][13]
APTIS was once provided here until the booking office closed in the very early 1990s leaving no ticketing facilities. In 2016 Southern installed a new self-service ticket machine. The office buildings on the Ashford-bound platform are unused.
Accidents and incidents
On 14 March 1980, an empty stock train comprising five Hastings Unit vehicles derailed due to excessive speed through a set of points. The driver was killed. A motor coach was consequently withdrawn from service due to extensive damage.[15]
Previously, westbound trains ran as an express service to Brighton although this was changed to a stopping service to Eastbourne in the May 2018 timetable change.[18][19]
^Barnes, Julia; Richards, Maureen; Barnes, Anthony (2013). Northam, Westward Ho! & District Through Time. Amberley Publishing Limited. p. 82. ISBN978-1-4456-1861-6.
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