A 1914 Railway Clearing House Junction Diagram showing lines around HastingsHastings signal box, with semaphore signalsThe station building in 2006
The station was first proposed by the South Eastern Railway (SER) on 9 October 1835, as the terminus for a railway from Tunbridge Wells via Rye.[2] These plans were developed during 1843, as the SER planned the most practical route to the town through what would be difficult terrain. In the meantime, the Parliamentary Select Committee had supported a scheme by the Brighton, Lewes & Hastings Railway (BLHR), which would connect the town to the London and Brighton Railway (LBR). The BLHR were awarded the act of parliament to build the railway to Hastings, with an additional option to extend the line through Rye to Ashford.[3] The SER were not happy about a rival company building routes in their area, and in late 1845 researched the feasibility of a route via Tunbridge Wells.[4] The Government insisted the SER constructed the line from Ashford to Hastings (now the Marshlink line) first before any direct route could be built. Meanwhile, the LBR and BLHR had amalgamated with other companies to form the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway, who became bitter rivals with the SER.[5]
The station opened on 13 February 1851 when the line from Ashford was completed through to Bopeep Junction. The station was originally V-shaped allowing the two railway companies to have separate platforms and booking areas: one side for SER trains to pass through and the other as a terminal for LBSCR services. The two companies continued to argue with each other and object to trains stopping or passing through the station.[6] The SER also wanted separate goods sheds from the LBSCR.[7] The connection to Tunbridge Wells opened on 1 February 1852.[8]
The whole station was reconstructed in a neo-Georgian style in 1931 by the architect James Robb Scott and only the goods shed remained unchanged. All trains now ran through the two new island platforms, which provided better flexibility.[9][10]
The station building was re-built in 2003, in a £8.6 million redevelopment as part of regenerating the local area by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott.[11] The neo-Georgian booking hall was demolished and replaced with a modernist building.[12] The new station was constructed to the east of the original. It was opened by Jeff Rooker on 14 October 2004, after which the old station building was demolished and the land re-used as a car park.[13]
The southernmost loop platform was curtailed into an Ashford facing bay. The station contains a small police post staffed by British Transport Police, although this is a satellite of the Ashford International police station.
2.383 million
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