Huw celebrates opening of new platform building at the Rother Valley Railway in Robertsbridge
The Rother Valley Railway, a heritage railway, invited Huw to visit their site at Robertsbridge Station in August to hear how their plans to join the Tenterden-Bodiam heritage steam railway to Robertsbridge are progressing. Huw was also invited to officially open the first building construction at Robertsbridge, their new heritage washroom facilities.
The new building was funded by a substantial donation from Roy Seaborne, an RVR trustee who sadly died on 13 November 2016 having seen the building started but not completed. Roy was instrumental in starting the Bodiam to Robertsbridge Reconnection project with the purchase of the piece of land from just North of Robertsbridge Junction Station to Northbridge Street.
The building is designed in the heritage style to mirror the Col Stephens station at Tenterden Town. The design has involved a number of RVR’s volunteer professionals who joined Huw to officially open the new building. These are
Planning and superstructure - Stephen Langer RICS, Substructure – Graham Bessant CEng, FICE, AMIStructE, CMILT, Roof structure – Derek Kent BSc MICE, Interior decor – Saira Ahmed BA(Arch) and the construction was carried out by Andrew Wood and his team of local artisans.
Huw said “I was keen to visit RVR over the summer for an update on their plans to connect to the Kent and East Sussex Railway and create a heritage railway line from the mainline station at Robertsbridge all the way to Tenterden. When they asked me to officially open the new toilet building, I joked that I would be proud to add this to my list of achievements as the local MP. Joking aside, I was very impressed with the building design and construction. It has been completed to a very high standard and reflects the era of the original heritage railway buildings with a clean and modern twist on the interiors. It is great that so many highly qualified people have given their time and skills to this project.”
The booking hall substructure has been built as part of the platform, but the superstructure will be built when the reconnection is closer to opening, as will the other buildings on the site. On 27 July 2017 RVR won the Institution of Civil Engineers South East England Engineering Excellence “Community Benefit Award” for the platform and reconnection to the Network Rail main line.