View source for Appledore railway station

{{Short description|Railway station in Kent, England}}{{For-multi|the station in Devon|Appledore railway station (Devon)|the station in the Netherlands|Apeldoorn railway station}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2015}}
{{Infobox station
| name                = Appledore (Kent)
| symbol_location     = gb
| symbol              = rail
| image               = AppledoreRailwayStation.jpg
| borough             = [[Appledore, Kent|Appledore]], [[Ashford (borough)|Ashford]]
| country             = England
| coordinates         = {{coord|51.0330|0.8164|type:railwaystation_region:GB_scale:10000|display=inline,title}}
| grid_name           = [[Ordnance Survey National Grid|Grid reference]]
| grid_position       = {{gbmapscaled|TQ975297|25|TQ975297}}
| manager             = [[Southern (train operating company)|Southern]]
| platforms           = 2
| code                = APD
| classification      = [[United Kingdom railway station categories|DfT category]] F2
| opened              = 13 February 1851
| mpassengers =
<!-- {{Rail pass box |pass_year=2018/19 |passengers={{increase}} 42,792}} -->
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2019/20 |passengers={{decrease}} 40,656}}
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2020/21 |passengers={{decrease}} 9,492}}
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2021/22 |passengers={{increase}} 24,818}}
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2022/23 |passengers={{increase}} 26,478}}
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2023/24 |passengers={{increase}} 28,764}}
| footnotes           = Passenger statistics from the [[Office of Rail and Road]]
| embedded = {{Infobox designation list|embed=yes
| designation1        = Grade II
| designation1_feature = Railway station
| designation1_date   = 2 July 2001
| designation1_number = 1245943<ref name=he />
}}
}}

'''Appledore railway station''' is a [[Listed building|Grade II listed]] station east of [[Appledore, Kent|Appledore]] in [[Kent]], England. It is on the [[Marshlink line]], and train services are provided by [[Southern (train operating company)|Southern]].

The station was constructed in 1851 by the [[South Eastern Railway (England)|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==
[[File:171724 at Appledore station.jpg|thumb|left|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 (North Devon) railway station|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'.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/apd.aspx|title=Appledore (Kent) (APD)|website=National Rail|access-date=3 October 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Northam, Westward Ho! & District Through Time| first1=Julia| last1=Barnes| first2=Maureen| last2=Richards| first3=Anthony| last3=Barnes |publisher=Amberley Publishing Limited| page=82| year=2013| isbn=978-1-4456-1861-6}}</ref>

The station is located almost two miles from Appledore village and {{convert|8+1/2|mi|km}} south of {{rws|Ashford International}}, on the B2080, a local road. Owing to its distance from the village, it is in the Parish of Kenardington, not Appledore.<ref name=ah/><ref>{{cite web| url=https://appledorehistory.org.uk/the-village/|title=The Village|work=Appledore Local History Society|date=24 June 2016 |access-date=3 October 2019}}</ref>

Appledore is just north of a junction of a freight branch line running to [[Dungeness nuclear power station]] via [[Lydd Town railway station|Lydd]].{{sfn|Gray|1990|p=228}} Appledore is also the start of the single track section of the Marshlink line, which runs through to [[Ore railway station|Ore]] near [[Hastings]] with a passing loop at [[Rye railway station (East Sussex)|Rye]].{{sfn|Sissons|2008|p=411}} Along with several other stations on the line, the platforms are staggered.<ref name=ah/>

When British Rail introduced widespread provision of enamel totem station signs Appledore was one of very few that had some wooden ones fitted.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.cvphm.org.uk/Railwayana2.html| title=A Pictorial Guide to some of our Railwayana| website=Railwayana website| date=4 May 2018| access-date=4 May 2018}} Shows a photo of a wooden sign from Appledore station.</ref>

==History==
The station was first proposed by the [[South Eastern Railway (UK)|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.{{sfn|Gray|1990|pp=209-211}}

The station was designed, along with others along the line, by [[William Tress]].<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Survey of the St. Leonards and Hastings to Ashford Line by the Government Inspector |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000257/18501231/023/0006 |newspaper=Sussex Advertiser |location=England |date=31 December 1850  |access-date=24 July 2024 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription  }}</ref> The main building was built in an [[Italianate architecture|Italianate style]] with red brick with a Welsh slate roof.<ref name=ah>{{cite web| url=https://appledorehistory.org.uk/appledore-station-area-railway/| title=Appledore Station area and Railway| work=Appledore Local History Society| date=18 March 2018| access-date=3 October 2019}}</ref><ref name=he/> It opened, along with the rest of the line on 13 February 1851.{{sfn|Gray|1990|p=211}} 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.<ref name=ah/> A waiting room was built in 1894, followed by a goods shed in 1896 and a station master's house the following year.{{sfn|Gray|1990|p=213}}

In 1881, Appledore was upgraded to become a junction station to cater for a branch line to [[Lydd Town railway station|Lydd]], with new signals installed. The branch line opened on 7 December, and was further extended to New Romney in 1884.<ref name=ah/>{{sfn|Gray|1990|p=213}}  The station platforms were widened in June 1887 to accommodate longer trains.{{sfn|Gray|1990|p=213}} A line was also proposed from Appledore to {{rws|Tenterden}}, but this was never built.<ref name=ah/>

The SER subsequently merged with the [[London, Chatham and Dover Railway]] to form the [[South Eastern and Chatham Railway]].{{sfn|Gray|1990|p=52}} It became part of the [[Southern Railway (Great Britain)|Southern Railway]] during the [[Railways Act 1921|Grouping]] of 1923. The station then passed on to the [[Southern Region of British Railways]] on [[nationalisation]] in 1948.<ref name=ah/>

The goods shed was closed in 1963.<ref name=hegs>{{NHLE |num=1245944 |desc=Goods Shed at Appledore Railway Station |access-date=15 October 2019 |fewer-links=yes}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.kentlive.news/news/kent-news/kent-stations-which-could-reopen-849521| title=Kent railway lines that have been closed for decades could be reopening| work=Kent Live| date=30 November 2017| access-date=2 October 2019}}</ref>

When [[British Rail brand names|Sectorisation]] was introduced in the 1980s, the station was served by [[Network SouthEast]] until the [[Privatisation of British Rail]]ways.

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.<ref name=he>{{NHLE|num=1245943|desc=Appledore Railway Station|access-date=2 October 2019}}</ref><ref name=hegs/>

[[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 [[British Rail Classes 201, 202 and 203|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.{{sfn|Beecroft|1986|p=63}}
*On 31 July 1989, [[British Rail Class 205|2H]] [[diesel-electric multiple unit]] 205 101 collided with a van on the [[level crossing]].<ref name=NSES89>{{cite web |url=https://www.nsers.org/jan-dec-89.html |title=January 1989 to December 1989 |publisher=Network South East Railway Society |first=John P |last=McCrickard |date=6 October 2016 |access-date=26 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180626223258/https://www.nsers.org/jan-dec-89.html |archive-date=26 June 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Services==
All services at Appledore are operated by [[Southern (Govia Thameslink Railway)|Southern]] using {{brc|171}} [[Diesel multiple unit|DMUs]].

The typical off-peak service in trains per hour is:<ref>{{NRtimes|December 2021|196}}</ref>
* 1 tph to {{stnlnk|Eastbourne}} via {{stnlnk|Hastings}}
* 1 tph to {{stnlnk|Ashford International}}

Previously, westbound trains ran as an express service to {{stnlnk|Brighton}} although this was changed to a stopping service to Eastbourne in the May 2018 timetable change.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.eastbourneherald.co.uk/news/plans-to-axe-unpopular-two-carriage-eastbourne-train-service-1-8039111|title=Plans to axe unpopular two-carriage Eastbourne train service|newspaper=[[Eastbourne Herald]]|date=4 July 2017|access-date=30 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190530114813/https://www.eastbourneherald.co.uk/news/plans-to-axe-unpopular-two-carriage-eastbourne-train-service-1-8039111|archive-date=30 May 2019|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.ryenews.org.uk/news/marshlinks-reliability| title=Marshlink's reliability| work=Rye News| date=5 July 2018| access-date=27 September 2019}}</ref>

{{rail start}}
{{rail line|previous={{stnlnk|Rye|East Sussex}}|next={{stnlnk|Ham Street}}|route=[[Southern (Govia Thameslink Railway)|Southern]]<br/>{{smalldiv|[[Marshlink Line]]}}|col={{Southern colour}} }}
{{Disused Rail Insert}}
{{Rail line |next=[[Brookland Halt railway station|Brookland Halt]]<br/>{{smalldiv|Line open, station closed}}|route=[[Southern Region of British Railways|British Rail Southern Region]]<br/>{{smalldiv|[[Dungeness railway station (South Eastern Railway)|Dungeness Branch Line]]}}|col={{BR(S) colour}} }}
{{s-end}}

==References==
'''Citations'''
{{reflist}}

'''Sources'''
{{refbegin}}
*{{cite book |title=The Hastings Diesels Story |first=Geoffrey |last=Beecroft |publisher=Southern Electric Group |year=1986 |location=Chessington |isbn=0-906988-20-9 |oclc=17226439 }}
* {{cite book |title=South Eastern Railway|first=Adrian|last=Gray|publisher=Middleton Press|year=1990|isbn=978-0-906520-85-7}}
* {{cite book|title=Single Track Obsession: A Book of Extraordinary Railway Journeys|first=Rob|last=Sissons|publisher=Trafford Publishing|year=2008|isbn=978-1-4251-6239-9}}
* {{Butt-Stations}}
* {{Jowett-Nationalised}}
{{refend}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite magazine|title=Editor visits: Appledore|first=Chris|last=Leigh|magazine=[[Model Rail]]|pages=52–55|issue=77|date=March 2005|page= |location=Peterborough|publisher=EMAP Active|issn=1369-5118|oclc=173324502}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Appledore (Kent) railway station}}
{{stn art lrnk|APD|TN262DF}}
* [http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/a/appledore/ Appledore at Disused Stations] - history about the station and lines

{{Kent railway stations}}
{{TSGN and SE Stations|Coastway East=y|FCC None=y|SE None=y}}

[[Category:Transport in the Borough of Ashford]]
[[Category:Railway stations in Kent]]
[[Category:DfT Category F2 stations]]
[[Category:Former South Eastern Railway (UK) stations]]
[[Category:Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1851]]
[[Category:Railway stations served by Govia Thameslink Railway]]
[[Category:1851 establishments in England]]
[[Category:Grade II listed railway stations]]