Charing railway station
{{Short description|Railway station in Kent, England}}{{hatnote|Not to be confused with Charing Cross railway station}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2015}}
{{Infobox station
| name = Charing
| symbol_location = gb
| symbol = rail
| image = Charingstation.jpg
| caption = Main building, platform 2 and road bridge in 2012
| country = England
| grid_name = Grid reference
| grid_position = {{gbmapscaled|TQ950491|25|TQ950491}}
| manager = Southeastern
| platforms = 2
| code = CHG
| classification = DfT category E
| years = 1 July 1884
| events = Opened
| years1 = 9 October 1961
| events1 = Electrified
| years2 = 14 April 1984
| events2 = Signal box closed
| mpassengers =
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2019/20 |passengers={{increase}} 89,554}}
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2020/21 |passengers={{decrease}} 26,234}}
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2021/22 |passengers={{increase}} 60,508}}
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2022/23 |passengers={{increase}} 75,588}}
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2023/24 |passengers={{increase}} 89,516}}
| footnotes = Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road
}}
Charing railway station serves the village of Charing in Kent, England. It is {{convert|53|mi|11|chain|km}} down the line from {{stn|London Victoria}}. The station, and all trains serving it, is operated by Southeastern.
The ticket office is staffed only during part of the day; at other times a PERTIS 'permit to travel' machine, located outside the station building on the 'down' side, suffices.
The next station eastwards (towards Ashford) used to be Hothfield; however, it was closed in 1959, although it remained a 'request' stop for railway staff throughout the 1960s.
History
File:Charing railway station building and car park in 2009.jpg
The station was opened on 1 July 1884,{{sfn|Butt|1995|p=57}} as part of the London, Chatham and Dover Railway (LCDR) extension to {{rws|Ashford West}} of the 1874 line to Maidstone, which itself was a branch off the LCDR's Sevenoaks branch of 1862, which joined the LCDR mainline of 1840 at Swanley.{{sfn|Mitchell|Smith|1995|loc=Historical Background}} In the wake of 1955 British Rail Modernisation plan, the "Kent Coast Electrification" scheme saw the suburban electrification of the previous Southern Railway extended from Maidstone East through to Ashford.{{cite web
| url = http://www.kentrail.org.uk/charing.htm
| title = Kent Rail
| access-date = 20 July 2008
| page = 2
}} The goods yard comprised five sidings on the down side and one on the up side. It was taken over for military use during World War II. Electrification also saw the addition of a footbridge, but by 16 May 1964 freight operations ceased. Charing's signal box closed on 14 April 1984, when the upgraded Maidstone East Panel took control of the whole line.{{sfn|Mitchell|Smith|1995|loc=Charing}}
{{clear|left}}
Services
File:Charing railway station platforms in 2009.jpg
All services at Charing are operated by Southeastern using {{brc|375}} and {{brc|377|n}} EMUs.
The typical off-peak service in trains per hour is:{{NRtimes|June 2024|197}}
- 1 tph to {{stn|London Victoria}} via {{stnlnk|Maidstone East}}
- 1 tph to {{stnlnk|Ashford International}}
Additional services, including trains to and from London Charing Cross call at the station during the peak hours.
{{rail start}}
{{s-rail-national|previous=Lenham|next=Ashford International|toc=Southeastern|route={{smalldiv|Kent Downs line}}}}
{{Disused Rail Insert}}
{{Rail line|previous={{stnlnk|Lenham}}|next={{stnlnk|Hothfield}}|route=British Rail Southern Region
{{smalldiv|Maidstone line}}|col={{BR(S) colour}} }}
{{end}}
References
{{reflist}}
;Sources
- {{butt-stations}}
- {{cite book |first1=Vic |last1=Mitchell |first2=Keith |last2=Smith |title=Swanley to Ashford |publisher=Middleton Press |location=Midhurst |year=1995 |isbn=1-873793-45-6 }}
External links
{{commons category|Charing railway station}}
{{stn art lnk|CHG|TN270HZ}}
{{Kent railway stations}}
{{TSGN and SE Stations|Ashford=y|Maidstone=y|SN None=y}}
{{coord|51.208|N|0.790|E|type:railwaystation_region:GB|display=title}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Charing Railway Station}}
Category:Transport in the Borough of Ashford
Category:Railway stations in Kent
Category:DfT Category E stations
Category:Former London, Chatham and Dover Railway stations
Category:Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1884