History
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The arrangement inherited by the Southern Railway in 1923 with the lines and stations closed in 1926 shown in pink (St Lawrence for Pegwell Bay had closed in 1916). The dotted line represents the new surface line and stations. Ramsgate and Dumpton Park both opened in 1926. |
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Trains first reached Ramsgate in April 1846 when the South Eastern Railway (SER) opened a line from Canterbury. It terminated at Ramsgate SER, later to be called Ramsgate Town, which, unlike the present-day station, was in the town centre. Later the same year the line opened across Thanet to Margate, to Margate SER (later Margate Sands). Trains from Canterbury to Margate had to reverse at Ramsgate Town; a chord was built bypassing the station, but not often used. St Lawrence station was opened in 1864 just before this chord, but closed in 1916.
The London Chatham and Dover Railway (LCDR) reached Margate from Herne Bay in 1863. This called at Margate C&D (later Margate West), East Margate (later Margate East), Broadstairs, and via a 1630 yd tunnel terminated at Ramsgate C&D (later Ramsgate Harbour), near the harbour and beach.
This arrangement was inherited by Southern Railway on grouping in 1923. In 1926 a new line was opened connecting the SER line from east of Ramsgate Town to the LCDR line just south of Broadstairs. The current Ramsgate station and a new station at Dumpton Park were built on this new line. The Ramsgate Harbour station, line through the tunnel, and the Ramsgate Town station and old SER line across to Margate Sands were all closed in July 1926. This change made for operational convenience, but has the disadvantage that the town centre is no longer served.
Read more about this topic: Ramsgate Railway Station
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