Rother Valley Railway

Lord Peter Hendy lends his personal support to the Rother Valley Railway - Robertsbridge Station Buildings Appeal

EXCITING NEWS: we’ve received a powerful endorsement for both this project and, importantly, our Station Buildings Appeal from one of the most respected figures in rail. Below is the text of a press release issued at 12noon today:-

“Lord Peter Hendy, the former Chair of Network Rail, has lent his personal support to the Rother Valley Railway Heritage Trust’s £350,000 Buildings Appeal, launched in December last year. In a specially recorded video message for the Trust, which went live today (26 January 2026), Lord Hendy spoke of his lifelong support for heritage railways and in particular for the RVR project to reconnect the Kent & East Sussex Railway to the mainline railway at Robertsbridge.

The five-minute highly personal message encourages donations to the Buildings Appeal to help complete what he describes as a ‘brilliant’ project that is close to his heart, and which represents a “gargantuan effort” by all concerned.

After highlighting the immense amount of work completed to date and the importance of creating the final buildings at Robertsbridge Junction, Lord Hendy said that the reinstated line: ‘Connects real places … and we should just get it done’.

He goes on to explain that having a dedicated locomotive shed would ensure that visiting engines and trains could use the line and would: “bring people, drive revenue and make the railway successful”. The appeal, he says, is therefore well worth supporting with as large a donation as people can afford.”

Many of you have already donated — your generosity is the reason we’re as far along as we are. But if you’ve been meaning to donate and were waiting for the right moment… this is that moment. Every donation, whatever size, takes us closer to the dream we all share: reopening the line to Robertsbridge in 2028.

Links to Lord Peter Hendy's appeal video are at the RVR website appeals page - just click on 'play appeal video' :

https://www.rvr.org.uk/fundraising/


Please do feel free to spread this, or the alternative utube link below far and wide!! :-

)

Thanks

Mike Hart

 

A drone video journey along the new railway giving an overview of reconstruction progress to date:




And, a number of news updates on the RVR Blog at:

https://rvrailway.blogspot.com/


Mike

 

Just saw this on the RVR blog.
https://rvrailway.blogspot.com/?m=1
It looks impressive, yet at the same time, I heard in my head "Hi Lloyd! ...a little slow tonight, isn't it?".
It should make a brilliant multi-use space, particularly for 1930/40s dances. I'll be there, particularly if the band is good.

 

The URL given here is to the latest post on the RVR blog - which will of course change the instant something new is posted! If one wants to link to a particular post, one needs to find it in the panel on the left, and get the URL from that. I imagine that you were speaking of Station Building internals -8?

Noel

 

For all the news best use this link below!!

https://rvrailway.blogspot.com/

 

The new Robertsbridge Station (RVR) does seem extremely opulent for a Col. Stephens Light Railway!

 

Expecting slightly more passengers...

 

They didn't sell souvenirs etc in those days !

 

Perhaps the good Colonel missed a trick! He did just about everything else to make minor railways minimise costs and maximise income.

 

Secretly he probably dreamed of someday opening the “Col. Stephens Retail Park”

 

There was holiday accommodation ("commodious camping huts") for rent on the Shropshire & Montgomeryshire.

 

More Rother Valley Railway news and progress at:

https://rvrailway.blogspot.com/

Mike

 

Many more updates since Wednesday, including the start of digging out the disposal pit for the new locomotive shed, clearance through the Salehurst section, and continued work on Robertsbridge station building.
I particularly like this perspective down the platform, as it reminds me very much of Pat Gavin's iconic opening credits for "Poirot";

 

Latest up dates, including rapid progress with the loco preparation pit. Much more is at https://rvrailway.blogspot.com/

 

That is indeed rapid; the image seen yesterday showed the blocks stacked next to the pit, and today half of one side is in! I think that if I blink, the rest of that side will be in!

Noel

 

Thanks Noel. We try not to hang about!! And here replacement beams for the repair of Bridge 18. More detail here: https://rvrailway.blogspot.com/