Rother Valley Railway

A couple of other examples the mhr and iow. When I lived on the Portsmouth line, I could get on a train to Pompey after the breakfast, walk to the boat, get off in Ryde, get on the mainline to Smallbrook, get the train from there and then maybe go to the beach at Shanklin afterwards for a crab sandwich, pint and a paddle before heading home. If there was no link at smallbrook there is almost no chance I’d have bothered to go to the island. I like beer, I like crab sandwiches but not enough to make the trip especially. Combine the train, the beach and the late lunch and you’ve a nice day out that you can do on the spur of the day ie ‘weather looks nice today’.

So iow, the island line, the boat, swr and the pub all get my custom thanks to there being a rail link that makes the trip worthwhile.

Same for the mhr. I can get the train, get out at arlesford, have a pub lunch, get a different train to Alton and then train home. Same again when I lived in the Cotswolds, change at Worcester but could get to the SVR in time to break the journey in Highley and Bridgenorth, have a decent late lunch and be home a time a sensible time.

I maybe an outlier in doing this.

 

I'm the same as you now; before I started uni I wouldn't have likely considered public transport for a heritage railway visit, but I do it all the time now, I guess now I'm used to taking the train between uni and home I'm more used to the idea?

 

Putting it like that then no I don't think the public will benefit sufficiently from a CPO, I don't believe it will increase the amount of people that much more by having a connection at Robertsbridge at weekends maybe, don't get me wrong the KESR is very dear to my heart having lived in Maidstone for around 40 years it has been a regular jaunt for my wife and I and children when they were young, but I cant see the KESR getting much more benefit out of running to Robertsbridge than they have already. like to be proved wrong though.

 

I must admit, given the opportunity to be able to catch a train from St leonards to Robertsbridge then travel to Tenterden on the steam railway enjoy a bite and pint ( or 2) in a local pub and catch an afternoon train back, without having to drive , or rely on an bus service that is not reliable ( one bus every 2 hours) I think, and a gap of 4 hours from early afternoon as any service only goes to Rye and another change and wait for another bus, I would certainly use it.

 

I get the impression that Robertsbridge and its immediate area might not get many benefits from this scheme; it seems rather like the idea is to get day tippers arriving at Robertsbridge away to Bodiam, Northiam and Tenterdon and spend money there.
Addendum: Reading the previous post it seems my supposition could well be correct. I am sure many in Robertsbridge see no benefits just inconvenience.

 

Some very relevant observations, although in the case of East Grinstead, it's also worth noting that it's a reasonably sized town in it's own right (> 26000 at the last census) plus the station isn't unduly remote from the place named on it's running in boards .... certainly not when compared with HK!

 

The answer then has to be to sell the attractions of Robertsbridge as an designation from Tenterden , to get people to travel over the line once extended, so that the town benefits from any extra custom perhaps in connection with other local attractions,

 

There's a pair of pubs which seem to mention their Victorian-ness from a glance at Google Maps, which certainly sounds appealing.

 

What I would say is this - if I am going to the SVR I might well have lunch in Highley or Kidderminster. Certainly, if I have time to kill between the SVR train and the train to Worcester I will have a drink in the pub. So I would say whether people spend time in a given location depends on the attractions and the patterns of the service.

 

Just what attractions are there to sell in Robertsbridge;

 

I don't know, but it looks like an interesting town.

http://www.aboutrobertsbridge.org.uk/index.htm
http://orig.villagenet.co.uk/?v=robertsbridge_east sussex

 

From my recollections of the planning stage, there was quite a sizeable support from Robertsbridge, particularly local businesses, who suffer from the malaise of any bypassed settlement. The village will undoubtedly notice an increase in footfall if people are getting off of trains there, even if just spending time waiting for a connection/ breaking their journey, etc. And it is a delightful little place.
Is it just me, or does there seem to be a lot of negativity floating around? There is no news here, all this has been aired long before in the 2 years leading up to planning permission being granted, but that rather slanted feature in the Mail seems to have planted a rather negative vibe in the air, and to some extent it's being perpetuated here.
I'm sure people will reply to this with "we are just being objective", but it's all been discussed ad nauseam already.

 

A bit like the West Somerset Railway thread then.

 

There is now another of the RVR's videos up on YouTube.

Hopefully this link will lead to it.



And this is the link to their blog.

https://rvr-features.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/twao-summary.html

 

Top drawer stuff. This is exactly the type of professional, scientifically-backed material the railway need to be producing to counter the concerns, legitimate or otherwise, that the reinstatement has raised. Good work.

 

I always thought it was a village! The Parish website thinks so too. In many ways, it is typical of many settlements within the East Sussex part of High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (Although actually, it's not very high up in Robertsbridge). There are a number of very pretty places with lots of old half-timbered or tile-hung buildings but there is no real tourist honeypot such as Haworth, Corfe Castle, Goathland, Dunster or Broadway (to quote examples which will be familiar to railway enthusiasts!) Even Mayfield and Burwash, perhaps the most well-know quaint villages round here, don't offer much reason for you to linger apart from a meal in the local pub or maybe a coffee somewhere. Tourism in Sussex has been very much focussed on the seaside towns and to a lesser extent, the South Downs. The High Weald remains by and large a charming fairly quiet backwater with relatively little tourism. Speaking as a resident of this lovely area, it is one of the things I like about living here - I love the peace and quiet. I guess that the RVR will being a few more people into Robertsbridge - and no doubt the local pubs will benefit - but at the end of the day, the return of steam trains isn't going to bring hordes of people to the place all day and every day as there isn't enough to detain them for very long.

Very well produced. It won't satisfy all the objectors but it shows just how professional the RVR has been throughout - ensuring that the reinstatement of the railway will be done in a way that minimises any inconvenience to people who may be affected.

 

I think that the area has a diverse range of attractions that may draw people rather than one big specific attraction. ie you have Bodiam, Great Dixter, Bateman's.

I would say this, Robertsbridge isn't say Blaenau Ffestiniog which was not perhaps the loveliest end destination when the FR connected in 1982

 

Indeed! Now the issue is how to ensure that everyone with concerns sees it. However, given how meticulous they've been with everything else, I expect there's a plan for that too.

Noel

 

Theres nothing in Robertsbridge that turns your head, when the A21 passed through the village there was nothing that would make you want to stop for any reason, on summer weekends it was a well known bottle neck so drivers tended to avoid it at all costs.

 

True, it won't satisfy those who are already opposed and are not wanting to listen, but it goes a long way to bust the bogus concerns that have arisen over the impact reopening the line may have, I hope that the residents of Robertsbridge are willing to at least listen to the RVR, As for the residents of Salehurst once they realise the railway will not be the problem some claim, and the local pub may even benefit from extra trade if Salehurst Halt re opens, I wonder how long before locals decide to use it to have a day out to Tenterden using discounted residents tickets if offered by the railway I bet such an offer would soon change minds