Although the focus of this site is on the construction of new stretches of railway line between Tunbridge Wells and Paddock Wood and at Strood, the existing Medway Valley route is worth looking at in light of changes to the population in the years since the line was built (between 1844 and 1856). This used to happen before the running down of Britain’s railways after Beeching – New Hythe Station was constructed in about 1929 to serve new industries which had sprung up along the Medway Valley.
The scheme is expected to allow a doubling of train services north of Maidstone and a quadrupling south of the County Town, providing a metro-style frequency similar to those around major cities and conurbations such as London, the West Midlands and Glasgow.
One major beneficiary could be the Allington area. Trains to Maidstone would be far faster than travelling by any alternative, something which would be useful for those living in the large areas of post-war housing in the area (a few of these homes can be seen at the bottom edge of the map on the left). At present the nearest stations are at Barming and Maidstone Barracks.
Opening up easy access to Allington from Tunbridge Wells, Gravesend and Medway would also boost visitor numbers at Allington Lock, the Museum of Kent Life and Cobtree Manor Park, all of which are major regional attractions.
The most logical location for a new two-platform station is as indicated on the map. Access would be from a station building built over the line at Castle Road, with the platforms situated in the cutting below.
Heart Of Kent Line 