Rainham railway station (Kent)
Rainham railway station is on the Chatham Main Line in South East England, serving the town of Rainham, Kent. It is 38 miles 74 chains (62.6 km) down the line from London Victoria and is situated between Gillingham and Newington.
Rainham  | |
|---|---|
.jpg.webp) The station looking eastbound, 2017 | |
| General information | |
| Location | Rainham, Borough of Medway England |
| Coordinates | 51.366411°N 0.611328°E |
| Grid reference | TQ818662 |
| Managed by | Southeastern |
| Platforms | 3 |
| Other information | |
| Station code | RAI |
| Classification | DfT category C2 |
| Key dates | |
| 25 Jan 1858[1] | Opened as Rainham and Newington |
| 1 Aug 1862 | Renamed Rainham |
| Passengers | |
| 2017/18 |  1.823 million |
| 2018/19 | 1.935 million |
| 2019/20 |  1.870 million |
| 2020/21 | 0.456 million |
| 2021/22 | 1.155 million |
| Notes | |
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road | |
Medway Towns | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The station and most trains that call are operated by Southeastern. Following a timetable change on Sunday 20 May 2018, some trains are operated by Govia Thameslink. The station has three platforms.[2] Platform 0 is an "up" bay platform, used mainly by Thameslink Services. Platform 1 is an "up" through providing services towards London, and Platform 2 is a "down" through for services towards Ramsgate and Dover Priory.
It is sometimes shown as Rainham (Kent) in order to distinguish it from the station of the same name in East London.
There are accessible entrances[3] without stairs on both platforms, with step-free access via Platform 1 for services towards London (via main station entrance). Step-free access via Platform 2 for services away from London (via side entrance, short ramp from Granary Close). To interchange platforms, people needing accessible access must use the road and steep paths in excess of 250 metres. (There is also a steep staircase overpass over the tracks to interchange platforms.)
Induction loops are available and ticket counters are able to be lowered or raised. There are also accessible ticket machines in the station forecourt. There are fold-away ramps available on platforms for wheelchair train access.
Services
Services at Rainham are operated by Southeastern and Thameslink using Class 375, 395 and 700 EMUs.
The typical off-peak service in trains per hour is:[4]
- 1 tph to London St Pancras International
- 2 tph to London Victoria
- 2 tph to Luton via Dartford and Greenwich
- 1 tph to Dover Priory via Canterbury East
- 2 tph to Ramsgate
Additional services including trains to and from London Bridge and London Cannon Street call at the station in the peak hours.
| Preceding station | National Rail |
Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gillingham | Southeastern |
Newington or Sittingbourne | ||
| Southeastern | ||||
| Thameslink | Terminus | |||
Thameslink Programme
In connection with the rebuild of Rochester Station, a new bay platform has been added on the south side (facing towards London).[5]
Trains are now able to use this new platform as the East Kent Resignalling Project[6] has been completed. Initially, only a couple of trains used it in the evening rush hour, but since May 2018, Thameslink trains are now starting from here to Luton, via Gravesend, Dartford and Greenwich. This replaces the Gillingham to Charing Cross services, meaning passengers will have to change at Dartford or London Bridge for Charing Cross or Cannon Street.[7]
References
- Butt, R. V. J. (October 1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199. OL 11956311M.
- "Planning permission for new Rochester station". Southeastern Railway. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
- "Accessibility via Rainham Station". Southeastern Railway. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
- Table 194, 200, 201, 212 National Rail timetable, December 2021
- "Network Rail unveils plans for new railway station in Rochester, UK". 8 April 2013. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
- "East Kent Resignalling Project". Retrieved 10 June 2020.
- Boyden, Katie (23 November 2017). "A new train service which was set to revolutionise travel for some people in Kent has been delayed". kentlive.news. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
External links
- Train times and station information for Rainham railway station (Kent) from National Rail
- Rainham Station Photos Through the Years
- Southeastern Railway - Rainham Station