INTRODUCTION Today I will be suggesting the Medway Valley Line operated by Southeastern (DfT OLR Holdings limited). This route will have 17 stations in total and will be 19 miles (32km) long. THE ROUTE The route starts in Gillingham and Strood, located in South East England, ending at Tonbridge, located in South East England. The route first opened 1856 for suburban heavy rail services linking the Medway towns to the terminal Tonbridge and also links services from Maidstone West STATIONS •Gillingham (Kent) •Chatham •Rochester •Strood •Cuxton •Halling •Snodland •New Hythe •Aylesford •Maidstone Barracks •Maidstone West •East Farleigh •Wateringbury •Yalding •Beltring •Paddock Wood •Tonbridge ROLLING STOCK 375/3 The class 375 manufactured by Bombardier Transportation at Derby Litchurch Lane Works as part of the Electrostar family from 1999 - 2005 140 of these three and four units were built with 10 375/3s, 30 375/6s, 15 375/7s, 30 375/8s and 27 375/9s this train has a maximum operating speed of 100 mph (161 km/h) mph [121 km/h] the safety systems used are TPWS/AWS. 375/3 (3 car, single voltage, outer suburban units) 375/3 - 176 seats Services : Gillingham - Tonbridge duration: 1 hour & 10 mins Strood - Paddock Wood duration: 44 mins Strood - Maidstone West duration: 20 mins Strood - Tonbridge duration: 54 mins Gillingham - Paddock Wood duration: 1 hour & 4 mins DLC 466/0 The class 465 manufactured by British Engineering Limited, ABB Transportation and Metro - Cammell at York Carriage Works and Washwood Heath as part of the Networker family from 1991 - 1994 (the 466 was built from 1993 - 1994 and 31 two cars are in service) 121 of these four car units were built with 50 465/0s, 47 465/1s, 24 465/2s (16 stored) and 10 scrapped 465/9s this train has a maximum operating speed of 70 mph (121 km/h) the safety systems used are TPWS/AWS. 466/0 (2 car, single voltage, metro and outer suburban units) 466/0 - 168 seats Services : Gillingham - Tonbridge duration: 1 hour & 10 mins Strood - Paddock Wood duration: 44 mins Strood - Maidstone West duration: 20 mins Strood - Tonbridge duration: 54 mins Gillingham - Paddock Wood duration: 1 hour & 4 mins LAYERS 395/0 Gillingham - Strood and Strood - Maidstone West 700/0 Gillingham - Strood 465/9 Gillingham - Rochester/ Strood 375/9 Gillingham - Rochester DEPOTS Gillingham EMUD CONCLUSION Thanks for reading my suggestion feel free to correct me if I got any information wrong
I grew up in Yalding so would love to see this route. My preference would be during the 90s with the NSE slam door units and when most of the line still used semaphore signalling and manual level crossing gates.
I suppose the only problem is that the section from Gillingham to Strood is already represented in SEHS, they probably won't recreate it again. I don't see it as that much of a problem though. If anything, as its already modelled, that makes it easier. Including it would also mean we have otherwise non-existent ECS moves present.
Instead of the Strood - Gillingham section, could have the Tonbridge - Redhill part. Quite often in the past trains would begin at Redhill (even Three Bridges) on their way to the Medway Valley Line.
