The new Thanet Parkway station is set to open on July 31, 2023. The station is located between Ramsgate and Minster, in Kent. It is the first new railway station in Kent in eight years.
The station will have two platforms, which can accommodate 12-car trains. It will be served by both mainline and high-speed trains with trains to London St Pancras International now taking 70 minutes.
The investment is part of Network Rail’s Thanet Corridor Enhancements Programme which includes upgrades to Dibleys, Ships Meadow and Grove Ferry crossings to permit line speed increases between Ashford, Canterbury West and Ramsgate. The station itself has been funded by a £39 million grant from the Department for Transport’s New Stations Fund.
The work on Dibleys level crossing has included the installation of a flex system, which is the first time it has been installed in the southern region and only the second place in the country. The flex system works as a miniature stop-light system, designed to understand the difference between stopping, non-stopping and freight trains.
The works on the level crossing upgrades across the Thanet Corridor form part of the £1.25 billion South East Upgrades plan which has included significant investment on track, and upgrading signalling across the network.
Rail Minister Huw Merriman said: “Thanet Parkway will allow the local community to access better employment, education, and business opportunities.
“I’m thrilled that, thanks to Government and industry funding, the fully accessible station will open next month, offering journeys on both mainline and highspeed train services to destinations across Kent, to London and beyond.”
The station itself is built on a former scrapyard, and is targeting 2,000 passengers per day and will be operated by Southeastern trains. The station is designed to be unmanned to begin with however the design will allow for staff in the future and has been installed with acoustic barriers to minimise noise.
Steve White, Southeastern’s managing director, said: “We’re excited to begin services at Thanet Parkway, some 90 years after the people of Cliffsend last had their own railway station.
“Working with our partners to enable the communities on our network to thrive is important to us, and Thanet Parkway will offer a live example of what can be achieved.
All day highspeed services to St Pancras and peak services to London Bridge, Cannon Street and Charing Cross will bring new opportunities to experience the area’s tourist attractions as well as the many business and employment opportunities nearby.”
Photo: Network Rail
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