• Funding secured for historic Tovil Footbridge at Northiam
• Additional water treatment units purchased for strategic installation

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The Kent & East Sussex Railway (K&ESR) has taken two significant steps forward in its preparations to restore services to Robertsbridge in 2028.

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The railway has secured full funding for the restoration and installation of the historic Tovil Footbridge at Northiam Station. The project has been made possible through a combination of heritage grants, private donations, volunteer support and ringfenced investment from the railway.

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A total of £130,000 has been awarded by two major heritage funding organisations, with £70,000 coming from the Railway Heritage Trust and £60,000 from the Rochester Bridge Trust.

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The remaining funding has been provided through K&ESR volunteer time and restricted funds, together with a private donation from a railway supporter.

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The project will preserve an important piece of railway history while also providing a vital practical facility for passengers at Northiam. The station is expected to take on an increasingly important role in the railway's operations once the planned extension to Robertsbridge is complete, serving as an interchange for services travelling to and from different destinations along the line.

Originally situated at Tovil Station in Maidstone, the historic footbridge was gifted to the K&ESR by Network Rail following its decommissioning. The late Victorian wrought-iron lattice girder structure has since been in storage while a suitable future use was identified.

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The footbridge is currently undergoing specialist restoration away from the railway, including repairs, cleaning and repainting. The next stages of the project will involve repairing the cast-iron support columns, preparing the foundations, installing new decking and stair components, and re-erecting the bridge at Northiam Station.

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K&ESR Chairman Derrick Bilsby said:

"We are enormously grateful to both the Railway Heritage Trust and the Rochester Bridge Trust for their confidence in this project, and to the supporters whose donations have helped bring us to this point.

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“The Tovil Footbridge is an important example of historic railway engineering which deserves to be preserved and appreciated by future generations. Thanks to this funding package, we can now look forward to returning the bridge to railway use in a setting where it will serve both a practical purpose and become a notable feature of Northiam Station.

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“The project represents a significant collaboration between the heritage railway, charitable trusts and private supporters, ensuring that a historic structure rescued from the national network will once again serve railway passengers for decades to come.”

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The railway is currently considering two possible locations for the footbridge at Northiam Station. The preferred option would see it positioned near the centre of the platforms, providing the greatest convenience for passengers. An alternative location beside the level crossing at the Tenterden end of the station is also being assessed.

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The final location will be determined alongside wider infrastructure plans for Northiam. These include the possible installation of a water crane, which could require associated signalling alterations.

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A dedicated working group has been established to assess the options and make recommendations to the K&ESR Board before the railway moves forward with the necessary planning applications.

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As part of its wider preparations for the extension to Robertsbridge, the K&ESR has also purchased two reverse osmosis (RO) water treatment units. One will be installed at Tenterden and the other at Northiam, complementing the railway's existing operational RO unit at Rolvenden.

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Derrick Bilsby said:

“Ready access to treated water will be essential to running steam services on the extended line. Having these RO units strategically located at both Tenterden and Northiam will ensure that engines need only to get treated water from Rolvenden at the start of the service day.”

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