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I am in full agreement with the long awaited redevelopment of Folkestone, which should make it a great place for residents and tourists alike, to visit again, as it used to be.

I would like to make a suggestion about the Harbour station (which I previously wrote to you about on more than one occasion).

Could it possibly be returned to its former boat train glory days, with the track section left in the station, and the existing signal box?

The offices, or old waiting rooms on the car park side, could be made into an Ice cream parlour/Tea room/Café.

It could also house the car park office, and Ice rink office?

It could be part of a show piece in the development, showing the former Folkestone Railway, and Travel history, which dates back to the 1850’s.

The horrible (modern) concrete Footbridge could be blocked off, or removed, to stop possible vandalism of the unused down platform.

Possibly the other platform could make use of the former Orient express offices, which were refurbished up a few years ago.

The station in its present terrible condition could surely be repaired for not too much more than, just flattening the area for good?

Most of the infrastructure remains, and has done for many centuries.

It could make the development, a great blend of old and new history.

It would also make use of a splendid part of our Georgian Railway heritage, which is about to be lost forever in Folkestone.

On a visit to Folkestone one of my old favourite seaside’s towns in Kent, I was horrified to see how derelict the harbour and amusement beach area now look.

Even more upsetting to see is the terrible state of one of our last remaining stations that have served the beach area for 155 years!

Please see the web link at the bottom of the letter, and you will see what was once a grand Victorian station, going to ruin.

The are of course no more boat trains to Calais, but the station is only just over 1 mile from the main junction to London Victoria, and the last scheduled train left in May 2001.

The English Version of the Orient Express also used it for a few years, although god knows what the passengers thought, when they saw the derelict up platform!

The station has a fairly large, (mostly unused) Car park outside it.

Folkestone Central hasn’t got any parking, so a park and ride to London could easily be started up, from the Harbour station, if the fee for parking was made more reasonable.

The station is on the beach, so the amusements and Hotel Burstein are only across the road, much closer that Central station, and doesn’t need a car or Taxi to reach the beach area, or any parking costs, so less congestion or pollution!

Perhaps Kent County Council and the Hotel Burstein, could help Network Rail to promote the station for Seaside specials to the hotel and beach amusements, and a park and ride to London Victoria station?

This would bring in more tourist revenue, to the area and Hotel Burstein.

It would also help Network Rail have some revenue, when they currently have none from this section of line.

The main running lines and bridge appear to be as strong as when they were built more that 155 years ago, but the station is fast falling into a un repairable eyesore, which won’t last more than a year or so.

The main signals are still working, as Red lights show on both lines!

As a potential tourist the area looks terrible and uninviting, so people are unlikely to revisit the area.

At the moment a local Quarry firm are using the old down line, but the old up line is almost derelict, after the track was removed, and the wooden sleepers are now rotting away.

I have added a link to a web page produced last year, but since then the old red BT phone box has gone, and the roof area is almost gone.

So please can something be done, before we loose another historic part of our heritage, that is surely better to used a few times a day, than be just left to rot, and put off potential tourist trade?

It is a shame that they closed the railway leading down to the folkestone harbour.

After all these years.Now they decided to close it down.

It was a tourist attraction to many who came to visit folkestone

It seems people are realising too late, the potential fate of the Line as it used to be. This is not a backwater line that can take many years to be restored by amateur enthusiasts on a Sunday afternoon. It is in actual fact part of a high value £50 million piece of real estate, which is under plans for development by the Towns supposed saviour.

The Remembrance Line has wasted the last year in ineffective campaigning and with no proper business plan to impress the accountants. Wake up and face the reality.

This is the very last chance to make voices heard. Support the RLA campaign by lobbying your Councillors and making your opinion felt to the Folkestone Harbour Company, who wish to demolish everything under the banner of progress.

As a relocated Brummie I'm appalled at the way Folkestone and the harbour area have gone to rack and ruin.I first visited Folkestone 7 years ago when my son came down to live here as his wife came from the area. Strange as it may seem I felt @ home here and regular visits on birthdays and christmas's became the norm. I never felt like I wanted to go home. Then early retirement came and me and my wife new what we had to do. So we moved.It was a nice place and still is but the rot has to be stopped especially around the station area. To demolish this area would be an insult to the memory of those who left this area and gave their lives so that we could be free