News
The Folkestone Remembrance Line faces a reality check
Posted by cj on Apr 26, 2010 - 07:45 AM
Filed under: Tourism, Have your say!
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Has The Remembrance Line lost sight of its main goal to restore Heritage rail services to Folkestone harbour? |
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By
CJ
The Remembrance Line Association (RLA) has to be commended
for trying to save the few remaining parts of Folkestone’s Heritage. The
Harbour Station and buildings dating from 1844 are due for demolition
under re-development plans by the Folkestone Harbour Company. |
© Hawkinge Gazette and Channel Coast News 201000 |
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Comments
While Folkestone harbour would benefit from a facelift, this should not mean an end of the railway line or heritage steam trains. The town's tourism figures could be boosted by retaining this important part of its past. Trams and cycle tracks represent a gentrification too far.Walk along the platform at Folkestone Harbour Station and sense the bustle of holidaymakers from the past, smell the steam from the locomotive meeting the ferry and listen for the footfalls of the troops crossing to France.Heritage cannot be destroyed;nor must Folkestone harbour station.
We now know from the public consultations that FHC have no plans to re-instate the railway or use the historic station in any other form... it will be demolished in the name of progress.
Some token form of Remembrance will be made to the troops of WW1, for which I suppose we must be grateful.
The track however, will become a Green Walkway into.... what ?
We still don't know and won't, potentially, for another 15 years. Make your voice heard to KCC, FHC, SDC and RLA... and Farrells, who seem to need some kind of guideance from the resident population... but will they listen ?
There is now very little left of Folkestone. Even the High Street has been sanitized, with the new shopfronts. It could have been built yesterday. It has now lost all its charm, it should have been refurbished sympathetically, in its original form, but the cheaper option was taken.
The idea of running weekly steam trains, with London andSouth Eastern media coverage, television and radio, would have generated much interest and income for the town.
When the original steam trains ran, it was only "insider" knowledge that formed the travellers. I lived in N. Kent until six years ago, and knew nothing of this service. Neither my brother, an avid railway enthusiast. I certainly would have made the trip two or three times a year.
I agree totally with Rodney's view. I wrote my original message in April 2010 and nothing has substantially changed in that time.
The RLA still talk amongst themselves about what will be .. telling each other how they will change the world and revitalise the harbour. Unfortunately they have failed to capitalise on initial sympathy, as a result of inept and unrealistic policies.
As to the Old High Street, it has to be one of the most difficult places to shop anywhere in the town. Try pushing a wheelchair up there against the cobbles and you need oxygen at the top.
However, since reality has hit even the FHC, at least the harbour vista appears to be safe from their bulldozers. Not so the seafront. RIP.
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