reconstructing The railway line between Bodiam & Robertsbridge
Join us on an historic journey to restore the missing rail link
Reconnecting Robertsbridge
Be part of our journey to preserve heritage and build the future
We need your help to raise £350,000, to provide an engine shed at Robertsbridge Junction.
This will enable us to offer a flexible service to those arriving at Robertsbridge to travel through the Rother Valley to visit the medieval castle at Bodiam and the beautiful market town of Tenterden, 13.5 miles away.
Lord Hendy lends personal support to Robertsbridge Station Building Appeal
Lord Peter Hendy, the former Chair of Network Rail, has lent his personal support to our Robertsbridge Junction Station Buildings Appeal, launched in December last year.
In a specially recorded video message for the Trust, which went live on 26 January 2026, Lord Hendy spoke of his lifelong support for heritage railways and in particular for the RVR project to reconnect the Kent & East Sussex Railway to the mainline railway at Robertsbridge
Objectives & Benefits
The Rother Valley Railway will create a transport link between the main line railway at Robertsbridge and popular attractions such as the National Trust’s Bodiam Castle and Tenterden, the “Jewel of the Weald”.
Public Transport Benefits
Visitors will be able to use the country’s public transport system to access the Kent & East Sussex Railway helping reduce traffic on local roads.
Bodiam Castle attracts 185,000 visitors a year and most arrive by car. Discounts to Bodiam Castle are offered to those who use public transport.
Hourly services run between London Charing Cross and Hastings seven days a week. The journey from London is 1.3 hours and from Hastings 23 minutes.
Economic Benefits
The Robertsbridge “gateway” will create a new larger tourist catchment area. Tenterden is the largest town in Kent without a railway connection to the main line.
For each £1.00 spent, the restored railway would attract additional spending locally – an effect known as a final micro-multiplier.
Increased passenger numbers create local jobs, approximately 6 new employees for evert 20,000 railway passengers gained.
What Rother Valley Railway has Already achieved
Working towards a 3.5-mile long rail link restoration project.
