| Elham Valley Railway | |
|---|---|
 Railway bridge near Etchinghill, formerly used by the Elham Valley Railway | |
| Overview | |
| Status | lifted |
| Locale | Kent, England |
| Service | |
| Operator(s) | South Eastern Railway (1887–1899) South Eastern and Chatham Railway (1899–1923) Southern Railway (1923–1947) |
| History | |
| Commenced | 1884 |
| Opened | 4 July 1887 (Cheriton–Barham) 1 July 1889 (Barham–Canterbury) |
| Closed | 1 October 1947 |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 16.25 mi (26.15 km) |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge[1] |
The Elham Valley Railway was a line connecting Folkestone and Canterbury in Kent, England. It opened between 1887 and 1889 and closed in 1947.
The line was originally proposed by the independent Elham Valley Light Railway Company in the mid-19th century. After the project was cancelled owing to financial difficulties, it was revived by the South Eastern Railway who were competing with the rival London, Chatham and Dover Railway for railway traffic. The scheme was complicated by the imposing geography of the Elham Valley and the construction of two significant tunnels. The southern section from Cheriton to Barham opened in 1887, with the northern section to Canterbury opening two years later.
The Elham Valley Railway was never commercially successful as it passed through predominantly rural areas. During World War II it was appropriated by the War Department who used it for defence, including a large rail-mounted gun stationed on the line. After the conflict, the line passed back into civilian use, but the route now had competing bus traffic. A shuttle service from Folkestone to Lyminge was reinstated in 1946, but closed the following year; the remainder of the line never re-opened. Some of the railway has been demolished, including Elham railway station, but parts of the infrastructure including the two tunnels have survived. The history of the line is commemorated in a local museum.
- ^ Grant 2017, p. 186.