Burmarsh Road railway station
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Burmarsh Road
A freight train for New Romney passes the platforms
Location
Place	East Dymchurch
Local authority	Shepway
Operations
Managed by	RHDR
Platforms in use	2
History
16 July 1927	Opened
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Coordinates: 51°02′10″N 1°00′15″E / 51.0360, 1.0042 Burmarsh Road railway station is a station on the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway in Kent, England. It is four miles south of Hythe.

History

Officially opened on 16 July 1927, this station was then called Burmarsh for East Dymchurch and was equipped with two platforms, a booking office, a waiting room, and possibly a signal box (historical accounts vary on this last point). Later the station name was changed to Dymchurch Bay. Traffic levels fell sharply after world war two, and the station was eventually reduced in status to a halt and again renamed as Burmarsh Road Halt. It closed in 1948, re-opened in 1950, but finally closed again at the end of that same year, when the station buildings were demolished. However, it was again re-opened in 1977 as one of the stops on the school train service, transporting local children to Southlands Comprehensive School in New Romney.

Today

Since that time Burmarsh Road station has found a new lease of life. Officially it is listed on the Railway's ticket-issuing computer systems as a station (not a halt), but the only trains to call here are the school service trains, and private charter trains. However, the general public are permitted to travel on the school train service on certain off-season days of the year, meaning that it is still possible to board trains, and alight from them, at this station.

Facilities

Today there are no surviving station buildings, although in November 2007 Burmarsh Road saw its first fabric upgrade since re-opening in 1977, when the 'down' platform (which had become very uneven) was completely resurfaced. There are still two platforms, and the 'up' platform remains very much in need of similar resurfacing. There are electrical cabinets and control panels installed at the station, for operation of the lights and barriers of Burmarsh Road level crossing, together with closed circuit television cameras and recording equipment. The only other significant structure is a memorial to a train driver killed here in 2003 (see below).

Future Expansion

Following the 2007 facilities upgrade, with platform resurfacing, the railway's General Manager has now confirmed press speculation that Burmarsh Road station may see further expansion in coming years.¹ If funding is secured for the building of a multiple-unit shuttle train, a regular passenger service may resume.

Fatal accident

Burmarsh Road station was the site of a fatal accident in August 2003, in which engine driver Kevin Crouch lost his life. A local woman whose car had failed to stop for flashing level crossing lights was later convicted on a charge of careless driving.

References

Preceding station	Heritage railways			Following station
Hythe		RHDR		Dymchurch

v • d • e Stations of the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway Open stations Hythe · Burmarsh Road · Dymchurch · St Mary's Bay · Warren Halt · New Romney · Romney Sands · Dungeness Closed stations Prince of Wales Halt · Botolph's Bridge Halt · Golden Sands Halt · Greatstone Dunes · War Department Halt · Lade · The Pilot Inn · Britannia Points Halt Proposed stations Sandling Junction · Sandling Park · Nickolls Quarry railway station

The memorial to driver Kevin Crouch at Burmarsh Road level crossing

No. 2 Northern Chief heading for Dymchurch

Trains passing on the Dymchurch side of the station