Appeal for pictures and memories for 60th anniversary of electric trains coming to east Kent coast towns

Published: 06:00, 21 May 2021

The 60th anniversary of electric trains coming to east Kent have sparked an appeal for pictures and memories.

Network Rail, councils and dignitaries from towns along the Ramsgate to Folkestone line will celebrate the milestone on July 2 with a special ceremony in Sandwich.

The first electric trains stopped at Deal in July 1961

Together they have formed a Community Rail Partnership to mark the occasion and Deal not-for-profit group The History Project is spearheading the public engagement aspect of the celebration.

George Chittenden, co-founder of The History Project, said: "Can you remember the old steam trains in Deal? Perhaps you have fond memories, photographs or a story to share?

"Can you remember when the electric trains arrived? Maybe even your first journey on one of them? We would love to hear from you."

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He hopes the oral accounts will add historical colour and contextualise what was a pioneering time for both public transport and the environment.

He added: "Nowadays we all live with the escalating issue of climate change, so concerns about unnecessary carbon dioxide emissions have never been so high.

"Electric trains first arrived in our town 60 years ago, and with them they brought huge changes to an industry and even allowed equality amongst the staff teams who operated them..."

"Everywhere we look we can see governments and industries coming up with novel and imaginative ideas as they strive to tackle this huge problem which affects us all, and will continue to affect our children and their children for many years to come.

"One area of particular concern is the transport industry, responsible for putting billions of tonnes of carbon dioxide per year into the atmosphere.

"Understandably the motor industry is struggling to get this down, and we can see this all around us as manufacturers switch to a far more environmentally friendly method of propelling vehicles, electricity.

"Road vehicles actually make up about 74.5 percent of carbon dioxide emissions, so it’s understandable why the industry needs to get this figure down, but there is one particular transport industry that jumped on the band wagon, excuse the pun, of electric vehicles many, many years ago and in fact this year marks a very special anniversary.

"Amazingly trains account for an absolutely miniscule 1% of all transport emissions, but of course it wasn’t always that way.

And 50 years and two months after the first electric train stopped at Deal, the first High Speed Javelin pulled in (Picture September 2011).

"Electric trains first arrived in our town 60 years ago, and with them they brought huge changes to an industry and even allowed equality amongst the staff teams who operated them.

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"Surprisingly, up until the arrival of electric trains women were not employed to work on the railways as shovelling coal was considered men’s work. Thankfully though times have changed."

The History Project is known for bringing the past back to life for adults and children.

Run by Mr Chittenden and fellow co-founder Pete Fishlock, they put on school workshops and community events to educate people of all ages.

They use multimedia like film to impart their knowledge and during the pandemic have delivered fascinating talks to digital audiences with the help of new volunteer Sharon Powell.

Sandwich Train Station where the celebration will be held.

A link with the railway was forged when they took over the space above Deal Train Station which they are transforming into a history hub, yet to be launched.

If you have a memory or photographs to share, contact them at thehistoryproject@yahoo.com or phone 07513276006.