Cranbrook and Tenterden Light Railway

With the opening of the South Eastern Main Line between Tonbridge and Ashford in 1842; the railway between Ashford and Hastings in 1851, and the railway between Tonbridge and Hastings in stages between 1845 and 1853, a large tract of the High Weald in Kent and East Sussex was left devoid of railways. In 1892, the Hawkhurst Branch Line was opened to Goudhurst. It was extended to Hawkhurst the following year. The South Eastern Railway (SER) planned a line to link Cranbrook, Tenterden and Ashford. These plans were abandoned by the SER but were taken up by the Rother Valley Railway (RVR) in November 1898 and promoted as the Cranbrook, Tenterden and Ashford Light Railway. The SER opposed the section of line from Tenterden to Ashford and this was dropped by the RVR. Construction of the Cranbrook and Tenterden Light Railway was authorised by the Cranbrook and Tenterden Light Railway Order 1899 in December 1899.

In 1900, the RVR opened as far as a station at Rolvenden, which was then known as Tenterden. The only part of the Cranbrook and Tenterden Light Railway ever built was the section between the original Tenterden station and Tenterden Town. This opened to traffic on 15 April 1903. On 4 January 1954, this section of line closed to passengers along with the rest of the K&ESR. It remained open for freight until 12 June 1961 when the remaining section of the K&ESR closed, apart from a short section at Robertsbridge. On 3 February 1974, the section of line between Tenterden Town and Rolvenden reopened as part of the preserved K&ESR.