Southeast Communities Rail Partnership jointly held a party with the Spa Valley Railway at Eridge Station on 3 August to celebrate the Sussex station’s 153 birthday, and to thank all who have been involved in the station’s amazing upgrade. The partnership laid on music courtesy of a ‘super’ busker, locally produced refreshments and Spa Valley Railway offered a free round trip to invitees.
Work at the station has included a new footbridge, total renovations of platform and buildings, internal and external decoration, new waiting room, new platform furniture, new station partners, amazing artwork, new heritage signage, and even new door handles. There is still more to come with work on the installation of the lift gaining momentum day by day.
Guests included local residents, the Parish Council, contractors, GTR/Southern, Network Rail, BAM Nuttall, Railfuture with special guests Paul Childs of the Railway Heritage Trust – without whom the waiting room renovation may not have been able to be completed, and David Peacock the local artist who was commissioned by Rotherfield Parish Council to design the fabulous artwork that graces the end of the platform buildings.
The afternoon ended with the blow of a whistle as happy guests joined the heritage train to enjoy a round trip to Spa Valley’s Tunbridge Wells West station.