Opened in 1856 by the South Eastern Railway, Cuxton was one of 5 stations on the northern half of the Medway Valley Line. Initially, It only had a single siding beside the line towards Strood.
The station building like many on the line was fairly unique. A mock Tudor design was chosen, similar but much smaller to that at Wateringbury. You can still see the hexagonal chimneys, and the stone window surrounds. The facilities on the Maidstone bound side were less opulent, being just a small wooden waiting shelter.
In 1931 a siding appeared beside the Maidstone bound line beyond the crossing, and a goods loop appeared just north of the station on the Strood bound side. This would be turned into a freight loop in 1961, but was eventually decommissioned in 1990, and no evidence of it remains.
The station building above sadly closed in 1989, but in recent years has been maintained and still is a fantastic building to look at, especially from platform 2.
This view from the 1961 footbridge shows the line towards Maidstone.
The lovely signal box above was opened in 1892, and is great to see still standing. However the manual barriers were replaced by automatic ones in the late 2010’s.
Freight is a regular sight on this line, mainly hauled by class 66 or 59 diesel locomotives, but you can see other classes on occasion. Railtours will also pass though at various times during the year.
I really enjoy vising Cuxton, although it is fairly quiet, the overall ambience of the station is very pleasant, and the addition of new waiting shelters and the planters give it a fresh look. For the enthusiast, sight lines are very good and usually there is good mix of freight to be enjoyed.
A video taken in 2021 is below :
Many thanks for reading, and remember if you can
“Get out there, Get on the railway and see where it takes you” (c)
Rainham Rail Enthusiast 