Railway 200 Events, Activities and Station Birthdays
A record of station birthdays and our events and activities taking place during this special year.
Please keep checking back as we will be updating this page as new events are added.
January
Station Birthdays: Kemsley, 1st January 1927, Sittingbourne 25th January 1858
Sittingbourne station’s birthday celebration, Saturday 25th January
February
Kent Downs Line Cycle Rails Celebration, Tuesday 18th February
Oasts and Orchards Walk, Paddock Wood, Thursday 20th February
Southeastern unveils the Railway 200 Networker, Tuesday 25th February
March
Station Birthdays: Halling, 1st March 1880
Cuxton and Ranscombe Farm Rail Ramble, Sunday 9th March
Charing to Harrietsham Rail Ramble, Friday 21st March
Community Rail Awards 2025 – “Outstanding Contribution to Community Rail”
April
Publication of our 2024/25 Annual Report
Annual Stakeholder Event, 30th April 2025
May
Station Birthdays: Tonbridge, 26th May 1842
We celebrated Tonbridge station’s birthday on Thursday 22nd May as part of Community Rail Week
Promotional stall at Faversham Festival of Transport, Saturday 17th & Sunday 18th May
June
Station Birthdays: Strood, 18 June 1856
Kemsing, Borough Green and Wrotham, West Malling, Barming, Maidstone East, 1st June 1874
Sheerness-on-Sea, 1st June 1883
East Malling, 1st June 1913
We celebrated Strood station’s birthday.
North Downs Way Rail Ramble, Kent Downs Line, 5th June
Rail Ramble as part of the Maidstone’s Big Day Out, Saturday 14th June
Strood station’s birthday, Wednesday 18th June
Verena Holmes celebration day – Southeastern, Monday 23rd June
July
Station Birthdays: Queenborough, 19th July 1860
Maidstone Barracks, 1st July 1874
Bearsted, Hollingbourne, Harrietsham, Lenham, Charing 1st July 1884
We celebrated Queenborough station’s birthday on Saturday 19th July
The Singing Train, with EKC Sheppey College choir, Thursday 3rd July
North Downs Way Rail Ramble, Kent Downs Line, Saturday 26th July
We were onboard Inspiration, the Railway 200 Exhibition Train at Margate on Sunday 20th and Monday 21st July
Promotional stall at the Maidstone River Festival, Saturday 26th July
August
Station Birthdays: Paddock Wood, 31st August 1842
We celebrated Paddock Wood station’s birthday on Thursday 28th August
We held a promotional Stall at Southeastern’s Ashford Depot Open Day, Sunday 24th August
September
Station Birthdays: Beltring, Yalding, Wateringbury, East Farleigh, Maidstone West, 25 September 1844
We will be celebrating Maidstone West station’s birthday on Thursday 25th September
Promotional stall at Medway’s Life in Miniature event, Wednesday 17th September
Launch of “Time Tunnel” decals at Ashford International, Friday 26th September
Southeastern retro Network SouthEast Networker tour in aid of Railway 200 charities, Saturday 27th September
Kent CRP History and Heritage Event, Criterion Centre, Bluetown, Sheerness, Sun 28th September
Railway 200 Education Experiences, Queenborough, September – October
October
The last “slam door” train operates on the Southeastern network, 7th October 2005
Railway 200 celebrations at the Signal Box Cafe at Hollingbourne station, Sunday 19th October
North Downs Way Rail Ramble, Medway Valley Line, Saturday 25th October
East Kent College Sheppey School Art Exhibition, Saturday 11th and Satuday 18th October
November
Station Birthdays: Swale, 25 November 1913
The body of the Unknown Warrior was transported from Dover to London in the Cavell Van, for burial in Westminster Abbey, 10th November 1920
December
Station Birthdays: Ashford International, 1 December 1842
New Hythe, 9 December 1929
First Class 465 Networker train enters service, 1 December 1992
We celebrated Ashford International station’s 183rd birthday on Monday 1st December
We launched Heath Farm School’s Nature Garden at Charing Station on Wednesday 3rd December
We unveiled our Colonel Stephens information board at Paddock Wood on Wednesday 17th December
Kent Community Rail Partnership shortlisted for Community Rail Awards 2026
Southeastern’s Railway 200 Celebration Highlights
Linda Brinklow’s Great Rail Tales Podcast – Celebrating Railway 200 on the Isle of Sheppey
Thank you for joining us to celebrate Railway200
Picture – Southeastern
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