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Charing
Main building, platform 2 and road bridge in 2012
General information
Location	Charing, Ashford England
Grid reference	TQ950491
Managed by	Southeastern
Platforms	2
Other information
Station code	CHG
Classification	DfT category E
Key dates
1 July 1884	Opened
9 October 1961	Electrified
14 April 1984	Signal box closed
Passengers
2019/20	89,554
2020/21	26,234
2021/22	60,508
2022/23	75,588
2023/24	89,516
Notes Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Charing railway station serves the village of Charing in Kent, England. It is 53 miles 11 chains (85.5 km) down the line from London Victoria. The station, and all trains serving it, is operated by Southeastern.

The ticket office is staffed only during part of the day; at other times a PERTIS 'permit to travel' machine, located outside the station building on the 'down' side, suffices.

The next station eastwards (towards Ashford) used to be Hothfield; however, it was closed in 1959, although it remained a 'request' stop for railway staff throughout the 1960s.

History

The station was opened on 1 July 1884, as part of the London, Chatham and Dover Railway (LCDR) extension to Ashford West of the 1874 line to Maidstone, which itself was a branch off the LCDR's Sevenoaks branch of 1862, which joined the LCDR mainline of 1840 at Swanley. In the wake of 1955 British Rail Modernisation plan, the "Kent Coast Electrification" scheme saw the suburban electrification of the previous Southern Railway extended from Maidstone East through to Ashford. The goods yard comprised five sidings on the down side and one on the up side. It was taken over for military use during World War II. Electrification also saw the addition of a footbridge, but by 16 May 1964 freight operations ceased. Charing's signal box closed on 14 April 1984, when the upgraded Maidstone East Panel took control of the whole line.

Services

All services at Charing are operated by Southeastern using Class 375 and 377 EMUs.

The typical off-peak service in trains per hour is:

• 1 tph to London Victoria via Maidstone East
• 1 tph to Ashford International

Additional services, including trains to and from London Charing Cross call at the station during the peak hours.

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Lenham		SoutheasternKent Downs line		Ashford International
	Disused railways
Lenham		British Rail Southern Region Maidstone line		Hothfield

References

1. ^ "Kent Rail". p. 2. Retrieved 20 July 2008.
2. Butt 1995, p. 57.
3. Mitchell & Smith 1995, Historical Background.
4. Mitchell & Smith 1995, Charing.
5. Table 197 National Rail timetable, June 2024

Sources

• Butt, R. V. J. (October 1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199. OL 11956311M.
• Mitchell, Vic; Smith, Keith (1995). Swanley to Ashford. Midhurst: Middleton Press. ISBN 1-873793-45-6.

External links

• Train times and station information for Charing railway station from National Rail

51°12′29″N 0°47′24″E / 51.208°N 0.790°E / 51.208; 0.790

• Transport in the Borough of Ashford
• Railway stations in Kent
• DfT Category E stations
• Former London, Chatham and Dover Railway stations
• Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1884
• Railway stations served by Southeastern
• 1884 establishments in England