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Folkestone Central
View taken in the 1990s before the up platform (on the left) was closed and all trains use the down platform (on the right).
General information
Location	Folkestone, Folkestone & Hythe England
Grid reference	TR220362
Managed by	Southeastern
Platforms	2
Other information
Station code	FKC
Classification	DfT category C1
Key dates
1 September 1884	Opened as "Cheriton Arch"
September 1886	Renamed "Radnor Park"
1 June 1895	Renamed "Folkestone Central"
Passengers
2019/20	1.031 million
Interchange	11,123
2020/21	0.268 million
Interchange	2,144
2021/22	0.683 million
Interchange	7,455
2022/23	0.812 million
Interchange	15,263
2023/24	0.903 million
Interchange	17,044
Notes Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Folkestone Central railway station is on the South Eastern Main Line in England, and is the main station serving the town of Folkestone, Kent. It is 69 miles 73 chains (112.5 km) down the line from London Charing Cross. All trains that call are operated by Southeastern.

History

The South Eastern Main Line reached Folkestone in 1843, with a station being opened at Folkestone Junction (Folkestone East) on 18 December 1843. Folkestone West was then opened in 1863, with a station named Cheriton Arch being provided between the two on 1 September 1884. The name Radnor Park was adopted in 1886, and for a few years with just two platform faces, the station was rebuilt in 1890 to add a bay. The station was renamed Folkestone Central in 1895.

The station was rebuilt at the time of the route's electrification in 1961 with two island platforms, linked by a subway and with ramps leading up from the ticket office and concourse, which is itself above street level (an approach road and accompanying pedestrian ramp leads up from Cheriton Road). In 1999 one island platform was abandoned, along with the subway; the platform has not been demolished, although all buildings have been removed.

Services to and from Dover Priory were suspended on 24 December 2015 due to major damage to the track and sea wall near Dover harbour caused by strong winds & tidal surges. A replacement bus service was operation between the two stations, along with a modified timetable whilst repair work was carried out. A new £44.5 million viaduct was constructed to replace the old rail embankment and sea wall. The line reopened on 5 September 2016, as the work progressed faster than originally anticipated.

Services

All services at Folkestone Central are operated by Southeastern using Class 375 and 395 EMUs.

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

• 1 tph to London St Pancras International
• 1 tph to London Charing Cross via Tonbridge
• 2 tph to Dover Priory of which 1 continues to Ramsgate

During the peak hours, there are also services to and from London Cannon Street and there is also 1 train per day to London Victoria.

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Folkestone West		SoutheasternSouth Eastern Main Line		Dover Priory
		SoutheasternHigh Speed 1
	Disused railways
Folkestone West Line and station open		British Rail Southern Region South Eastern Main Line		Folkestone East Line open, station closed
				Folkestone Warren Halt Line open, station closed
Folkestone WestLine and station open		South Eastern and Chatham RailwayFolkestone Harbour Branch		Folkestone HarbourLine and station closed

References

1. ^ "Folkestone Central". Retrieved 9 October 2008.
2. Body, Geoffrey. PSL Field Guide – Railways of the Southern Region (1984), pages 96–97. Patrick Stephens Ltd, Cambridge. ISBN 0-85059-664-5
3. "Railway between Dover Priory and Folkestone Central closed after damage to sea wall"Network Rail Media Centre 27 December 2015; Retrieved 5 February 2016
4. "Dover to Folkestone railway expected to reopen in December" Archived 13 April 2016 at the Wayback MachineNetwork Rail press release; Retrieved 8 April 2016
5. "Dover to Folkestone railway to reopen on Monday, 5 September, three months ahead of schedule."Network Rail press release 22 August 2016; Retrieved 25 August 2016
6. Table 194, 207 National Rail timetable, December 2021

External links

51°04′58″N 1°10′11″E / 51.0827°N 1.1697°E / 51.0827; 1.1697

• Train times and station information for Folkestone Central railway station from National Rail

• Transport in Folkestone and Hythe
• Railway stations in Kent
• DfT Category C1 stations
• Former South Eastern Railway (UK) stations
• Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1884
• Railway stations served by Southeastern
• Folkestone