The idea was to celebrate the anniversary of the first trains to run on the Marshlink line.
Research conducted by Line Officer Paul Bromley and Line Chair Kevin Boorman revealed that the line opened on 13 February 1851 when the first Marshlink trains ran from Ashford to Hastings.
Several stations on the line, including Rye, opened on that day.
The aim was to provide a celebration in the form of a small party at Rye to mark the 174th anniversary of the line and tie in to the national Railway 200 event for 200 years of the modern railways since 1825.
Southern’s station manager gave the go-ahead for an event in the waiting room at Rye to be held on 13 February 2025.
Red, white and blue bunting (left over from the Coronation) was repurposed to decorate the public area. Special Railway 200 cupcakes and chocolates were provided for guests.
Paul arranged several display boards with old photographs of the stations on the line to provide some historical interest and Kevin brought along his collection of station signs for railway memorabilia.
Rye’s town crier opened the event with a special railway-themed cry and Rye’s Mayor spoke about the importance of the railway line to the community.
Guests included Southern Railway staff, a member of the Railway 200 steering group, community representatives, station volunteers from along the line and rail enthusiasts from across Sussex.
The result was a well-attended event enjoyed by the participants. It was a true celebration of the local communities and their contribution to the ongoing success of the rail route.
The railway-themed speeches and refreshments gave it some context as part of the wider network of celebratory events.
Specially-designed feedback forms in the shape of railway tickets added to the occasion.
Paul organised external publicity with a news release, photos and videos.
ITV Meridian News ran a short report the night after the event and the Hastings Observer used the submitted report and photo for a half-page feature. Rye News gave the story good coverage and included a separate feature about the railways in the town using photos from the local museum. The full video of the event was uploaded to SCRP’s YouTube channel.
“A very enjoyable and well-organised event. Thanks to Paul Bromley and the Community Rail team”
“An excellent do! Keep up all the great work - Marshlink is vital to the Rye community”