On Friday 24th May, representatives from the SCRP were delighted to have been invited to see the Britannia Locomotive at the Rother Valley Railway.

The spectacular living and breathing, locomotive arrived via the Mainline Station at Robertsbridge and made the short link to the Rother Valley line to be on display and running short trips over the weekend.

The presence of the Britannia at Robertsbridge was to celebrate the completion of the Public Inquiry in 2021, and the recent  Secretary of State for Transport announcement where he decided to make the Order to enable completion of the railway.

The new link will be between the Rother Valley Railway at Robertsbridge and the Kent and East Sussex Railway which currently terminates at Bodiam.

The decision was warmly welcomed by Rother Valley Railway and their colleagues at Kent & East Sussex Railway, a ceremonial signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the parties took place to agree to complete the work that will essentially link up the Heritage railways with the SER mainline services.

There was a large crowd gathered to hear speeches from the Heritage Railways chairs as well as Huw Merriman, Lord Peter Hendy and John Smith (CEO of GB Railfreight).

Pictured, left to right, Andy Pope (line officer) Kevin Boorman (SCRP Director), James Abbott (1066 line chair, SCRP)