Rother Valley Railway

Lord Peter Hendy lends his personal support to the Rother Valley Railway - Robertsbridge Station Buildings Appeal

EXCITING NEWS: we’ve received a powerful endorsement for both this project and, importantly, our Station Buildings Appeal from one of the most respected figures in rail. Below is the text of a press release issued at 12noon today:-

“Lord Peter Hendy, the former Chair of Network Rail, has lent his personal support to the Rother Valley Railway Heritage Trust’s £350,000 Buildings Appeal, launched in December last year. In a specially recorded video message for the Trust, which went live today (26 January 2026), Lord Hendy spoke of his lifelong support for heritage railways and in particular for the RVR project to reconnect the Kent & East Sussex Railway to the mainline railway at Robertsbridge.

The five-minute highly personal message encourages donations to the Buildings Appeal to help complete what he describes as a ‘brilliant’ project that is close to his heart, and which represents a “gargantuan effort” by all concerned.

After highlighting the immense amount of work completed to date and the importance of creating the final buildings at Robertsbridge Junction, Lord Hendy said that the reinstated line: ‘Connects real places … and we should just get it done’.

He goes on to explain that having a dedicated locomotive shed would ensure that visiting engines and trains could use the line and would: “bring people, drive revenue and make the railway successful”. The appeal, he says, is therefore well worth supporting with as large a donation as people can afford.”

Many of you have already donated — your generosity is the reason we’re as far along as we are. But if you’ve been meaning to donate and were waiting for the right moment… this is that moment. Every donation, whatever size, takes us closer to the dream we all share: reopening the line to Robertsbridge in 2028.

Links to Lord Peter Hendy's appeal video are at the RVR website appeals page - just click on 'play appeal video' :

https://www.rvr.org.uk/fundraising/


Please do feel free to spread this, or the alternative utube link below far and wide!! :-

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Thanks

Mike Hart