Maidstone's Railways
Maidstone inhabitants were reportedly bitterly opposed to the railways built in the 1840s, mainly due to the expectation that Maidstone would suffer as a commercial town, with corn and coal merchants being the worst affected.
However, it turned out that Maidstone was inadequately served by the initial railways anyway: In 1842, the South Eastern Railway laid its main line through Tonbridge and Ashford, some 9.7km (6 miles) to the south, and a station named Maidstone Road was constructed at Paddock Wood, an isolated spot from where coaches ran to the town.
Two years later a branch line was built to Maidstone, followed in 1846 by another (the Medway Valley Line) connecting the town with Strood. It was not until 1874 and 1884 that the town received rail connections to London and Ashford respectively.
In 1905 a railway was sanctioned to link Maidstone with the Kent & East Sussex Railway. However, the only part of this Headcorn & Maidstone Junction Light Railway that ever materialized was a short branch serving the paper mills at Tovil.
These days the town has three stations: Maidstone West and Maidstone Barracks on the Medway Valley Line (whose platforms are visible from one and other); and Maidstone East on the Ashford line.
