Folkestone West railway station

Folkestone West railway station is one of two open railway stations in Folkestone in Kent, England. The station is operated by Southeastern.

The ticket office, in a room on the extensive 'up' side buildings on the London-bound platform, is manned only during part of the day; at other times a PERTIS 'permit to travel' machine, located outside the ticket office, suffices. The substantial 'down side' platform building is occupied as offices by Network Rail.

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 opened in 1863 as Shorncliffe Camp, initially with two platform faces either side of double track. In 1881 the station was rebuilt with two platform faces either side of four tracks. Sometime around 1887 a bay was added to the down platform as from 1887 to 1947 the station served as the southern terminus and interchange for the Elham Valley Railway with services to Canterbury. The station was altered during the 1960-61 Kent Coast Electrification as the line from Folkestone Central to near the site of Cheriton Junction was quadrupled. Following the opening of the Channel Tunnel and the loss of the boat train traffic, in 1994 the two centre tracks were removed.

In 2008 alterations were made on the north side of the station to provide car parking and coach loading bays, the latter in connection with the operation of the 'Orient Express' which until then operated from Folkestone Harbour Station.

Services
The off-peak service is:

Venice Simplon Orient Express transferred their services to a new facility at Folkestone West from their original location at Folkestone Harbour. VSOE runs two trains per week between the end of March and the beginning of November.
 * 1tph (trains per hour) to London St Pancras
 * 1tph to London Charing Cross, which run via Sevenoaks
 * 2tph to Dover Priory of which one continues to St Pancras via Ramsgate, Faversham and Chatham