Swale - Least Used Station in Kent

[@EREJones]

I'm finding Swale to be quite beautiful in a kind of brutal way, what with that road bridge and the last trails of fog. Surprised it hasn't been used in film at some point.

[@danielrose881]

Top Gear, specifically Richard Hammond, filmed there with the lift bridge in the background before the newer bridge was built. A little further on near the next stop at Queenborough, the car chase sequence in the Ray Winstone remake of The Sweeney, which I found amusing to watch, as the road they used is quite short, but that sequence makes it look like it goes on for miles!

[@yungak9123]

I have Kingsferry Bridge In a couple videos on my page 🤷‍♂️

[@BlueAxeRacer]

This series is surprisingly addictive.

[@LoganSpooner]

I agree... I might have ended up watching like 5 episodes once it came in my recommended

[@thatguyshawzy]

@@LoganSpooner Ive watched like 20 lol.

[@sweasq8203]

Yeah That's right

[@JoesCallingAt...]

Well predicted 😂😂😂

[@pauldawilliams]

I grew up in Sittingbourne, and used to stop at Swale to go fishing. Love this channel and your work for Londonist.

[@TDPAviationAndGaming]

I live on the line, and I've never got off at Swale, thank you for saving me the trouble.

[@RoSi4You]

I will be.

[@johnm2012]

The lifting bridge is only a short walk away and is worth a visit, as you can see in the video. Then back to Swale for the next train to Sheerness to look out across the estuary and hope the SS Richard Montgomery doesn't decide to explode that day.

[@dale1552]

No idea how I found this video but I'm a conductor for SE and swale is one of my routes! Very rare to get anyone boarding! Also the first conductor (female) was my conductor instructor..

[@CallingAllStations]

Assuming that one bridge worker works a 5 day week and is entitled to 28 days holiday. He/she alone accounts for just over 11% of it's usage on his/her own! (Using the 2016 stats). Do you think the train crew get just as excited about picking up passengers at these low usage stations?... I know I would...

[@kostyapesterew1068]

what if there are just 9 bridge workers?

[@lohphat]

How are usage data collected if there are no fare gates?

[@bjornmundt5801]

Every passenger guaranties their job.

[@AlexEwan1]

@@lohphat Via ticket sales

[@2themoon863]

After that drop from 5000 to 3900+, the numbers have increased every year; last year (2019-20) it was over 8000!

[@dereham1]

I love that the good people of Swale are served by a fully-intergrated public transport system (superb station and bus-stop combo).

[@bigbazzaRUFC]

all 5 people lol

[@beeble2003]

There are no "people of Swale". "Swale" is the name of the river the bridge crosses. As he mentions in the video, the nearest town is Iwade but most of Iwade is closer to Kemsley station than to Swale. And, in terms of accessibility, it's possible to park near Kemsley (though, in reality, you'd probaby drive to Sittingbourne) and there's a footpath if you want to walk there (though it's a couple of miles from Iwade).

[@OneKnifeYeHand]

But the passenger figures show about 10 passengers per day. Even if the bridge guy worked 365/year, there would still be some "ghost" passengers, meaning that probably people from Iwade use this station.

[@chrisw443]

jesus, here in america we got a train line that barely runs and people are jumping over each other to get on cause the service is so spotty, yet there you got spot on service to a field a dirt bus stop and a bridge. I WANT THAT PROBLEM

[@NicholasElliott]

" spot on service to a field a dirt bus stop" LOL

[@vincitveritas3872]

Virgin is starting passenger services in USA. Maybe he puts passenger service expertise to use there and the USA make rail freight great again here in UK. We only have trainload freight. I want wagon load and speed link back

[@MrBoombastic1]

Calm down Boomer

[@greek9244]

Lmaoooooo

[@untoldtales7850]

I use Swale fairly regularly :) I live further south in Kent and, as I don’t drive, my parents and grandparents find it much easier to collect me/drop me at Swale rather than Sheerness or Sittingbourne. I use Queenborough sometimes - usually unmanned but there is one lovely lady there part time that seems to be the only person hired for it.

[@DavidB5501]

I was going to ask what the name 'Swale' means, but I looked it up instead. Apparently 'swale' is a geographical term for a low-lying strip of land or a drainage ditch, and the name Swale in Kent refers specifically to the strip of water between mainland Kent and the Isle of Sheppey, and the district around it.

[@tdcattech]

Surprisingly entertaining (given that it's about a dead station). You always do nice production and editing Geoff.

[@ifredfully3107]

Geoff Marshall this series?

[@casualonion]

I really like this series.

[@Witherd02]

casual onion same can't wait until they do Inverclyde, Scotland!

[@casualonion]

Witherd02 MG My nearest is Darnall. It's a bit grim.

[@cokecansandwinglets5783]

I can't find Inverclyde.

[@casualonion]

TheDeltaFlyer It's in Scotland.

[@Witherd02]

TheDeltaFlyer i know, if he dose do it the least used station would be Bogston

[@RatelHBadger]

This is the most fascinating "least used" I've seen. A lot of the other stations can be justifies by a small village nearby or something. But Swale just seems to be a connection for people who may have historically worked on the construction of the bridges and later their maintenance.

[@voxley19]

I have been to Swale twice in recent months when doing my KZbin walking videos of the Saxon Shore Way. On both occasions there were other people at the station. Hope you're planning to go to Corrour in Scotland one day as Britain's remotest railway station- its quite well used by walkers/Munro baggers which is why I've been there.

[@ya-boi-cblyth7448]

voxley19 rannoch moor is the most remote i believe

[@JasonCoulls]

Oh wow. I used to commute that route from Faversham, through Sittingbourne, Chatham, Rochester to London 20 years ago. It brought back memories of what was out the window.

[@LeeRender1980]

I can answer the issue shown on the timetable poster in regards to the coding relating to the Victoria service - it’s related to the internal ‘Network Rail timetable change periods’. The constant is the ‘b’ - change at Sittingbourne - however as this poster was done from May to December it encompasses the leaf-fall timetable data - creating ‘dated trains’ and when the system used to generate SE’s posters it generates the ‘b’ codes for all services and then due to the ‘dated’ trains, puts the two sets of times together with the period of operation with the ‘change at..’ suffixed to the period. Having previously generated A to Z posters myself in the industry, two schools of thought usually occur when creating a first run but reliant on manual editing once the poster is generated 1. Have a standard headline for the Victoria section ‘Change at Sittingbourne for London Victoria’ and have the ‘dated’ train codes but none of this ‘change at Sittingbourne’ shown as a code 2. As Victoria is shown for connectional purposes and no direct ones run from Swale, remove the entry for Victoria. However, many TOCs now farm poster production so there’s no direct control to do niceties and therefore usually data generated, set, printed and posted.

[@AlteranAnciote]

Nice to see my local station featured. I'm referring to Bromley South, of course. Not Swale. :P

[@DD-qq8sn]

Video just came up in the suggested list. I used to get the train to Swale reasonably regularly (25 years ago-ish), as it was the nearest place to get to the plasterboard factory. I don't even know if that is still there, but if you get to doing a series about longest buildings, the Knauf factory would have to be in there somewhere. As someone mentioned, it is also local to Ridham Dock. When I used it, it was a 'request stop', one of only a couple of places you had to tell the driver if you wanted to get off there from Sittingbourne and put your hand out to stop it if going back to Sittingbourne.

[@arazzzzzzz6382]

I have no idea why this was suggested to me but I'm glad I found it. I'm from Sheerness and I'm surprised that there's that many people that use Swale! I think a few change there as it is closest station to Ridham Docks however it is very rare you ever see someone use it.

[@eey-bee]

Not sure why this video was recommended by YT, but so glad it was. Fascinating!

[@eey-bee]

Have been - loving the videos! :)

[@danielrose881]

Re, 'how does this station get 5k visits?' - I live not too far from Swale station, (but much closer to Kemsley station) and whilst it's most certainly desolate around there, under the bridge, then along the estuary bank is quite a bit of industry and even a shipping dock. It's a grim walk in winter, but those without a car have got to get to work! Also, on the other side of the lift bridge is a huge nature reserve, popular with bird watchers, you can even sleep over in specially built huts. Just on the other side of the road to the bus stop shown in the video is a jetty into the water, popular for both fishing and water skiing. On the other side of the track is a small boat yard. If bleak is your thing, Swale will be right up your street! The rest of us get off at Sittingbourne!

[@thetraincrazykid]

Kemsley used to be my local station, now Gravesend & Ebbsfleet International is. You spend more time waiting at Sittingbourne, than it takes to get from there to Kemsley, or Swale!

[@k.r.baylor8825]

What a great adventure! Bouncing around SE England on the SE'rn trains, with your witty commentary, while sitting here at work in the US. I can feel the cold December damp, having experienced it many times in London. Make more of these outside-London railway adventure videos, Geoff; they are brilliant and a nice UK travel diversion.

[@utleysos8203]

I just found your channel Geoff, and I must say I'm really enjoying it! You include great info in your videos which makes them interesting and then the videography is also great, which makes them fun to watch. Thanks so much for the great content!

[@Noobleton1]

Just over a year after you filmed this, my club did a run from the car park opposite the station. The weather was not quite as pleasant (snow). The only residents within walking distance on this side of the bridge are a few farmers. Enjoying this channel, having only just discovered it :)

[@Thirdeariespace]

Wow! I was invited to a wedding in September, and had I not taken the bus instead, I'd have actually been getting off at Swale! The wedding was beautifully situated inside the Elmley Natural Nature Reserve, well worth visiting and just over the bridge from the station.

[@jessicakenny1768]

Geoff Marshall you are a national treasure 🙌 Another wholesome, entertaining and informative video.

[@73APhotography]

Great video - it's been out for 20 seconds and I've DEFINITELY watched the whole thing XD

[@pranav4450]

Wow it's the kind of station I'd like to come to in a Saturday morning just sitting there and admiring the cars and trains

[@asd36f]

Came across this video via a recommendation - will have to watch more. Swale reminds me of the Vineyard station on the Hawkesbury Line in Sydney, a couple of stops down from my station Windsor. The platform is in the middle of nowhere, unattended, and only has 120 passengers a day using it.

[@TheWorldofGood79]

Loved this video. The Isle of Sheppey is one of the strangest but coolest places I have ever been to.

[@jerviservi]

OMG. That is exactly where The Hunted S2 Ended. Though I knew that bridge. The station being here is probally why they used the jetty under the brige as the extraction point.

[@JoshyFre2003]

Thomas Jarvis Yes! I'm glad someone else picked up on that!

[@TheJononator]

I can't say because I don't watch *unted

[@Witherd02]

Thomas Jarvis most haunted?

[@jerviservi]

Nope. Hunted, the show where 12 people go on the run for a month without getting caught by dectives and spies who have access to everything, Search it on channel 4 on demand if you want to see.

[@weirdskyfan6428]

The first series was good. Second series went a bit Channel Five.

[@speedbird227]

Swale / noun "a low or hollow place, especially a marshy depression between ridges." Seems fitting.

[@mtw227]

*Maybe* thats why they got the name from

[@Salguod1972]

I use that line regularly and think it's about a mile from iwade so that makes up the rest of the people using it I think.Your channel is the best on KZbin 👍👍

[@DavidNewmanDr]

You can walk from Swale to Ridham Dock and what used to be the Bowater Paper Mill. I used to pick up my dad from Ridham Dock. He was a Trinity House pilot. And from the paper mill, there was a narrow guage line to Sittingbourne, part of which is now the Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway.

[@tpfootballanalysis6752]

Hey Geoff this is my favourite series on your channel. Do the least used station of every county in England or at least used station in the whole of england which is Shippea Hill in Cambridgeshire

[@Lemonaitor]

Yeah ^^ can this become a series of sorts, least used in every county

[@tango602]

Least used in Cornwall would definitely be interesting, Coombe Junction Halt which was used by 48 people in 2015/16

[@AlastairjCarruthers]

Least used in each county would make for an interesting series, but might be a bit of an undertaking for poor Geoff. I believe the least used station in my home county, Cumbria, is Nethertown. It's positively heaving compared to Shippea Hill and Coombe Junction Halt (almost two passengers per day!) but it is moderately scenic.

[@AlastairjCarruthers]

It's just occurred to me - those two passengers a day could easily be just one person going to work!

[@Inkyminkyzizwoz]

Well, it does only have a Saturday service!

[@nthglasScotland]

Pity you did not give us a tour of Queensborough, as I know a lovely gent there, & it is a nice place.

[@joshm3059]

Loving these type of vlogs!

[@Rog5446]

I remember when Swale was 'Swale Halt' and if you think there's nothing there now, it was even more desolate then. This begs a question, is a halt classed as a station? When it was a halt, it was just a short wooden stage with a sign, no lights or anything else.

[@TheSoongish]

Came back to revisit this from the latest video on Kemsing. Was scrolling around the area on Google Maps and spotted the line branching left, just north of Queenborough, leading to an industrial estate. Seems like an old abandoned section of track perhaps?

[@TheSoongish]

@@geofftech2 Very Cool! Sometimes love looking over old maps, and then spotting some remnants of what used to be.

[@NewcastleFlyer]

You should do Tees Valley Airport, the least used in the whole country with 16 passengers a year. There is one train a week on Sundays in each direction from Newcastle-Darlington and back

[@paulwhitear4983]

There's an rspb reserve about 10-15 minutes walk away, so some people might use the station for that. A bus runs to Shereness one an hour from Maidstone.

[@rnosibZ57]

Nice to know you are on Southeastern and also the train you was on to Sittingbourne probably terminated at Ramsgate.

[@rnosibZ57]

***** Yeah

[@Teverell]

At the 2:15 point you can see it's going to call at Whitstable, so it'll be the one terminating at Ramsgate (Whitstable, Chestfield & Swalecliffe, Herne Bay, Birchington-on-Sea, Westgate-on-Sea, Margate, Dumpton Park and Dover Priory). I used to be able to recite all the stations to both Dover Priory and Ramsgate from London Victoria because I took the train regularly between London and Gillingham.

[@HSTfan]

8:13 that's the meeting point under the bridge from the end of the Hunted series!

[@joannegray5138]

The paternal side of my lineage lives on Sheppey and when I was little, we used to spend a week or two down there in the summer. We used to train it from Hartlepool (changing at York and King's Cross, if I remember correctly) - two adults, me and the dog and I remember the train stopping at Swale Halt for a minute or two, but nobody ever got on or off there, so even in the mid 70s, it wasn't well used.

[@db20987db]

I was going to leave a comment on your Doleham video saying you should do one on Swale.. and here it is!

[@matthewb6916]

Swale looks like a nice station. I prefer London Bridge but that's just me. I love this series of videos, looking forward to seeing more of them! Cheers, Matt

[@ActNormalKid]

Loving this series, Geoff!

[@stargatefreek0275]

I was a regular user of the Swale station as it was easier to get picked up and dropped off there instead of Queenbrough when traveling to work from Minster. I work in Sittingbourne.

[@RonaldEllis]

I got on and off at Swale at couple of years ago when I was walking the coast. Even saw the bridge go up.

[@rickyzuc]

Loving these least used video's. I could be wrong but i'm pretty sure 'Sudbury & Harrow Road' station is the least used in London. If so, would be a good one to visit.

[@jamielnash5049]

No it's not now coz new least used station in London is now south Acton

[@markt1387]

Did this route the other day. Actually saw three people getting on at Swale!

[@PoisonedAl]

Compared to the likes of Shippea Hill, this station is busy.

[@mattthetrucker85]

Great video.... my grandfather used to lift the bridge many years ago.

[@IainG81]

This is still one of my favorites after all this time. Least Used Swale.

[@k.r.baylor8825]

This vid goes to a memory of me in December 2016 being in a new lonely apartment in Washington, DC, with only my mobile phone to keep me company. This vid came up on my YT feed and I had to watch it, lying on a couch in my chilly and barely furnished room. The vid was a warm feeling of civilization in the middle of nowhere...

[@rodneymarshall3688]

Geoff, I love your videos; I just cannot understand how someone can prefer tea to coffee.

[@michaelstup]

When I did the Sittingbourne run last year, when the train stopped at swale a young girl with a baby-buggy got off, I did wonder where she went 'cos your right there is nothing there!

[@user-qd7vn1zz5i]

love these so much Geoff. If you ever make it down to Devon to go to Chapleton, the least used station here (last time I checked that is) then give us a message, it's very close to where I live!

[@oliverbanks3396]

That bridge is amazing. Was lucky enough to see it raise when I visited

[@SiVlog1989]

Just looked up the most remote station in the UK, Corrour Station in the West Highlands of Scotland (it is also the highest above sea level in the country too) any plans to go there?

[@AwesomeX04ThePro]

sbaker190189 how many passengers per year

[@SiVlog1989]

AwesomeX04 for 2015/16 the station recorded 11,156 passengers using it :)

[@elsviec]

I love everything you do, man (also Merry Christmas).

[@amywoodxo5409]

Wow I didn't expect swale to be least used in Kent I would of expected like queenbrough or sheerness Great Video xx

[@DanielAdamBell1977]

I wonder what percentage of those 5000 journeys are the bridge operators? If one person alone worked 300 days a year (accounting for sickness and holiday etc.) that makes 600 round journeys. That's 12%, from one person!

[@Inkyminkyzizwoz]

I think with a walk-on ticket you'd be allowed to break your journey anyway, so there being a gate wouldn't matter. It's only Advance tickets where you can't, since they're valid for a specific train only

[@sanitychek]

A few pointers. First, it was called Swale Halt well into the 80s, and was in part a place for trains to stop and wait when the bridge went up. Second, it used to mainly see dockers for Ridham Dock, when that was more in use an thriving. They'd live either in Sittingbourne or Sheerness (which also has a dock) and commute to work. Now, what few remain tend to use their cars. Third, it gets boatists at the weekend, I guess it's an easy sheltered location if you don't want to drive. And last, the bridge going up is something worth seeing, and was in an episode of Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em from the 1970s - since Michael Crawford grew up on the island. kzbin.info/www/bejne/h6PSeIBjnsSkp80m0s

[@JoshyFre2003]

This is where the extraction point was in Hunted series 2! You can see the jetty at 8:15 I hope I'm right!

[@michaelhill5298]

Joshy Fre 2003 I was literally thinking that as soon as I saw the bridge !!!

[@olly5764]

Are you going to do one of these for every county in the UK? It could be an interesting series!

[@RBXTrains]

It would have had a PERTIS machine if you went a year or two ago! Southeastern have been stripping most of thiers out over the past 2 years. Faversham (Which prints on British Rail tickets!), Whitstable and Knockhault are the only south eastern ones left!

[@PianoKwanMan]

How does the BR ticket differ from the newer style?

[@RBXTrains]

It has the wording 'British Rail' on the front and the design of the back is totally different. There are 2 types of the modern day ones which have various differences too (based on the hole perforations).

[@andrewf4623]

3:43 at first I thought you’d cursed and it got bleeped out ha

[@ThatDonChannel]

Pardon me for not reading all of the comments, but as for the B/C/E question at 7:10: if you read the schedule, you notice that only "b" and "e" trains run through 7 October, and only "b" and "c" trains run starting 10 October

[@andynixon2820]

If you're a retired bank robber / villain from East London then you buy a little place in Clacton near the coast . But if you're a retired bank robber / villain from south east London you'd definitely be making your way to the Isle of sheppey - passing swale station on route .

[@allanhillman3138]

There was a wooden bridge, up to 1960 at Swale, I think a train went from Sheerness to Waterloo, the train type was a small THOMAS THE TANK engine. THE Taxi’s were Rolls Royce, they had two as SHEERNESS protected London during the War and the dockyard RN ships docked and fitted out in the war years. The dockyard closed just as the new bridge at Swale was opened. The mud island had a wooden fort in 1400 to protect London and the Waters of the THAMES, so once a busy place in years gone!

[@lavorarestanca]

From 2017/18 to 2018/2019 there's been an increase of almost 100% of passengers in this station. Wonder what's the reason for this

[@uwlodar]

You should go to Pilning station on the South Wales Main Line. That station is always in the top 10 least used stations in the UK list and it has the Intercity services that go past.

[@robbielock3957]

I went there today. The construction workers were surprised to see someone using the station. Especially given that only two trains call there per week!

[@dan_der_man3629]

+Geofftech its a shame you didn't see a HS-Tea at Sittingbourne as you had your tea :P (I don't think HST's even go through Sittingbourne lol)

[@gmfinc18]

With all the single track, I would hazard a guess that if you punched the numbers for the timetables and track length for the other more important stations. You might find that taking the station off the list to stop at would create a delay on the line, equal to the time taken at the stop for at least half of the services.

[@Bobrogers99]

I enjoy this series. Maintaining stations and rail lines that serve very few people gobbles up transportation money that could be better used elsewhere.

[@shrubbie1]

I used Swale station as an access point to the Saxon Shore Way long distance walk (great stuff) , probably accounts for some of the 'footfall'... Although this was nine years ago, and I am sure I had to hail the train to pick me up by sticking my arm out (request stop?).

[@w00df0rd]

Hi Geoff, just watched with Cubs - great video!

[@shaan933]

I get notification for your channel (as a great subscriber!), and I got 2 notifications for Swale videos, the first when clicked on says "Removed by user". Did you re-upload it?

[@martineyles]

I wonder if any usage of the station is down to split ticketing.

[@trainzguy2472]

What is the music you use for the opening/ending? What's it called and where can I find it?

[@britannia55]

We used to have lovely train carriages on the Victoria line, 4x4, now we have 6x4, same stock on the Gillingham to Charing X Line,

[@insignificantaftermathPROJECTS]

Can you imagine a windy day, proper blistering winds. You're on a thin curved platform between fast moving trains and a busy bridge road. The noise would be mental...

[@66secularist]

A point of pedantic order. It is incorrect to say 5000 people use the station. The measure is the number of passenger journeys, not how many people make the journeys.

[@VulcanTrekkie45]

This video series makes me wonder what the least used stations around me are. I'll make up a list and we can go exploring next time you're Stateside.

[@thelearc0]

in france, lot of station hasn't ticket machine, and even not ticket validating machine!

[@rickyt8131]

Atlantaboy It's SNCF, and there are ticket inspectors on the train instead

[@SeligsTrainsandTravels]

After you finish with the All the Stations project, are you going to continue this series?

[@PinkThorn242]

Did part of this run in train sim last night. Or at least a run from Sheerness to Gillingham calling here.

[@parjacpar3077]

The Submarine is a ex Russina sub It used to say on the bottom of train time table that if you were caught between sittingbourne and sheernes with out a ticket you could not be fined

[@EnderchickYT]

There are some residents but is also for people to connect to the national rail by the junction next to it!

[@zee2012]

Here is a little used isolated station you can check out its called berney arms in Norfolk

[@sheffunited1387]

No clue how I ended up here 😂, anywhow whats the least used station in UK?

[@QuarioQuario54321]

Geoff Marshall Do that one last.

[@basictransportenthusiast4386]

Now It is Coombs junction because like 30 of you went there lol!

[@nigelscott4325]

I got off a train at swale once, to go to the speedway track at Iwade.

[@Mechanicalrob]

@@geofftech2 any chance of doing Tonbridge station in Kent where I was born? Or if you fancy an interesting ride, I now live in Barton Upon Humber in North Lincolnshire and we have a branch line that runs to Cleethorpes and back!

[@Izzyyy223]

Geoff Marshall crazy only took three years to find this comment only 12 a year that means some days get no passengers I think more people visit my house 😂

[@phildane7411]

I'm not sure what the current situation is, but at one time, at least one stop on the Sittingborne to Sheerness line was a 'request' stop.

[@Jamesrx8]

Really good video, keep them coming!

[@gtmc]

Did I just see "Sandwich"?? OML! I don't live in the UK but I'd LOVE to go to "Sandwich" to see what sandwiches they have to offer!

[@gtmc]

I saw the name "Sandwich" on the train map. I searched it up and that's actually a station xD

[@Sorarse]

There's a small village in the area called Ham. On a small junction on a country lane near Eastry, there is a road sign pointing to Ham Sandwich. It's been a while since I've been out that way (I used to live in Eastry) but I do know that the road sign was often pinched by souvenir hunters.

[@ChocoLater1]

This is the place where the extraction point was in the TV series Hunted. Also, I can confirm there is absolutely nothing since I lived on the island for a while.

[@jonkess2768]

That announcement was funny because in german Trains its exactly the same :D

[@qrogueuk]

Subbed, to another channel as I like the content of your videos. Keep uploading please

[@soulbabe79]

Swale has no shelter or waiting room so thankfully one will be put there this year & may get double track & two platforms but its not for sure that there will

[@jacobsrooms]

ted poo there's still no shelter, got caught in the pissing hard rain there the other week when i accidently missed the kemsley stop