The Kent coast in the Dover Folkestone area has a lot of railway history associated with it. I first began to photograph the railways of the area in the early 1990s.
At that time Dover Town Yard was busy handling freight carried by the cross channel train ferry.
A Class 375 EMU passes the site of former Dover Town Yard working a Dover Priory to London Charing Cross service.
Going back in time 30 years this was the scene in 1993 from the same spot. Back then the yard was busy handling cross channel freight and passenger trains were formed of mark one slam door stock. Class 33 Cromptons and 09 diesel shutters were a common site could be easily be seen from the sea wall.
In this view from 1990 take from above Shakespeare Cliff tunnel 47316 is about to depart with an afternoon speedlink wagonload freight.
The view from above the tunnel in 2023 demonstrates how much has changed since then.
This is the footbridge which gives a good vantage point to photograph trains entering and leaving Shakespeare Cliff tunnel. Note the new sea defences that were build after the old sea wall suffered extensive storm damage in December 2015 forcing the line to close for several months.
Seen from the footbridge a Class 395 Javelin EMU exits the tunnel. Thirty years earlier from the same spot a pair Class 411 Network South East 4-Cep EMUs head towards Dover.
Looking in the opposite direction 47354 arrives with a wagonload freight.
73 211 working the Venice Simplon Orient Express in 1993.
Another image from 1993, a pair of Cromptons emerge from the tunnel with a trainload of spoil.
Viewed from the east end of the yard, a pair of Class 56s are seen engaged on engineering duties on the 5th April 1992.
This high level view of the yard from 1992 shows the wide variety of wagons that the yard handled back then.
33207 is seen shunting wagons on the Admiralty Pier in 1993.
In 1988, a new dock and linkspan were installed on the pier. This allowed loading and unloading of the train ferry whatever the water level as the linkspan compensated for the height variances of the tide.
Loading and unloading of the train ferry was undertaken by two locomotives each drawing a rake of wagons on or off at the same time in order to keep an even weight distribution and prevent the ship from moving during loading.
The train ferry carried its last cargo in December 1995 as most flows were re-routed via the newly opened Channel Tunnel.
Today all of the track work associated with Dover Town Yard and the Admiralty Pier has been lifted.
Dover once boasted two railway stations, Dover Priory and Dover Marine. Dover Marine was later renamed Dover Western Docks and is depicted here in 1989. The station closed in 1994 and was later redeveloped into a Cruise Ship terminal.
Dover Western Docks was still served by Intercity trains worked by Class 47s into the early 1990s. Here 47803 works an inbound train from Liverpool Lime Street and heads away from Canterbury East on the 21st August 1993.
On the 28th August 1993 47802 passed the lattice post semaphores at Selling with the return working to Liverpool.
On arrival at Dover Western Docks a Class 33 was used to shunt the stock and release the Class 47 for the return working. On the 5th September 1992 33207 is seen about to performing this duty.
After rail services were extended to Dover in 1844, the were used as a terminal for the Golden Arrow and other cross-channel train services with its own railway station, Dover Marine, later renamed Dover Western Docks.
We now move west to a footbridge in Folkestone Warren just the other side of Shakespeare Cliff tunnel which gives good views of the line beneath the famous white cliffs.
In 2023 passenger trains are operated by Class 395 and Class 375 EMUs. Turn back the clock to 2002 and services were still being operated by first generation slam door stock such as this 4 CIG and 4 CEP formation.
On the same day 47726 heads towards Dover with the Venice Simplon Orient Express.
Back on the 20th February 1993 73211 provides the motive power a similar working from Dover Priory to London Victoria, some 30 years later and the equivalent train exists the tunnel this time a Class 67 as motive power.
We now move to the Eurotunnel terminal at Cheriton.
A LeShuttle passenger service departs from the terminal and heads for the tunnel entrance.
These trains are worked in top and tail mode by Class 9 six-axle high-powered electric locomotives.
A freight shuttle carrying HGVs follows.
The electric locomotives that power these shuttle trains are unique in having three two axle bogies per loco and a single driving cab at one end.
A Class 374 Eurostar passes the terminal working a St Pancras to Paris service.