Rother Valley Railway Heritage Trust

The Railway is controlled by the Rother Valley Railway Heritage Trust, a Registered Charity (No 1088452), which was formed in 2001.

The objects of the Trust are:

“To preserve for the benefit of the public of Kent and East Sussex and of the Nation the historical, architectural and constructional heritage that may exist in and around Kent and East  Sussex in buildings (including any building as defined in section 336 of the town and country planning act 1990) or structures of particular beauty or historical, architectural or constructional interest.”

The  Trust has since 2001 purchased 99% of the Ordinary voting shares and 100% of the non-voting shares of the operating company, the Rother  Valley Railway Ltd, and thus now controls the Railway.The Trust also owns the freehold of approximately one-third of the track bed between Robertsbridge and Bodiam on which the Railway is being rebuilt.

The Trust supports the rebuilding of the Railway by the provision of Grants to the Rother Valley Railway Ltd.

Rother Valley Railway Ltd

Registered Office is : Robertsbridge Junction Station, Station Road, Robertsbridge, East Sussex, TN32 5DG
Registered in England, number: 2613553.

The Rother Valley Railway Ltd is a limited liability company with Share Capital, incorporated in 1991, Companies House register number 2613553. The objects of the Company are the rebuilding, development and management of the heritage railway from Robertsbridge to Bodiam including the establishment and operation of a passenger carrying train service.

100% of the issued non-voting shares and 99% of the issued voting shares of RVR Ltd are owned by the Rother Valley Railway Heritage Trust, who thus controls the Company.

The RVR Ltd is governed by a Board of Directors, up to 12 in number. The Board is supported by departmental managers.

All directors, officers, managers and staff of the Company are volunteers and unpaid.

Pending the commencement of a passenger carrying train service and the consequent income stream from fares, the Company relies almost  exclusively for its funds from grants and donations from the RVRHT, the Rother Valley Railway Supporters Association and the general public at large.

Rother Valley Railway Supporters Association (RVRSA)

Rother Valley Railway Supporters Association

The Rother Valley Railway is exclusively staffed and run by volunteers.

An Association, the Rother Valley Railway Supporters Association (RVRSA) was formed in March 1977. Its aims include the coordination of the volunteer labour to assist in  the restoration, development and operation of the Rother Valley Railway between Robertsbridge and Bodiam, the carrying out of publicity and fund raising activities for the benefit of the Railway and the production  and publication of educational material relating to the Rother Valley  Railway, its Rolling Stock and equipment.

The Association maintains the  Railways Visitor Centre building at the Robertsbridge RVR station, which was formally the  Venice Simplon Orient Express reception lounge at Victoria station. It incorporates The Colonels’ Cupboard a gift shop which stocks a range of railway souvenirs and ephemera including second hand model railway equipment and arguably the most comprehensive selection of second hand railway books and magazines for sale in the South East.

The Centre and Railway are open every Sunday between 10 am and 4 pm.

Membership is open to all. Why not join us?

Any member may become a Volunteer and we have a whole range of needs. To comply with insurance requirements, only paid up members are permitted to be active volunteers and work on the Railway or take part in any  other Railway activity.

A magazine, ‘The Phoenix’ is published quarterly.