GB Railfreight (GBRf) has renamed class 73 locomotive 73128 “Kent & East Sussex Railway: 50 Years of Heritage 1974 –2024” to mark the Railway’s fiftieth anniversary.

The naming also marks the start of work to extend the Railway to Robertsbridge, and came on the eve of the Kent & East Sussex Railway (K&ESR) Fiftieth Anniversary Gala last weekend.

GBRf revealed the Class 73/1 Electro-Diesel locomotive in its new livery, which was developed by GBRf and railway heritage experts.

The design aims to replicate sister locomotive 73 126, which was named ‘Kent & East Sussex Railway’ back in 1991.

That naming celebrated the extension of the Railway to Northiam as well as the intention to one day reconnect to Robertsbridge and the national rail network.

Locomotive 73 126 went to scrap in August 2009, so GB Railfreight agreed to use 73 128 as a suitable tribute to the K&ESR’s half-century and to the start of work on the line extension that will connect the K&ESR with the Rother Valley Railway (RVR).

John Smith, Chief Executive Officer of GBRf, performed the naming ceremony. Also present were members of the K&ESR Board, three former directors of Network South East – Chris Green, Geoff Mee and Alan C Baker – who took part in the naming in 1991, Steve White, Director of Southeastern, which has been collaborating with RVR and K&ESR for the Gala, and outgoing Minister of State for Rail, Huw Merriman.

Chris Stuchbury, GBRf Train Manager and life-long K&ESR volunteer fireman, came up with the idea of the renaming as he recalled the significance of the previous naming.

He persuaded GBRf, K&ESR and RVR to go ahead with the move, which he explained would be a fitting tribute to the past, present and future.

Chris then helped to develop the concept for the project, working closely with all parties to bring the idea to fruition.