Network Rail‘s new recovery Mobile Operations Managing (MOM) base within Robertsbridge station building has begun its operations.

This will enable members of their front line team to respond to any incidents that occur on the line within a space of one hour.

This will speed up the response and recovery time when dealing with any disruptions on the Hastings line, meaning that train services will resume quicker following any particular disruption on the line.

The new response base shows the alliance that Network Rail and Southeastern have in ensuring that passengers are able to travel safely each day, knowing that any potential disruption that does happen will now be dealt with more quickly, which hasn’t been the case in the past.

Named after the late George Graham, a well-regarded member of Network Rail, the new base ‘George Graham House’, was opened in September, with many of George’s family in attendance at the opening ceremony.

The project cost £205,451, with £20,217 coming from the Railway Heritage Trust.

The project has included the restoration of the original entrance door, the renewal of the staircase’s original profile skirting, the removal of boarded-up windows and the restoration of their original frames with new glazing, as well as the creation of facilities for a kitchen, shower, bathroom, washing, and resting areas.

Brickwork, guttering, and damp prevention have been addressed on the exterior of the station building.

Southeastern and its supplier, WPB Contractors successfully delivered the project.

“We’ve opened up Robertsbridge Mobile Operations Manager (MOM) depot so we can respond more quickly to disruption on the line between Hastings and Tonbridge. Before the office opened, we had to deploy MOMs from Ashford or Paddock Wood, which takes significant time.

David Davidson, Network Rail’s Kent Route Director