1 was intended to provide the collieries being sunk at Guilford and Tilmanstone with the means to bring in construction materials and to allow coal to be shipped out once mining started.
1 beyond Eastry was however slow due to the East Kent's financial difficulties and the military importance of Stonar during the First World War.
[14][15][16] The East Kent may have only considered seeking authorisation if the Port had developed,[17] which would have justified the improvements which would undoubtedly have been required by the Ministry to Transport to be made to the Stour bridge.
[12][18][16] In the event, as only piecemeal development took place at the Port, the East Kent had no real incentive to encourage a passenger service on the branch.
[24] The East Kent's Richborough branch was lifted in 1952,[25] although the tracks over the Stour bridge are known to have been severed at an unknown date during the Second World War.
[28] The station site is now comprised in the car park of Pfizer Global Research and Development on the west side of the A256 Ramsgate Road.