[1][2][3][4] In July 1863, the company had opened a 31 chains (620 m) spur (known as the St. Lawrence spur)[5] to allow through running to Margate by avoiding the need to reverse at Ramsgate Town,[6] a cramped and inconvenient station from which the line branched off to Margate at the very platform ends.

[8] The building of the spur may be seen as a reaction to the arrival of a new competitor in the area, in the shape of the London, Chatham and Dover Railway (LCDR); the SER now felt the need to improve their services in the area, whereas for years operating as a monopoly they had not.

[9] Principally to cater for the very occasional train avoiding Ramsgate, a station was opened to the west of the spur by the Newington Road Bridge (now the B2014).

[13] From 1 January 1899, the station was operated by the South Eastern and Chatham Railway (SECR), which was formed out of the working union between the SER and the LCDR.

[19] The intervention of the First World War meant that it was left to the Southern Railway to realise the plans.