News from local press in 1971!
Angry Commuters Catch a Mudbath!
Anyone going to catch a train from Rainham station is likely to get covered in mud before their journey begins according to commuters. Rainham station is being rebuilt and the road outside is a mudbath every time it rains. Travellers say lorries, buses and car spray mude as they walk into the station. One of the suffering commuters is Edward Cox of Chalky Bank road, general manager of a London computer consultant firm. He said "Every time it rains the road turns into a quagmire with pools of water several inches deep and a few inches wide. I dont believe British Rail are doing enough.The least they could do is full in the holes and ruts that fill up with water when it rains.
British Rail said "The station is being rebuilt and unfortunately a certain amount of inconvenience is being caused while this is done but we are trying to keep it to a minmum and finish as quickly as possible. In fact the ticket office will be finished ahead of schedule to coincide with decimalisation"
He said that there was still more work to be done, but an effort would be made to make the road “more presentable.” Mr. T. Gordon Clarke, secretary of Medway Commuters Committee of Bettescombe Road said: “I do not think it is fair to lay all the blame on British Rail. "Frankly the station is in a bit of a mess during the work but you have to put up with it for a while. People should realise this and many of them are to blame themselves. They insist on using their cars on the road and then get annoyed about mess it causes.”
