South Eastern Railway and the East Kent Railway have signed a Memorandum of Understanding at Shepherds Well station on Friday 5 September, marking the first agreement of its kind in Kent.

The deal will allow redundant railway materials and equipment from the mainline network to be donated to the heritage railway. Items including rails, sleepers and other surplus infrastructure will be transferred to help the East Kent Railway maintain its operations.

The agreement comes as railways approach their 200th anniversary in 2025. The East Kent Railway operates as a charitable trust run by volunteers, whilst South Eastern Railway is publicly owned under the Government's move towards Great British Railways.

Under the partnership, the East Kent Railway will provide facilities to South Eastern Railway when additional space is needed off the mainline network, including for training purposes. This builds on existing occasional use of the heritage line's infrastructure.

Both organisations will work together to explore opportunities for re-establishing commercial freight traffic over the East Kent Railway. Freight services last operated on the line in 1987.

The initiative supports Government rail freight growth targets and aims to shift cargo from road to rail transport in the East Kent area.

The partnership will seek third-party funding to reconnect the East Kent Railway to the national network, using South Eastern Railway's engineering expertise for the reconnection work.

David Davidson, chief operating officer for South Eastern Railway, said the agreement provides a framework for materials that would otherwise be recycled to find new use. He noted the partnership's potential benefits for the wider community and economic growth in East Kent.

Matthew Plews, general manager of the East Kent Railway Trust, said there was scope for cooperation between the national rail network and heritage railways, with the agreement providing a framework for future collaboration.

The organisations said they will also explore marketing opportunities at South Eastern stations and the potential adoption of Shepherds Well station, which links the mainline with the East Kent Railway.