Maidstone West railway station ran on a bridge across the River Medway to a goods station at Tovil Goods () until 3 October 1977, from which point the branch line closed completely. The typical off-peak service from the station is one train per hour to Paddock Wood and , and two trains an hour to Strood. Connections to London are available from any of these three stations. Four trains each way per day using Class 395 "Javelin" units operate between Maidstone West and via and . Maidstone West railway station Maidstone West railway station is one of three railway stations which serve the town
Maidstone was reported at the time that inhabitants were bitterly opposed to the railway, the mayor suggesting that "Maidstone will be ruined as a commercial town". It was said that wharfingers and corn and coal merchants would be hardest hit. In 1842, the South Eastern Railway, to reach the Channel ports of Folkestone and Dover, put its main line through Tonbridge and Ashford, some to the south. A station named Maidstone Road was built in an isolated spot called Paddock Wood, from where coaches were run to the county town. Two years later a branch line was built to Maidstone. In