the east of Rye was still navigable and required a moveable crossing. Peter W. Barlow designed a swing-bridge to carry the line over the river. Both this bridge and the one over the River Tillingham to the west required approach ramps on an otherwise flat stretch of railway. The SER's contract stipulated that the company should contribute £10,000 (£ as of ) towards improving Rye Harbour, and Robert Stephenson recommended a branch line for goods traffic. This was constructed west of the station and the River Tillingham, running to the harbour pier on the opposite side of the river to the town. The branch line never carried passengers and has been demolished. Opening The first train to Rye ran on 28 October 1850, before the line had been fully completed. The Mayor of London travelled from to Rye via Ashford and gave a short speech at the station. It opened on 13 February 1851, along with stations at , Appledore and . A coal stage opened in 1854, and new goods sidings were added in 1874. In 1859, a proposal was made to link Rye with Folkestone via Lydd and Dymchurch. The SER declined to finance the line. In 1864, the Weald of Kent Railway proposed building a line from to (and hence to Rye) via Tenterden. The scheme was cancelled two years later. Post-opening The swing bridge to the east of the station over the River Rother was replaced by a fixed bridge in 1903. A footbridge was installed across the staggered platforms at the station in 1960, in preparation for the Kent electrification scheme Phase 2 of the British Railways Modernisation Plan, which provisionally included the line through Rye. The line was recommended to be closed in the 1963 Beeching Report, but because of poor road connections, it remained open along with its stations. The prolonged threat of closure left the station unmodernised and gaslit well into the 1970s. On 1 October 1979, the Marshlink line either side of Rye was reduced to single track, leaving a passing loop at the station. Though done for economic reasons, the decision has been criticised as it has created bottlenecks. The station was Grade II listed in April 1980 owing to its "special architectural or historic interest". The goods shed, which was closed in 1963, was demolished in 1984. Buildings Construction of the station building began in 1847. It was designed