North Kent Line
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North Kent Line

Legend London Charing Cross Hungerford Bridge over Thames Former link to SWML across Waterloo's concourse Waterloo SWML to the South West Waterloo East for Waterloo and Southwark Blackfriars Road Thameslink to Blackfriars BML, CML and Thameslink Southwark Depot Borough Market Junction to Cannon Street London Bridge Spa Road Closed 1915 Southwark Park Closed 1915 South London Line to London Victoria Brighton Main Line to Brighton Bricklayers' Arms Greenwich Line New Cross ( from 2010) St Johns Nunhead to Lewisham link Lewisham Hayes Line South Eastern Main Line Blackheath Bexleyheath Line Blackheath Tunnel 1 mile Greenwich Line Angerstein Wharf aggregates Charlton Charlton Lane Crossing Charlton Tunnel 154 yds Mount Street Tunnel 121 yds Dockyard Tunnel 121 yds Woolwich Dockyard Coleman Street Tunnel 89 yds George IV Tunnel 238 yds Calderwood Street Tunnel 58 yds Cross Street Tunnel 134 yds Woolwich Arsenal DLR opens in 2009 Docklands Light Railway Plumstead to Royal Arsenal Church Manor Way Halt Abbey Wood Belvedere Erith Slade Green Bexleyheath Line Slade Green Depot Dartford Loop Line Dartford Dartford Carriage Sidings Stone Crossing Greenhithe for Bluewater Greenhithe Tunnel 253 yds Swanscombe Northfleet High Speed 1 towards St Pancras Ebbsfleet International Gravesend West Line High Speed 1 towards Channel Tunnel Gravesend Milton Road Halt Denton Halt Milton Range Halt Hoo Junction Staff Halt The Hundred of Hoo Railway Higham Strood Tunnel 3931 yds Old Strood goods yard Strood North Kent Junction for CML Medway Valley Line Rochester Bridge over Medway Rochester Rochester Common Chatham Chatham Central Gillingham Chatham Main Line to Dover Priory and Ramsgate

The North Kent Line is a railway line which connects central and south east London with Dartford and Medway.

History

Construction

The North Kent Line, shown with other railway lines in Kent.

The North Kent Line was the means by which the South Eastern Railway (SER) were able to connect its system to London at London Bridge. In 1846 the SER purchased the Thames and Medway Canal tunnel near Higham and laid railway tracks through it; in 1847 trains were working through from Strood, on the River Medway to Gravesend. From 30 July 1849 the line was extended, via Blackheath, to a junction with the London and Greenwich Railway at North Kent East Junction, near Deptford, and through trains were now working.

Electrification

The line is electrified (750v DC third rail). Electrification was initially to Dartford (6th June 1926) and was extended to Gillingham by World War Two.

Stations

Train services working the Line today take the following route; the first ten miles (16 km) passes through many tunnels, included on the list:

• Lewisham
• Blackheath - here is the junction for the Bexleyheath Line
  • Blackheath Tunnel [1 mile (1.6 km) in length]
  • here is the freight branch to Angerstein Wharf
  • junction for the line from Greenwich and the eastern connection with the London and Greenwich Railway, opened in 1878
• Charlton
  • Charlton Tunnel [154 yd (138 m)]
  • Mount Street Tunnel [121 yd (108 m)]
  • Dockyard Tunnel [121 yd (108 m)]
• Woolwich Dockyard
  • Coleman Street Tunnel [89 yd(80 m)]
  • George IV Tunnel [238 yd (214 m]
  • Calderwood Street Tunnel [58 yd (52 m)]
  • Cross Street Tunnel [134 yd (120 m)]
• Woolwich Arsenal
• Plumstead - here the Royal Arsenal railway system connected with the main line
• Church Manor Way Halt - closed
• Abbey Wood
• Belvedere
• Erith
• Slade Green -includes the large carriage-servicing depot
  • here is the triangular junction with the Bexleyheath Line
  • here is the triangular junction with the Dartford Loop Line
• Dartford
• Stone Crossing
• Greenhithe - to which has been added "for Bluewater"
  • Greenhithe Tunnel [253 yd (228 m)]
• Swanscombe
• Northfleet - High Speed 1
• Gravesend: was originally named Gravesend Central to differentiate it from the ex-London, Chatham and Dover Railway station at Gravesend West which closed in 1968
  • here stood Denton Halt serving the west of Gravesend; and Milton Range Halt serving a military rifle range
  • Hoo Junction Railway Staff Halt, where the line branches ("The Hundred of Hoo Railway") to Grain. Currently for freight services (not electrified)
• Higham
  • Higham and Strood tunnel - actually two tunnels [total 3931 yd (3595 m)] with a gap of 100 yards (91 m) between.
• Strood - the junction for the Medway Valley Line.

The North Kent Line connects with the LCDR Chatham Main Line at Rochester Bridge Junction, about 200 m beyond Strood station. It totals some 30 miles (48 km) in length.

Present services

The current services is

• 4 trains to London Cannon Street via Greenwich from Dartford
• 2 trains to London Charing Cross via Lewisham (Greenwich during daytime) from Gilliamham
• 2 trains to London Cannon Street via Lewisham from Plumstead (daytime only)
• 2 trains to London Cannon Street via Sidcup from London Cannon Street (daytime only)
• 2 trains to London Charing Cross via Sidcup from Gravesend

Future service pattern

• 4 trains to London Cannon Street via Greenwich from Dartford
• 2 trains to London Cannon Street via Greenwich from Slade Green
• 2 trains to London Charing Cross via Woolwich and Lewisham from Gillingham
• 2 trains to London Cannon Street via Sidcup from London Cannon Street (daytime only)
• 2 trains to London Charing Cross via Sidcup from Gravesend