North Kent Line

North Kent Line
Legend
South Eastern Main Line Fast & Slow Lines to London Bridge St Johns Nunhead to Lewisham link to London Victoria via Peckham Rye Lewisham Vale junction Lewisham Hayes Line to Hayes via Catford Bridge South Eastern Main Line and Dartford Loop Line Blackheath Bexleyheath Line Blackheath Tunnel 1681 yd 1537 m Greenwich Line to Cannon Street via Greenwich Angerstein Wharf aggregates Charlton Charlton Lane Crossing Charlton Tunnel 154 yd 141 m Mount Street Tunnel 121 yd 111 m Dockyard Tunnel 121 yd 111 m Woolwich Dockyard Coleman Street Tunnel 89 yd 81 m George IV Tunnel 238 yd 218 m Calderwood Street Tunnel 58 yd 53 m Cross Street Tunnel 134 yd 123 m Crossrail to Reading or Heathrow Terminal 4 Woolwich Arsenal & Woolwich Docklands Light Railway Plumstead to Royal Arsenal Plumstead Carriage Sidings (NR) Church Manor Way Halt Plumstead Carriage Sidings (Crossrail) Abbey Wood Crossrail boundary Belvedere Erith Pier Erith Slade Green Bexleyheath Line Slade Green Depot River Cray Dartford Loop Line Dartford River Darent Dartford Carriage Sidings A282 Dartford Tunnel Approach Stone Crossing Greenhithe for Bluewater Greenhithe Tunnel 253 yd 231 m Swanscombe High Speed 1 to St Pancras Northfleet Ebbsfleet International High Speed 1 to Channel Tunnel Gravesend West Line Gravesend Milton Road Halt Denton Halt Milton Range Halt Hoo Junction Staff Halt Down platform Hundred of Hoo Railway to the Isle of Grain Hoo Junction Staff Halt Up platform Hoo Junction Freight Yard Higham Higham and Strood Tunnels 3931 yd 3595 m Strood (1st)(Old terminus) Strood Chatham Main Line to London Victoria Medway Valley Line Rochester Bridge Junction River Medway Rochester Chatham Main Line to Dover Priory and Ramsgate

The North Kent Line is a railway line which runs from Lewisham Vale junction^[1][2] (at the country end of St Johns station), where it splits from the Southeastern Main Line, to Rochester Bridge junction^[3][4] (just south of Strood station), then links up with the Chatham Main Line.

History

Construction

The North Kent Line was the means by which the South Eastern Railway (SER) was 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 the Strood terminus, 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 (750 V DC third rail). Electrification was initially to Dartford (6 June 1926) and was extended to Gillingham by World War Two.

The Route and Services

The North Kent Line is a high-frequency line, with all stations in the London area being served by at least 4 trains per hour, with Lewisham 14tph.

London Charing Cross to Gillingham 2tph fast, calling at Waterloo East, London Bridge fast to Lewisham (for Docklands Light Railway), Blackheath, Charlton, Woolwich Arsenal (for the Docklands Light Railway), Abbey Wood (Future interchange with Crossrail) fast to Dartford, then Greenhithe (for Bluewater), Gravesend then all stations to Gillingham.

London Cannon Street to Slade Green all stations via Greenwich 6tph, of which 2tph continue to Dartford, 2tph continue back to Cannon Street via Bexleyheath and Lewisham on the Bexleyheath line and 2tph to Cannon Street via Sidcup and Hither Green on the Dartford Loop Line.

London Cannon Street to Plumstead 2tph, Semi Fast calling at London Bridge, New Cross, Lewisham, Blackheath, Charlton, Woolwich Arsenal and Plumstead, this service does not call at St. Johns and Woolwich Dockyard.

Former services

From 1999–2002 there were semi-fast trains starting from Plumstead to London Victoria briefly resuming a 1980s service pattern. This service was for the Millennium Dome, the service called at, Woolwich Arsenal, Charlton, Blackheath, Lewisham, Peckham Rye then non-stop to London Victoria, there was also an early morning semi fast service to London Blackfriars from Dartford in the 1980s.

There were plans in 2003 to have a Plumstead to Clapham Junction cross south London service but it never came into fruition

Future

Abbey Wood is to become the eastern terminal for Crossrail. A possible extension of Crossrail to Gravesend has been safeguarded.

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 – this station is only 305m or so from Ebbsfleet International as the crow flies, but it is at least a 1km walk between the two stations.
• 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
• Milton Road Halt-closed
• Denton Halt- closed
• Milton Range Halt-closed
• Hoo Junction 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.

Service patterns

As of July 2015, the service pattern is:

Off-peak & Saturday:

• 2tph between London Cannon Street & Dartford via Greenwich (stopping service)
• 2tph between London Cannon Street & Slade Green via Greenwich, continuing to London Cannon Street via the Bexleyheath Line (stopping service)
• 2tph between London Cannon Street & Slade Green via Greenwich, continuing to London Cannon Street via the Dartford Loop Line (stopping service)
• 2tph between London Charing Cross & Gillingham (semi-fast)
• 2tph between London Charing Cross & Gravesend via Dartford Loop Line
• 2tph between St Pancras International & Ramsgate, continuing to St Pancras International via the Kent Coast Line and High Speed One, via High Speed One

Sunday:

• 2tph between London Cannon Street & Dartford via Greenwich (stopping service)
• 2tph between London Bridge & Plumstead via Greenwich (stopping service)
• 2tph between London Charing Cross & Gillingham (semi-fast)

Peak hour frequencies vary, with services from the Bexleyheath and Dartford loop lines also running to and from stations to Gillingham.

References

External links

Railway lines in London
Main Lines	Primary High Speed 1 East Coast Main Line Great Eastern Main Line Great Western Main Line Midland Main Line West Coast Main Line Secondary Chatham Main Line Chiltern Main Line Crossrail (under construction) South Eastern Main Line South Western Main Line West Anglia Main Line Thameslink London, Tilbury and Southend Line
Branch	Regional Aylesbury Line Bexleyheath Line Caterham Line Dartford Loop Line Epsom Downs Branch Hampton Court Branch Line Hertford Loop Line Lea Valley Lines North Kent Line Oxted Line Shepperton Branch Line Sutton and Mole Valley Lines Tattenham Corner Line Watford DC Line Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Line Intra-London Acton–Northolt Line Bromley North Line Catford Loop Line Chessington Branch Line Chingford Branch Line Crystal Palace Line Dudding Hill Line East London Line Gospel Oak to Barking Line Greenford Branch Line Greenwich Line Hayes Line Hounslow Loop Line Kingston Loop Line North London Line Northern City Line Nunhead to Lewisham Link Romford to Upminster Line South London Line West London Line
Disused	Addiscombe Line City Widened Lines Croxley Green Line Crystal Palace High Level Branch Line Greenwich Park Branch Line North London Line (City Branch) Palace Gates Line Staines & West Drayton Line Uxbridge (Vine Street) Branch Line Watford to Rickmansworth Line West Croydon to Wimbledon Line Woodside & Sanderstead Line
London Transport portal

Railway lines in the South East
Primary	International High Speed 1 (Ashford • Ebbsfleet) National Great Western Main Line (Slough • Maidenhead • Reading • Didcot Parkway) West Coast Main Line (Watford Junction • Milton Keynes Central)
Secondary	Berks/Bucks/Oxon to London Aylesbury Line Chiltern Main Line Waterloo to Reading Line (and in Surrey) Windsor & Eton Riverside Line (and in Surrey) Crossrail (under construction) (and past London to Essex) Kent to London Bexleyheath Line Chatham Main Line Dartford Loop Line Kent Coast Line Maidstone Line Medway Valley Line North Kent Line Ramsgate (via Canterbury West) Line Sheerness Line South Eastern Main Line Tonbridge Line (and in Surrey) Surrey/Sussex/Hants to London Ascot to Guildford Line Alton Line Arun Valley Line Brighton Main Line Caterham Line Fareham Line Hampton Court Branch Line Hastings Line (and in Kent) Chertsey Branch Line Epsom Downs Branch New Guildford Line Oxted Line (and in Kent) Portsmouth Direct Line Shepperton Branch Line South Western Main Line Sutton and Mole Valley Lines Tattenham Corner Line Thameslink (and past London to Beds/Herts) West of England Main Line Others Cherwell Valley Line Cotswold Line Eastleigh to Romsey Line East Coastway Line (inc Marshlink Line) Henley Branch Line Island Line Lymington Branch Line Marlow Branch Line Marston Vale Line North Downs Line Oxford to Bicester Line Princes Risborough to Aylesbury Line Reading to Taunton Line West Coastway Line Wessex Main Line Slough to Windsor & Eton Line Reading to Basingstoke Line Seaford Branch Line
Heritage	Bluebell Railway Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway Cholsey & Wallingford Railway East Kent Railway Isle of Wight Steam Railway Kent and East Sussex Railway Lavender Line Spa Valley Railway Watercress Line
Non-passenger/ Defunct	Hundred of Hoo Railway Oxfordshire Ironstone Railway