Chislehurst Junction
Encyclopedia
Chislehurst Junction is an important railway junction near Chislehurst
in the London Borough of Bromley
, England
. It is the point where the South Eastern Main Line and the Chatham Main Line
pass over each other, with diversion chords between each line. These are arranged such that a London
-bound train on one line can transfer to the other, and likewise for services heading away from the capital.
(LCDR) and the South Eastern Railway
(SER) on 1 January 1899 meant it made operational sense to build connections between the previously disparate networks. The first connection, the "down" Bickley Loop, opened on 8 September 1902 with a length of ¾ miles (1 km). The reverse connection opened six days later. These connecting loops allowed trains to/from London Victoria to operate on the former SER line. The west and east ends of the loops became known as Bickley Junction and Orpington Junction respectively, named after the next stations on the line at the time. The corresponding connection (the Chislehurst Loops), allowing transfer of Charing Cross
trains to/from the Chatham line was, opened on 19 June 1904.
From 1925 the Southern Railway
— which had been formed in 1923 assuming the junction's previous owners — began to electrify the routes through the junction. The first to be installed with a third rail
was the Bickley Loop, on 12 July 1925. This was followed by full electrification between Orpington Junction and Charing Cross on 28 February 1926. In connection with this wave of electrification, a three-storey
red brick substation
was installed, immediately to the north of the Chatham line and west of the Charing Cross line.
The next electrification did not take place until 1935, when on 6 January the Chislehurst Loops became live along with the section of the line between Bickley
and Swanley
. Electrification was further extended to Gillingham
on 2 July 1939.
In the meantime, a new station had been opened at Petts Wood
, ⅓ mile ( km) south of Orpington Junction, on 9 July 1928. This eventually led to the renaming from Orpington Junction to Petts Wood Junction on 8 July 1936, in keeping with the practice of naming a junction after its closest station.
The last development of the junction under the administration of the Southern Railway came in 1941, when bomb damage to a wooden signal box
required its replacement with an austere flat-roofed brick construction. The robust design of the new edifice was in reaction to the continued air raid threat.
of railways in Britain in 1948, major modification of the network took place. Chislehurst Junction benefited in the form of the 1959 Kent Coast Electrification programme, which saw the Victoria-Chatham line quadrupled between Bickley and Swanley. Semaphore signals
were replaced throughout with colour light signals, which brought about the need for a "power box" at Chislehurst Junction, situated between the two mainline routes, on the west side of the South Eastern Main Line. This assumed the functions of the mechanical signal boxes at Bickley, Chislehurst and Petts Wood junctions on 31 May 1959.
As part of the same project, work was undertaken to modify the junctions in order to increase the speed limit. The Bickley Loops were realigned to allow trains to pass through at 50 mph (80 km/h), instead of 30 mph (48 km/h) previously. This realignment also required the reconstruction of the bridge which took the South Eastern Main Line over the Down Bickley Loop.
The next modification to the signalling arrangement came in 1976, when the multi-panel London Bridge signal box became operational. This allowed the reversible operation of the Down Chislehurst Loop. The 1959-"power box" remained the primary control point for these lines in this area until 12 June 1983. This date saw the expansion of Victoria Signalling Centre's scope of control as far as the boundary of Rochester signal box. Chislehurst Junction signal box retained control over the South Eastern Main Line until 1993, when it was taken over as part of the gradual implementation of Ashford Signalling Centre. Meanwhile, in 1992/1993, the "Up" and "Down" Bickley Loops were doubled to accommodate Eurostar
operations, which began in earnest on 14 November 1994. The new Down Slow Bickley Loop shares the same alignment as the Up Chislehurst where they pass under the South Eastern Main Line. This created a new junction named Hawkwood Junction.
, and three postcode
districts in the BR postcode area, they are, Bickley
, BR1 to the west, Chislehurst
, BR7 to the north and Petts Wood
, BR5 to the southeast; this also makes it the boundary between the two parliament constituencies, of Bromley and Chislehurst
to the north and Orpington
to the south.
Chislehurst
Chislehurst is a suburban district in south-east London, England, and an electoral ward of the London Borough of Bromley. It is south-east of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:...
in the London Borough of Bromley
London Borough of Bromley
The London Borough of Bromley is a London borough of south east London, England and forms part of Outer London. The principal town in the borough is Bromley.-Geography:...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is the point where the South Eastern Main Line and the Chatham Main Line
Chatham Main Line
The Chatham Main Line is a British railway line that runs from either London Victoria to Dover Priory / Ramsgate or London St Pancras to Faversham, with both services travelling via Medway...
pass over each other, with diversion chords between each line. These are arranged such that a London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
-bound train on one line can transfer to the other, and likewise for services heading away from the capital.
Before nationalisation
The railways previously passed over each other without a junction, until the merger of the London, Chatham and Dover RailwayLondon, Chatham and Dover Railway
The London, Chatham and Dover Railway was a railway company in south-eastern England from 1859 until the 1923 grouping which united it with other companies to form the Southern Railway. Its lines ran through London and northern and eastern Kent to form a significant part of the Greater London...
(LCDR) and the South Eastern Railway
South Eastern Railway (UK)
The South Eastern Railway was a railway company in south-eastern England from 1836 until 1922. The company was formed to construct a route from London to Dover. Branch lines were later opened to Tunbridge Wells, Hastings, Canterbury and other places in Kent...
(SER) on 1 January 1899 meant it made operational sense to build connections between the previously disparate networks. The first connection, the "down" Bickley Loop, opened on 8 September 1902 with a length of ¾ miles (1 km). The reverse connection opened six days later. These connecting loops allowed trains to/from London Victoria to operate on the former SER line. The west and east ends of the loops became known as Bickley Junction and Orpington Junction respectively, named after the next stations on the line at the time. The corresponding connection (the Chislehurst Loops), allowing transfer of Charing Cross
Charing Cross railway station
Charing Cross railway station, also known as London Charing Cross, is a central London railway terminus in the City of Westminster, England. It is one of 18 stations managed by Network Rail, and trains serving it are operated by Southeastern...
trains to/from the Chatham line was, opened on 19 June 1904.
From 1925 the Southern Railway
Southern Railway (Great Britain)
The Southern Railway was a British railway company established in the 1923 Grouping. It linked London with the Channel ports, South West England, South coast resorts and Kent...
— which had been formed in 1923 assuming the junction's previous owners — began to electrify the routes through the junction. The first to be installed with a third rail
Third rail
A third rail is a method of providing electric power to a railway train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway track. It is used typically in a mass transit or rapid transit system, which has alignments in its own corridors, fully or almost...
was the Bickley Loop, on 12 July 1925. This was followed by full electrification between Orpington Junction and Charing Cross on 28 February 1926. In connection with this wave of electrification, a three-storey
Storey
A storey or story is any level part of a building that could be used by people...
red brick substation
Electrical substation
A substation is a part of an electrical generation, transmission, and distribution system. Substations transform voltage from high to low, or the reverse, or perform any of several other important functions...
was installed, immediately to the north of the Chatham line and west of the Charing Cross line.
The next electrification did not take place until 1935, when on 6 January the Chislehurst Loops became live along with the section of the line between Bickley
Bickley railway station
Bickley railway station is in the London Borough of Bromley in south London. It lies between Bromley South and Swanley stations. The station and all trains are operated by Southeastern, and is in Travelcard Zone 5....
and Swanley
Swanley railway station
Swanley railway station is on the Chatham Main Line, and serves the town of Swanley in north Kent, England. Train services are provided by Southeastern. Swanley Station is 17.4 miles from London Victoria....
. Electrification was further extended to Gillingham
Gillingham (Kent) railway station
Gillingham railway station in the town of Gillingham , north Kent, is on the Chatham Main Line between and Rainham stations. Train services are provided by Southeastern....
on 2 July 1939.
In the meantime, a new station had been opened at Petts Wood
Petts Wood railway station
Petts Wood railway station serves Petts Wood in the London Borough of Bromley, and is in Travelcard Zone 5. The station was built on the main line to the north of Orpington and opened on 9 July 1928, and the community now surrounding it developed from that date: now the railway divides Petts Wood...
, ⅓ mile ( km) south of Orpington Junction, on 9 July 1928. This eventually led to the renaming from Orpington Junction to Petts Wood Junction on 8 July 1936, in keeping with the practice of naming a junction after its closest station.
The last development of the junction under the administration of the Southern Railway came in 1941, when bomb damage to a wooden signal box
Signal box
On a rail transport system, signalling control is the process by which control is exercised over train movements by way of railway signals and block systems to ensure that trains operate safely, over the correct route and to the proper timetable...
required its replacement with an austere flat-roofed brick construction. The robust design of the new edifice was in reaction to the continued air raid threat.
After nationalisation
Following the nationalisationTransport Act 1947
The Transport Act 1947 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Under it the railways, long-distance road haulage and various other types of transport were acquired by the state and handed over to a new British Transport Commission for operation...
of railways in Britain in 1948, major modification of the network took place. Chislehurst Junction benefited in the form of the 1959 Kent Coast Electrification programme, which saw the Victoria-Chatham line quadrupled between Bickley and Swanley. Semaphore signals
Railway semaphore signal
One of the earliest forms of fixed railway signal is the semaphore. These signals display their different indications to train drivers by changing the angle of inclination of a pivoted 'arm'. Semaphore signals were patented in the early 1840s by Joseph James Stevens, and soon became the most...
were replaced throughout with colour light signals, which brought about the need for a "power box" at Chislehurst Junction, situated between the two mainline routes, on the west side of the South Eastern Main Line. This assumed the functions of the mechanical signal boxes at Bickley, Chislehurst and Petts Wood junctions on 31 May 1959.
As part of the same project, work was undertaken to modify the junctions in order to increase the speed limit. The Bickley Loops were realigned to allow trains to pass through at 50 mph (80 km/h), instead of 30 mph (48 km/h) previously. This realignment also required the reconstruction of the bridge which took the South Eastern Main Line over the Down Bickley Loop.
The next modification to the signalling arrangement came in 1976, when the multi-panel London Bridge signal box became operational. This allowed the reversible operation of the Down Chislehurst Loop. The 1959-"power box" remained the primary control point for these lines in this area until 12 June 1983. This date saw the expansion of Victoria Signalling Centre's scope of control as far as the boundary of Rochester signal box. Chislehurst Junction signal box retained control over the South Eastern Main Line until 1993, when it was taken over as part of the gradual implementation of Ashford Signalling Centre. Meanwhile, in 1992/1993, the "Up" and "Down" Bickley Loops were doubled to accommodate Eurostar
Eurostar
Eurostar is a high-speed railway service connecting London with Paris and Brussels. All its trains traverse the Channel Tunnel between England and France, owned and operated separately by Eurotunnel....
operations, which began in earnest on 14 November 1994. The new Down Slow Bickley Loop shares the same alignment as the Up Chislehurst where they pass under the South Eastern Main Line. This created a new junction named Hawkwood Junction.
Boundaries
Railway lines, being physical lines, are often conveniently used for administrative boundaries. The railway lines of Chislehurst Junction are used as the boundaries of three electoral wardsWards of the United Kingdom
A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at sub-national level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography .-England:...
, and three postcode
UK postcodes
The postal codes used in the United Kingdom are known as postcodes. They are alphanumeric and were introduced by the Royal Mail over a 15-year period from 11th October 1959 to 1974...
districts in the BR postcode area, they are, Bickley
Bickley
Bickley is an affluent residential area and electoral ward in the London Borough of Bromley, England. It is a suburban development situated 10.4 miles south east of Charing Cross...
, BR1 to the west, Chislehurst
Chislehurst
Chislehurst is a suburban district in south-east London, England, and an electoral ward of the London Borough of Bromley. It is south-east of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:...
, BR7 to the north and Petts Wood
Petts Wood
-History:The name appeared first in 1577 as "the wood of the Pett family", who were shipbuilders and leased the wood as a source of timbers. William Willett, a campaigner for daylight saving time, lived in nearby Chislehurst for most of his life, and is commemorated by a memorial sundial in the...
, BR5 to the southeast; this also makes it the boundary between the two parliament constituencies, of Bromley and Chislehurst
Bromley and Chislehurst
-Elections in 2000s:-Elections in 1990s:-Further reading:*Cook, Chris and Ramsden, John. By-elections in British politics -See also:*List of Parliamentary constituencies in Greater London...
to the north and Orpington
Orpington (UK Parliament constituency)
Orpington is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-History:...
to the south.