Dartford Loop Line
Encyclopedia
The Dartford Loop Line (often referred to as the Sidcup Line) is one of three lines linking London with Dartford
Dartford railway station
Dartford railway station serves the town of Dartford in Kent, England. All train services from the station are operated by Southeastern, which also manages the station...

 in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...

, 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 lies to the south of the other two: the North Kent Line
North Kent Line
The North Kent Line is a railway line which connects central and south east London with Dartford and Medway.-Construction:The North Kent Line was the means by which the South Eastern Railway were able to connect its system to London at London Bridge...

 and the Bexleyheath Line
Bexleyheath Line
The Bexleyheath Line runs for 8 miles from Blackheath to Dartford in Kent operating between the North Kent Line just to the east of Blackheath station and to the same line south of Slade Green in Dartford.-History:...

.

Construction

It was opened by 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...

 on 1 September 1866: because there are no major engineering works on the route it took a mere four years to build.

Electrification

The line was electrified
Railway electrification in Great Britain
Railway electrification in Great Britain started towards of the 19th century. A great range of voltages have been used in the intervening period using both overhead lines and third rails, however the most common standard for mainline services is now 25 kV AC using overhead lines and the...

 with the other SECR
South Eastern and Chatham Railway
The South Eastern and Chatham Railway Companies Joint Management Committee , known by its shorter name of the South Eastern and Chatham Railway was a working union of two neighbouring rival railways, the South Eastern Railway and London, Chatham and Dover Railway , that operated services between...

 local routes to Dartford
Dartford railway station
Dartford railway station serves the town of Dartford in Kent, England. All train services from the station are operated by Southeastern, which also manages the station...

 on 6 June 1926 by 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...

.

Stations

The line is a little over 14 km (8.7 mi) in length. The following are the stations served:
  • Hither Green
    Hither Green railway station
    Hither Green is a railway station located in Hither Green in the London Borough of Lewisham, in southeast London, United Kingdom. Hither Green is a busy commuter station with services to several London termini and destinations to the southeast Hither Green is a railway station located in Hither...

     - the station lies on the main line from London to Kent: there are separate platforms for the Loop Line
    • here there is a triangular junction for freight traffic going to the extensive Hither Green freight sidings
  • Lee
    Lee railway station
    Lee station is a suburban railway station on Burnt Ash Hill in Lee in south-east London, England, between Hither Green and Mottingham on the Dartford loop . It was opened by the South Eastern Railway in 1866...

  • Mottingham
    Mottingham railway station
    Mottingham railway station is a suburban railway station situated on Court Road between Eltham and Mottingham, in the London Borough of Greenwich, south-east London. The station is located in Travelcard Zone 4, between Lee and New Eltham. The station, and all trains serving it, is operated by...

     - named Eltham until 1927
  • New Eltham
    New Eltham railway station
    New Eltham railway station is in the London Borough of Greenwich in south-east London, in Travelcard Zone 4. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by Southeastern. Originally opened in 1878 as Pope Street Station, it was intended to be a luxurious station for first class season...

     - built in 1878 to serve a growing suburban area; originally named Pope Street
  • Sidcup
    Sidcup railway station
    Sidcup railway station is a railway station located in Sidcup in the London Borough of Bexley in south-east London. It is in Travelcard Zone 5.-Services:These are operated by Southeastern, who also manage the station.* 2tph to * 2tph to...

  • Albany Park
    Albany Park railway station
    Albany Park railway station is in the London Borough of Bexley in south-east London . The station and all trains serving it are operated by Southeastern....

     - opened 7 July 1935 to serve a new housing development
  • Bexley
    Bexley railway station
    Bexley railway station is in the London Borough of Bexley in south-east London, in Travelcard Zone 6. The station, and all trains serving it, is operated by Southeastern....

     (the scene of the Bexley derailment
    Bexley derailment
    The Bexley derailment was an accident on the British railway system which occurred in Bexley, south east London, United Kingdom on 4 February 1997 when an EWS freight train derailed near to Bexley station on the Dartford Loop Line....

    )
  • Crayford
    Crayford railway station
    Crayford railway station is in the London Borough of Bexley in south-east London, in Travelcard Zone 6. The station and all trains serving it are operated by Southeastern....

    • here there is a triangular junction with the North Kent Line
      North Kent Line
      The North Kent Line is a railway line which connects central and south east London with Dartford and Medway.-Construction:The North Kent Line was the means by which the South Eastern Railway were able to connect its system to London at London Bridge...

       providing access to the Slade Green
      Slade Green railway station
      Slade Green railway station is in the London Borough of Bexley, southeast London, on the North Kent Line. The station, and all trains serving it, is operated by Southeastern.- Services :The typical off-peak service from the station is:...

       carriage sidings and to Dartford.

Future plans

The line was due to be served by Thameslink trains following the completion of the first phase of the Thameslink Programme
Thameslink Programme
The Thameslink Programme, originally Thameslink 2000, is a £6 billion project in south-east England to upgrade and expand the Thameslink rail network to provide new and longer trains between a wider range of stations to the north and to the south of London without requiring passengers to change...

, however plans have since seen these services added to the North Kent Line
North Kent Line
The North Kent Line is a railway line which connects central and south east London with Dartford and Medway.-Construction:The North Kent Line was the means by which the South Eastern Railway were able to connect its system to London at London Bridge...

 instead.

Service patterns

Off-peak & Saturday:
  • 2tph between London Charing Cross & Gravesend
    Gravesend railway station
    Gravesend railway station serves the town of Gravesend in north Kent; train services are operated by Southeastern. The station is 24 miles from London Charing Cross...

     (not calling at Lewisham, St Johns
    St Johns railway station
    St Johns railway station is in the London Borough of Lewisham, in southeast London.-History:The station was opened in 1849 by the South Eastern Railway...

     & New Cross)
  • 2tph between London Cannon Street & Crayford
    Crayford railway station
    Crayford railway station is in the London Borough of Bexley in south-east London, in Travelcard Zone 6. The station and all trains serving it are operated by Southeastern....

    , continuing to London Cannon Street via North Kent Line
    North Kent Line
    The North Kent Line is a railway line which connects central and south east London with Dartford and Medway.-Construction:The North Kent Line was the means by which the South Eastern Railway were able to connect its system to London at London Bridge...

     & Greenwich Line
    Greenwich Line
    The Greenwich Line is a short railway line in South London that follows the route of the London and Greenwich Railway, which was the first railway line in London....

     (calling at Lewisham, New Cross & St Johns
    St Johns railway station
    St Johns railway station is in the London Borough of Lewisham, in southeast London.-History:The station was opened in 1849 by the South Eastern Railway...

    )


Evenings & Sunday:
  • 2tph between London Charing Cross & Gravesend
    Gravesend railway station
    Gravesend railway station serves the town of Gravesend in north Kent; train services are operated by Southeastern. The station is 24 miles from London Charing Cross...

     (calling at New Cross on Monday - Saturday evenings only, not calling at St Johns
    St Johns railway station
    St Johns railway station is in the London Borough of Lewisham, in southeast London.-History:The station was opened in 1849 by the South Eastern Railway...

     & New Cross on Sunday's)

External links


London°N Kent°W
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