North Kent Line
Encyclopedia
The North Kent Line is a railway line which connects central and south east London
with Dartford
and Medway
.
(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 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.
(750v DC third rail). Electrification was initially to Dartford (6 June 1926) and was extended to Gillingham by World War Two.
being served by 14tph. Interchange with the Docklands Light Railway
is available at Lewisham
, Woolwich Arsenal & Greenwich
.
A major timetable change was introduced in December 2009 in connection with domestic high speed services on High Speed 1. This has led to additional services from St Pancras International
operating along High Speed 1, then using the North Kent Line from Gravesend, continuing then along the Chatham Main Line to Faversham.
All passenger services are provided by Southeastern, and interchange with the Docklands Light Railway is available at Lewisham, Woolwich Arsenal & Greenwich. From January 2010, Oyster Pay-as-you-Go
has been accepted on services within the London Travelcard Zones. The entire line is also within the Penalty fare
scheme.
In addition to the two Docklands Light Railway
connections there is a connection at New Cross with the London Overground
line, the line has a mixture of fast, semi fast and slow services, and from 2009 high speed services on the High Speed One route from Gravesend to St. Pancras International.
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 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.
Off-peak & Saturday:
Sunday:
Peak hour frequencies vary, with services from the Bexleyheath & Dartford loop lines also running to & from stations to Gillingham
The December 2009 timetable withdrew peak hour services between Charlton & Blackheath with all services running via Greenwich instead. This has been met with much criticism from passenger groups.
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...
with Dartford
Dartford (borough)
Dartford is the name given to a local government district and borough in north west Kent, England, which takes its name from its administrative capital. It borders Thurrock, to the north across the River Thames; to the west lies the London Borough of Bexley; to the south Sevenoaks district; and the...
and Medway
Medway
Medway is a conurbation and unitary authority in South East England. The Unitary Authority was formed in 1998 when the City of Rochester-upon-Medway amalgamated with Gillingham Borough Council and part of Kent County Council to form Medway Council, a unitary authority independent of Kent County...
.
Construction
The North Kent Line was the means by which the South Eastern RailwaySouth 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) were able to connect its system to London at London Bridge. In 1846 the SER purchased the Thames and Medway Canal
Thames and Medway Canal
The Thames and Medway Canal is a disused canal in Kent, south east England, also known as the Gravesend and Rochester Canal. It was originally some long and cut across the neck of the Hoo peninsula, linking the River Thames at Gravesend with the River Medway at Strood...
tunnel near Higham
Higham, Kent
Higham is a small village bordering the Hoo Peninsula, in Kent, between Gravesend and Rochester. The civil parish of Higham is in Gravesham district and as at the 2001 UK Census, had a population of 3,938.-History:...
and laid railway tracks through it; in 1847 trains were working through from the Strood terminus
Strood (1st) railway station
Strood was a terminus of the South Eastern Railway located in Strood and serving also the towns of Chatham and Rochester. It closed in 1856 when the present Strood station was opened....
, on the River Medway
River Medway
The River Medway, which is almost entirely in Kent, England, flows for from just inside the West Sussex border to the point where it enters the Thames Estuary....
to 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...
. From 30 July 1849 the line was extended, via Blackheath
Blackheath railway station
Blackheath railway station is situated in the heart of Blackheath village in London at . The track passes through the village and is crossed by a road overbridge on which the station buildings stand....
, to a junction with the London and Greenwich Railway
London and Greenwich Railway
The London and Greenwich Railway was opened in London between 1836 and 1838. It was the first steam railway to have a terminus in the capital, the first of any to be built specifically for passenger service, and the first example of an elevated railway....
at North Kent East Junction, near Deptford
Deptford
Deptford is a district of south London, England, located on the south bank of the River Thames. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne, and from the mid 16th century to the late 19th was home to Deptford Dockyard, the first of the Royal Navy Dockyards.Deptford and the docks are...
, and through trains were now working.
Electrification
The line is electrifiedRailway 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...
(750v 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 regarded as a high-frequency line, with all stations in the London area being served by at least 4 trains per hour, with LewishamLewisham station
Lewisham station is a National Rail and Docklands Light Railway station in Lewisham, south east London. It is on the south-east London commuter rail network operated by Southeastern. The Docklands Light Railway station opened in 1999 on a southward extension from Island Gardens on the Isle of Dogs...
being served by 14tph. Interchange with the Docklands Light Railway
Docklands Light Railway
The Docklands Light Railway is an automated light metro or light rail system opened on 31 August 1987 to serve the redeveloped Docklands area of London...
is available at Lewisham
Lewisham station
Lewisham station is a National Rail and Docklands Light Railway station in Lewisham, south east London. It is on the south-east London commuter rail network operated by Southeastern. The Docklands Light Railway station opened in 1999 on a southward extension from Island Gardens on the Isle of Dogs...
, Woolwich Arsenal & Greenwich
Greenwich station
Greenwich railway station is about 400 m southwest of the town centre of Greenwich, London, England. It is an interchange between National Rail trains between central London and Dartford , and the Docklands Light Railway between Lewisham to the south and the Docklands area and the City of London...
.
A major timetable change was introduced in December 2009 in connection with domestic high speed services on High Speed 1. This has led to additional services from St Pancras International
St Pancras railway station
St Pancras railway station, also known as London St Pancras and since 2007 as St Pancras International, is a central London railway terminus celebrated for its Victorian architecture. The Grade I listed building stands on Euston Road in St Pancras, London Borough of Camden, between the...
operating along High Speed 1, then using the North Kent Line from Gravesend, continuing then along the Chatham Main Line to Faversham.
All passenger services are provided by Southeastern, and interchange with the Docklands Light Railway is available at Lewisham, Woolwich Arsenal & Greenwich. From January 2010, Oyster Pay-as-you-Go
Oyster card (pay as you go) on National Rail
The acceptance of Oyster Card on National Rail in London, England had been limited to a restricted number of National Rail services since the introduction of the stored-value product on London Underground in January 2004...
has been accepted on services within the London Travelcard Zones. The entire line is also within the Penalty fare
Penalty fare
On the United Kingdom's public transport systems, a penalty fare is a special fare charged at a higher than normal price because the purchaser did not comply with the normal ticket purchasing rules...
scheme.
In addition to the two Docklands Light Railway
Docklands Light Railway
The Docklands Light Railway is an automated light metro or light rail system opened on 31 August 1987 to serve the redeveloped Docklands area of London...
connections there is a connection at New Cross with the London Overground
London Overground
London Overground is a suburban rail network in London and Hertfordshire. It has been operated by London Overground Rail Operations since 2007 as part of the National Rail network, under the franchise control and branding of Transport for London...
line, the line has a mixture of fast, semi fast and slow services, and from 2009 high speed services on the High Speed One route from Gravesend to St. Pancras International.
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
Millennium Dome
The Millennium Dome, colloquially referred to simply as The Dome or even The O2 Arena, is the original name of a large dome-shaped building, originally used to house the Millennium Experience, a major exhibition celebrating the beginning of the third millennium...
.
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
- BlackheathBlackheath railway stationBlackheath railway station is situated in the heart of Blackheath village in London at . The track passes through the village and is crossed by a road overbridge on which the station buildings stand....
- here is the junction for the Bexleyheath LineBexleyheath LineThe 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:...
- Blackheath Tunnel [1 mile (1.6 km) in length]
- here is the freight branch to Angerstein WharfJohn Julius AngersteinJohn Julius Angerstein , was a London merchant, Lloyd's under-writer, and patron of the fine arts. The imminent prospect that his collection of paintings was about to be sold by his estate, in 1824, galvanized the founding of the National Gallery, London.Angerstein was born in St Petersburg, Russia...
- 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 DockyardWoolwich Dockyard railway stationWoolwich Dockyard railway station is in Woolwich in the London Borough of Greenwich. The station and all trains serving it are operated by Southeastern. It is in Travelcard Zone 3...
- 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 ArsenalWoolwich Arsenal railway stationWoolwich Arsenal station is a National Rail and Docklands Light Railway interchange station located in Woolwich in the London Borough of Greenwich. It acts as a local station on the North Kent Line between London and Gillingham, served by Southeastern, and is the southern terminus of the Woolwich...
- PlumsteadPlumstead railway stationPlumstead railway station serves the suburb of Plumstead, in the London Borough of Greenwich, east of Woolwich Arsenal. It is served by Southeastern....
- here the Royal ArsenalRoyal ArsenalThe Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, originally known as the Woolwich Warren, carried out armaments manufacture, ammunition proofing and explosives research for the British armed forces. It was sited on the south bank of the River Thames in Woolwich in south-east London, England.-Early history:The Warren...
railway system connected with the main line - Church Manor Way Halt - closed
- Abbey WoodAbbey Wood railway stationAbbey Wood railway station serves the suburb of Abbey Wood in South East London. It is served by Southeastern, and is between and stations on the North Kent Line....
- BelvedereBelvedere railway stationBelvedere railway station is a railway station in South East London between Abbey Wood and Erith. It is served by Southeastern. A level crossing beyond the platforms' western limits was closed prior to the westerly extension of platforms circa 1994 and the ticket office and passenger shelters were...
- ErithErith railway stationErith station serves Erith in the London Borough of Bexley, southeast London.The station stands between Belvedere and Slade Green on the North Kent line...
- Slade GreenSlade Green railway stationSlade 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:...
-includes the large carriage-servicing depot- here is the triangular junction with the Bexleyheath LineBexleyheath LineThe 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:...
- here is the triangular junction with the Dartford Loop LineDartford Loop LineThe Dartford Loop Line is one of three lines linking London with Dartford in Kent, England. It lies to the south of the other two: the North Kent Line and the Bexleyheath Line.-Construction:...
- here is the triangular junction with the Bexleyheath Line
- DartfordDartford railway stationDartford 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...
- Stone CrossingStone Crossing railway stationStone Crossing railway station is located on the North Kent line, just east of Dartford. The station is 19 miles from London Charing Cross. Trains are operated by Southeastern....
- GreenhitheGreenhithe railway stationGreenhithe railway station serves the village of Greenhithe in north Kent and Bluewater Shopping Centre. Train services are operated by Southeastern.-Design:...
- to which has been added "for Bluewater"- Greenhithe Tunnel [253 yd (228 m)]
- SwanscombeSwanscombe railway stationSwanscombe railway station serves the village of Swanscombe in North Kent, England. Train services are operated by Southeastern. The station is awkwardly located in a very deep chalk cutting, with a long staircase from the booking office leading to the up platform...
- NorthfleetNorthfleet railway stationNorthfleet railway station serves the town of Northfleet in North Kent. Train services are operated by Southeastern.The ticket office, on the 'down' side, is situated in the substantial station building...
- 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. - GravesendGravesend railway stationGravesend 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...
: was originally named Gravesend Central to differentiate it from the ex-London, Chatham and Dover RailwayLondon, Chatham and Dover RailwayThe 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...
station at Gravesend WestGravesend West railway stationGravesend West was a railway station on the Gravesend West Line which served Gravesend in Kent. It opened in 1886 and was, for some time, a regular destination for boat trains from London which linked with steamers on the station's pier to ferry passengers to a variety of coastal towns and resorts....
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 RailwayHundred of Hoo RailwayThe Hundred of Hoo Railway is a railway line in Kent, England, following the North Kent Line from Gravesend before diverging at Hoo Junction near Shorne Marshes and continuing in an easterly direction across the Hoo Peninsula, passing near the villages of Cooling, High Halstow, Cliffe and Stoke...
") to GrainGrain railway stationGrain station was a railway station opened on 3 September 1951, replacing Grain Crossing Halt, and closed on 4 December 1961. It was located between Grain Crossing Halt and Port Victoria stations....
. 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 (91.4 m) between.
- StroodStrood railway stationStrood Railway Station serves the town of Strood in Medway. It is on the North Kent Line and is a terminus for the Medway Valley Line. Train services are operated by Southeastern.-History:...
- the junction for the Medway Valley LineMedway Valley LineThe Medway Valley Line is the name given to the railway line linking and the Medway Towns with and onward to , and London St Pancras International...
.
The North Kent Line connects with the LCDR 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...
at Rochester Bridge Junction, about 200 m beyond Strood station. It totals some 30 miles (48 km) in length.
Service patterns
The current service pattern (as of December 2009) is as follows:Off-peak & Saturday:
- 2tph between London Cannon Street & DartfordDartfordDartford is the principal town in the borough of Dartford. It is situated in the northwest corner of Kent, England, east south-east of central London....
via Greenwich (stopping service) - 2tph between London Cannon Street & Slade Green via Greenwich (stopping service)
- 2tph between London Cannon Street & Slade Green via Greenwich, continuing to London Cannon Street via Dartford Loop Line
- 2tph between London Charing Cross & GillinghamGillingham (Kent) railway stationGillingham 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....
(semi-fast) - 2tph between London Charing Cross & GravesendGravesend, KentGravesend is a town in northwest Kent, England, on the south bank of the Thames, opposite Tilbury in Essex. It is the administrative town of the Borough of Gravesham and, because of its geographical position, has always had an important role to play in the history and communications of this part of...
via Dartford Loop Line - 2tph between St Pancras International & FavershamFavershamFaversham is a market town and civil parish in the Swale borough of Kent, England. The parish of Faversham grew up around an ancient sea port on Faversham Creek and was the birthplace of the explosives industry in England.-History:...
via High Speed One
Sunday:
- 2tph between London Charing Cross & DartfordDartfordDartford is the principal town in the borough of Dartford. It is situated in the northwest corner of Kent, England, east south-east of central London....
via Greenwich (stopping service) - 2tph between London BridgeLondon BridgeLondon Bridge is a bridge over the River Thames, connecting the City of London and Southwark, in central London. Situated between Cannon Street Railway Bridge and Tower Bridge, it forms the western end of the Pool of London...
& PlumsteadPlumsteadPlumstead is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich. Plumstead is a multi cultural area with large Asian and Afro-Caribbean communities, in similarity to local areas such as Woolwich and Thamesmead...
via Greenwich (stopping service) - 2tph between London Charing Cross & GillinghamGillingham (Kent) railway stationGillingham 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....
(semi-fast)
Peak hour frequencies vary, with services from the Bexleyheath & Dartford loop lines also running to & from stations to Gillingham
The December 2009 timetable withdrew peak hour services between Charlton & Blackheath with all services running via Greenwich instead. This has been met with much criticism from passenger groups.