The Chatham Main Line is the British railway line that runs from London Victoria to Dover Priory or Ramsgate via the Medway Towns (of which Chatham is one, hence the name) and Bromley). Some trains on the service also run from Blackfriars (connecting at Bromley). The Kent Coast Line runs from Faversham, where it meets the Chatham Main Line, to Dover Priory via Ramsgate. ... The Ashford to Ramsgate (via Canterbury West) line is the British railway line that runs from Ashford to Ramsgate via Canterbury West. ... Victoria station in London is a London Underground and National Rail station in the City of Westminster. ... Dover Priory railway station is the main (and currently only) station in Dover in Kent. ... Ramsgate railway station serves the town of Ramsgate in Thanet in Kent. ... Medway is the name given to a conurbation in the north of Kent, England. ... Chatham is an English town that developed around an important naval dockyard on the east bank of the River Medway to the east of London in the county of Kent. ... Bromley South railway station is a major railway interchange and station in the London Borough of Bromley in south London. ... Blackfriars station Blackfriars station is a London Underground and mainline station in the City of London, England, on the north bank of the River Thames, and near the Blackfriars Bridge. ... Bromley South railway station is a major railway interchange and station in the London Borough of Bromley in south London. ...

Commuter services to Cannon Street follow the route as far as Chislehurst Junction where they diverge onto the Chislehurst line. Cannon Street is a National Rail and London Underground station in the City of London financial district of London, England. ...

Services to Charing Cross as well as some slow Cannon Street services run in parallel from Gillingham to Rochester, diverging once across the River Medway at Rochester Bridge Junction onto the North Kent Line via Gravesend and Dartford. Charing Cross Charing Cross railway station is a central London railway terminus. ... Gillingham (Kent) railway station is on the Chatham Main Line in Medway, north Kent, between Chatham and Rainham. ... Rochester railway station is on the Chatham Main Line in Medway, north Kent, England. ... The River Medway in England flows for 112 km from Turners Hill, in West Sussex, through Tonbridge, Maidstone and the Medway Towns conurbation in Kent, to the River Thames at Sheerness, where it is the latters last tributary. ... The North Kent Line is a railway line which connects central and south east London with Dartford and Medway. ... Gravesend railway station serves the town of Gravesend in north Kent; train services are operated by Southeastern. ... Dartford station is a railway station at Dartford in North-West Kent, on the North Kent line. ...

A shuttle service operates on the Sheerness Line which joins at Sittingbourne. The Sheerness Line connects Sheerness on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent with Sittingbourne on the mainland, and with the Chatham Main Line for trains to London and elsewhere in Kent. ... Sittingbourne railway station is on the Chatham Main Line and the Sheerness Line in north Kent. ...

Services

Services on the Line are run by Southeastern. Southeastern is a train operating company that began operations in south-east England on 1 April 2006, replacing the former publicly-owned operator South Eastern Trains. ...

After Bromley (when heading towards London) the services can divert via the Catford Loop Line or remain on the main line (via Herne Hill) to reach London Victoria) Bromley South railway station is a major railway interchange and station in the London Borough of Bromley in south London. ... The Catford Loop line was opened by the London, Chatham and Dover Railway on 1 Jul 1892; it had been incorporated as the Shortlands and Nunhead Railway in 1889. ... Herne Hill railway station is a train station in south London, England, on the South Eastern mainline from London Victoria station to Kent, and on the Thameslink line from Luton to Wimbledon. ... Victoria station in London is a London Underground and National Rail station in the City of Westminster. ...

Services currently consists of stopping trains from Ramsgate and Dover Priory joining at Faversham and running fast from Chatham to Bromley South, then Victoria (with the odd stop at Rochester or Longfield or Meopham). A stopping service stops at all stops from Faversham to St Mary Cray and Bromley South then fast to London Victoria). Stations prior to Farningham Road (as coming from London Victoria) are served by stoppers on the Ashford via Maidstone East Line. Ramsgate railway station serves the town of Ramsgate in Thanet in Kent. ... Dover Priory railway station is the main (and currently only) station in Dover in Kent. ... Bromley South railway station is a major railway interchange and station in the London Borough of Bromley in south London. ... Faversham railway station is on the Chatham Main Line in north Kent, and serves the town of Faversham. ... St Mary Cray railway station is in the London Borough of Bromley in south-east London, in Travelcard Zone 6. ... Bromley South railway station is a major railway interchange and station in the London Borough of Bromley in south London. ... Victoria station in London is a London Underground and National Rail station in the City of Westminster. ... Farningham Road railway station is on the Chatham Main Line, and serves the villages of Sutton-at-Hone and South Darenth in north Kent. ... Victoria station in London is a London Underground and National Rail station in the City of Westminster. ... The Ashford via Maidstone East Line diverges from the Chatham Main Line at Swanley Junction (after Swanley), proceeds down the Darenth valley (via a Tunnel to Eynsford) where the line diverges to Sevenoaks (via Bat and Ball) and Maidstone East which leads onto Ashford. ...

History

The line was built by the London, Chatham and Dover Railway, who were in competition with the South Eastern Railway (hence the duplication of stations in Kent). They subsequently built lines to Sevenoaks and Ashford (via Maidstone) from the Chatham Main Line. Crest of the LCDR on the first Blackfriars Railway Bridge The London, Chatham and Dover Railway (LCDR) was a railway company that operated in south-eastern England between 1859 and 1923 before grouping with three other companies to form the Southern Railway. ... The London and Greenwich Railway (LGR) and the Canterbury and Whitstable Railway (CWR) in East Kent were the earliest railways to serve the then county of Kent: eventually both became parts of the South Eastern Railway (SER). ...

The line was electrified (750v DC third rail) in a series of stages. Initially the new Southern Railway electrifed the urban (within London) workings of the SECR in the 1920s. Outer suburban electrfication reached Gillingham in the 1930s. Post war, under the BR's 1955 Modernisation plan, electrification was completed under "Kent Coast Electrifcation" stage 1. At the same time the four track section between Shortlands and St Mary Cray junction was extended to Swanley Junction with a complete rebuilding of the St Mary Cray Junction. Two passing loops were added (to create a four track section) between Rainham and Newington. 40% (3,062 miles / 4,928 km) of the British rail network is electrified and 60% of all rail journeys are by electric traction (both by locomotives and Multiple Units). ... The Southern Railway in the United Kingdom was geographically the smallest of the four railway systems created in the Grouping ordered by the Railways Act 1921. ... Coat of Arms. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ...

The line is two track and was electrified (at 750 V DC third rail) by in the 1930s to Maidstone. The rest of the line was electrifed under by BR's 1955 Modernisation plan. // High-speed main line See also: Template:British main lines Channel Tunnel Rail Link Classic main lines See also: Template:British main lines Cross-Country Route East Coast Main Line Great Eastern Main Line Great Western Main Line Midland Main Line West Coast Main Line Railway lines in England London... The Arun Valley Line is part of the Southern-operated services. ... The Ashford via Maidstone East Line diverges from the Chatham Main Line at Swanley Junction (after Swanley), proceeds down the Darenth valley (via a Tunnel to Eynsford) where the line diverges to Sevenoaks (via Bat and Ball) and Maidstone East which leads onto Ashford. ... The Ashford to Ramsgate (via Canterbury West) line is the British railway line that runs from Ashford to Ramsgate via Canterbury West. ... The Brighton Main Line is the railway line from London Victoria and London Bridge to Brighton. ... East Coastway is the name given by Southern Trains to the services operated from London Victoria along the south coast of Sussex and Kent to the east of Brighton. ... The Hastings Line is a railway line in Kent and Sussex, which links Hastings with Tonbridge, and from there into London via Sevenoaks. ... A Eurostar train on the CTRL, near Ashford Model showing the current redevelopment of the Kings Cross area with the new extension to the barrel-vaulted St Pancras Station on the left. ... The Kent Coast Line runs from Faversham, where it meets the Chatham Main Line, to Dover Priory via Ramsgate. ... The London-Ashford-Dover Line is one of two long-distance routes serving the coast of Kent, England; the other being the Kent Coast Line, which runs along the north Kent coast to Ramsgate. ... The North Downs Line is the name given to the passenger train service connecting Reading, on the Great Western Main Line, to Redhill, on the Brighton Main Line, linking many centres of population in that part of the North Downs which it traverses en route. ... The Portsmouth Direct Line is a service operated by South West Trains between runs from London Waterloo and Portsmouth Harbour. ... The South Western Main Line is the railway line from London Waterloo to Weymouth on the Dorset coast. ... The Thameslink route is operated with a fleet of 72 dual-voltage Class 319 electric multiple units. ... West Coastway Line is the name given by Southern Trains to the services operated by them along the south coast of West Sussex and Hampshire, to the west of Brighton, in the United Kingdom. ... The West of England Main Line is the British railway line from London Waterloo to Exeter. ... The Alton Line is a line of railway stations in the south of England, stretching from Alton to Ash Vale, served by South West Trains passenger services. ... The Ascot to Guildford line is a railway line operated by South West Trains. ... The Bexleyheath Line is last of the three rail routes created between the outskirts of London and Dartford in Kent. ... The Caterham Line is a commuter service in south London and Surrey, connecting Caterham with London. ... The Catford Loop line was opened by the London, Chatham and Dover Railway on 1 Jul 1892; it had been incorporated as the Shortlands and Nunhead Railway in 1889. ... The Chessington Branch is a branch of railway line which runs from Motspur Park to Chessington South. ... The Dartford Loop Line is one of three lines linking London with Dartford in Kent, England. ... The Eastleigh-Fareham Line is the railway line from Eastleigh to Fareham in the United Kingdom. ... The Eastleigh-Romsey Line is the railway line from Eastleigh to Romsey in Hampshire in the United Kingdom. ... 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. ... The Hayes Line is the the railway service in south east London, United Kingdom operated by Southeastern between Charing Cross or Cannon Street and Hayes in the London Borough of Bromley. ... The Hounslow Loop Line is a railway line in southwest London, operated by South West Trains. ... The Mid-Kent line is the successor to railways built by the Mid Kent Railway between 1857 and 1882. ... The New Guildford Line, operated by South West Trains, is a commuter line running between London and Guildford. ... The North Kent Line is a railway line which connects central and south east London with Dartford and Medway. ... The Oxted Line is a railway line in southern England. ... The Sheerness Line connects Sheerness on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent with Sittingbourne on the mainland, and with the Chatham Main Line for trains to London and elsewhere in Kent. ... The Slough to Windsor & Eton Branch Line is a small railway line from the Great Western Main Line at Slough to Windsor and Eton, Berkshire in Berkshire, England. ... There South London Line, operated by Southern, runs from Victoria to London Bridge. ... The Staines to Windsor Line is a suburban railway line operated by South West Trains (SWT) in England that was completed in 1849. ... The Staines to Weybridge Line branches off the Waterloo to Reading Line at Virginia Water railway station. ... The Sutton & Mole Valley Line is the name given to the commuter services in south London and Surrey operated by Southern from London Victoria and London Bridge to Horsham via Sutton and Dorking. ... The Tattenham Corner Line is a railway line in Southern England. ... The Waterloo to Reading Line is one of the suburban railway lines operated by South West Trains (SWT) in England. ... The West London Line is a short overground railway linking Clapham Junction in the south to Willesden Junction in the north. ... The Lymington Branch Line is the railway line from Brockenhurst to Lymington in the United Kingdom. ... The Henley Banch Line is a small railway line between Twyford in Berkshire, England and Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire. ... Island Line is the smallest of the Train Operating Companies that make up Britain’s National Rail network. ... The Marlow Branch Line is a small railway line between Maidenhead in Berkshire, England and Marlow in Buckinghamshire. ... The Marshlink Line is the name given to services on the railway line linking Ashford with Hastings. ... The Medway Valley Line is the name given to the railway line linking Strood and the Medway Towns with Maidstone West and onward to Paddock Wood and Tonbridge. ... Looking east towards the Bletchingley Tunnel The Redhill to Tonbridge Line is a British railway line running from Redhill, Surrey to Tonbridge, Kent in southeast England. ... 40% (3,062 miles / 4,928 km) of the British rail network is electrified and 60% of all rail journeys are by electric traction (both by locomotives and Multiple Units). ... Third rail at the West Falls Church Metro stop in the Washington, D.C. area, electrified to 750 volts. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ...