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). At Bermondsey there was a junction for the London & Croydon Railway opened in 1839. Kent is a county in England, south-east of London. ... A county is generally a sub-unit of regional self-government within a sovereign jurisdiction. ... The London & Croydon Railway (L&C) was incorporated in 1835, and the line to West Croydon was opened June 5 1839. ...

London & Greenwich Railway

The LGR opened its first section between Spa Road (Bermondsey) and Deptford on February 8, 1836, the line being extended westwards to London Bridge from December 14, 1836; and to a temporary station at Greenwich on December 14, 1838. The present station was opened two years later in 1840, and until the line through Maze Hill to a junction with the North Kent Line just west of Charlton was opened in 1878, Greenwich was the terminus. Spa Road station was the original terminus of Londons first railway, the London and Greenwich Railway, and opened on 8 February 1836, with the other end of the line terminating at Deptford. ... Deptford is an area of the London Borough of Lewisham, on the south bank of the River Thames in south-east London. ... February 8 is the 39th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Charles Darwin 1836 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Outside view Platform London Bridge station is a railway station in central London (in the London Borough of Southwark), occupying a large area on two levels, immediately south-east of London Bridge. ... December 14 is the 348th day of the year (349th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Charles Darwin 1836 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Greenwich railway station is about 400 m southwest of the town centre of Greenwich, London, England. ... December 14 is the 348th day of the year (349th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... | Jöns Jakob Berzelius, discoverer of protein 1838 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Maze Hill railway station - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... The North Kent Line was the means by which the South Eastern Railway (SER) were able to connect its system to London at London Bridge. ... Charlton railway station is in Charlton (at the bottom of Charlton Church Lane) in the London Borough of Greenwich. ... 1878 (MDCCCLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...

The layout of the station still partly betrays that fact. The line from London, built on a continuous viaduct, is perfectly straight, but after Greenwich it makes a sharp turn and dips into a tunnel. There also used to be a space between the two tracks for the locomotive 'escape route' to reverse the trains, but this disappeared when the station was reorganised to accommodate the Docklands Light Railway. The Docklands Light Railway (DLR) is a light-rail public transport metro for the redeveloped Docklands area of east London, England. ...

Canterbury & Whitstable Railway

The CWR (known locally as the Crab and Winkle Line) opened on May 3, 1830 between Canterbury and Whitstable Harbour. It was the first regular passenger steam railway in the world.It was built as part of a plan to improve the access of the city of Canterbury to the sea,and involved much work improving Whitstable harbour,engineered by Thomas Telford which opened in 1832 and is still essentially intact. In its early days it employed a variety of means of traction: on the inclines at Tyler Hill and Clowes Wood winding engines were used, with horses in the section between; and the locomotive Invicta - built by Robert Stephenson, unsuccesful and becoming disused by 1839 - being employed at the Whitstable end. Invicta, in spite of its short life, has been preserved. May 3 is the 123rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (124th in leap years). ... Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix commemorates the July Revolution 1830 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... St Peters St, Canterbury, from the West Gate, 1993 Canterbury (Latin: Duroverum) is a cathedral city in the county of Kent in southeast England. ... Whitstable is a town in Kent, England with a population of 30,000. ... Thomas Telford (August 9, 1757 - September 2, 1834) was born in Westerkirk, Scotland. ... Statue of Robert Stephenson at Euston Station, London Robert Stephenson FRS (October 16, 1803–October 12, 1859) was an English civil engineer. ...

The line also contained the world's first passenger train tunnel, the 800 yard Tyler Hill Tunnel, and its entrance is still visible today at both ends. One entrance is behind the University of Kent, the other comes out in the grounds of the Archbishop's School.Up until the 1970's it was possible to walk through the tunnel but it became unsafe and collapsed shortly after causing structural damage to the university buildings above.

Normal steam engines were introduced on this line in 1846 halving the journey time on the 6 mile line to 20 minutes.They had to be specially cut down in size to get through the tunnel and used lower carriages than normal.the line was bought by the South Eastern Railway company,later the South Eastern and Chatham Railway and later on as part of the Southern Railway.

The line closed for passenger traffic on January 1, 1931, and entirely in 1953.The site of the first Canterbury station was immediately to the east of the present Canterbury West station and for many years was used as a coal yard and goods station.Trains ran into a bay platform of the West station when that opened in 1846. January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ... 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1931 calendar). ...

The Canterbury and Whitstable Railway page has more information about this historical rail route. The Canterbury and Whitstable Railway, sometimes referred to colloquially as the Crab and Winkle Line, opened in 1830 between Canterbury and Whitstable in the county of Kent, England. ...

The Main Line

The original main line was given sanction by Act of Parliament in 1836, running from London Bridge via Redhill, Tonbridge, Maidstone and Ashford to Folkestone and Dover. This circuitous route was the result of insistence on the part of Parliament that only one southerly route out of the capital was necessary; since the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway had already built the line through Redhill, the SER perforce had to follow it. This completely ignored the fact that the main London - Dover road had, since ancient times, followed a much more direct route; and it ignored the fact that the other great railway building projects did take direct routes whenever feasible. A passenger to Dover had a 20-mile longer journey than by the coaching route! In Westminster System parliaments, an Act of Parliament is a part of the law passed by the Parliament. ... Redhill is a town in the borough of Reigate and Banstead, Surrey, England and is part of the London commuter belt. ... Tonbridge is a market town in the English county of Kent, with a population of 31,600 in 2001. ... Maidstone (pronounced mādstun) is the county town of Kent, in southeast England, about 30 miles from London. ... Ashford is a town spanning the confluence of the River Upper Great Stour, River East Stour, Aylesford Stream, Whitewater Dyke, Ruckinge Dyke and the resulting River Great Stour, in the borough of Ashford, located just south of the North Downs, in Kent, United Kingdom. ... Map sources for Folkestone at grid reference TR2236 Folkestone Harbour, picture taken from the golf court Folkestone (pronounced fōkstun) is a coastal resort town in the Shepway district of Kent, England. ... Map sources for Dover at grid reference TR315415 Arms of Dover Borough Council This article is about the English port town. ... The Houses of Parliament, seen over Westminster Bridge The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative institution in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories (it alone has parliamentary sovereignty). ... The LB&SCRs coat of arms, displayed above the entrance to Gipsy Hill railway station. ... Redhill is a town in the borough of Reigate and Banstead, Surrey, England and is part of the London commuter belt. ... A stagecoach is a type of four-wheeled enclosed passenger and/or mail coach, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, widely used before the introduction of railway transport. ...

The main line reached Ashford on December 1, 1842; the outskirts of Folkestone by June 28, 1843; and Dover by February 7, 1844. Their locomotive works was built in 1845 moving from New Cross in London. Ashford is a town spanning the confluence of the River Upper Great Stour, River East Stour, Aylesford Stream, Whitewater Dyke, Ruckinge Dyke and the resulting River Great Stour, in the borough of Ashford, located just south of the North Downs, in Kent, United Kingdom. ... December 1 is the 335th (in leap years the 336th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1842 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Map sources for Folkestone at grid reference TR2236 Folkestone Harbour, picture taken from the golf court Folkestone (pronounced fōkstun) is a coastal resort town in the Shepway district of Kent, England. ... June 28 is the 179th day of the year (180th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 186 days remaining. ... 1843 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Map sources for Dover at grid reference TR315415 Arms of Dover Borough Council This article is about the English port town. ... February 7 is the 38th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1844 was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Ashford railway works was in the town of Ashford in the county of Kent in England. ... 1845 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England and is the most populous city in the European Union. ...

Branch lines

The SER system spread out opening branch lines to connect with major towns along its route.

Dates of opening

• September 25, 1844 Paddock Wood - Maidstone
• September 20, 1845 Tunbridge (as it then was) - outskirts of Tunbridge Wells
• November 25, 1846 extended to Tunbridge Wells
• December 1, 1846 Ashford - Margate
• July 7, 1847 Minster - Deal
• September 1, 1851 Tunbridge Wells - Robertsbridge
• January 1, 1852 Robertsbridge - Battle
• February 1, 1852 Battle to Bopeep Junction, St Leonards This marked the completion of the branch to Hastings
• February 13, 1852 Ashford - Hastings
• June 18, 1856 Strood - Maidstone
• September 1, 1866 the "Dartford Loop" line from Hither Green via Sidcup
• October 9, 1874 the Sandling branch (closed 1951)
• March 1882 The Hundred of Hoo Railway
• September 4, 1893 the Hawkhurst branch (closed 1961)
• May 1, 1895 Blackheath - Dartford via Bexleyheath

September 25 is the 268th day of the year (269th in leap years). ... 1844 was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Paddock Wood is a large village in Kent, England, about eight miles SE of Maidstone. ... Maidstone (pronounced mādstun) is the county town of Kent, in southeast England, about 30 miles from London. ... September 20 is the 263rd day of the year (264th in leap years). ... 1845 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Tonbridge is a market town in the English county of Kent, with a population of 31,600 in 2001. ... Tunbridge Wells (officially Royal Tunbridge Wells) is a Wealden town in west Kent in England, just north of the border with East Sussex. ... November 25 is the 329th (in leap years the 330th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1846 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... December 1 is the 335th (in leap years the 336th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1846 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Margate is a town in the district known as the Isle of Thanet (though no longer an island) in Kent, England (population about 57,000). ... July 7 is the 188th day of the year (189th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 177 days remaining. ... 1847 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Map sources for Minster-in-Thanet at grid reference TR308648 Minster-in-Thanet is a village on the Isle of Thanet in Kent, England, to the west of Ramsgate and to the north east of Canterbury. ... Deal can refer to: an agreement reached after negotiation, for example a contract to sell as a dealer or dealership a bargain a situation, as in whats the deal with the Johnson account ?. a problem, as in whats your deal ?. Deal$, a U.S. dollar store a Deal... September 1 is the 244th day of the year (245th in leap years). ... 1851 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Robertsbridge is a village in East Sussex, England. ... January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ... 1852 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Generally, a battle is an instance of combat in warfare between two or more parties wherein each group will seek to defeat the others. ... February 1 is the 32nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1852 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Although part of the Borough of Hastings, and an ancient parish in its own right, the area that became known as St Leonards-on-Sea was only laid out in the 19th Century in its present form by James Burton as a place of elegant houses designed for the well... February 13 is the 44th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1852 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... The new station building at Hastings Hastings railway station is a piece of shit in Hastings in East Sussex, England. ... June 18 is the 169th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (170th in leap years), with 196 days remaining. ... 1856 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Location within the British Isles. ... September 1 is the 244th day of the year (245th in leap years). ... 1866 (MDCCCLXVI) is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... Hither Green is part of the London Borough of Lewisham. ... Sidcup is a place in the London Borough of Bexley. ... October 9 is the 282nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (283rd in leap years). ... 1874 (MDCCCLXXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... September 4 is the 247th day of the year (248th in leap years). ... 1893 (MDCCCXCIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Hawkhurst is virtually two villages - one, the older of the two, consisting mainly of cottages clustered around a large triangular green known as the Moor, and the other, further north on the main road, called Highgate. ... May 1 is the 121st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (122nd in leap years). ... 1895 (MDCCCXCV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Blackheath is a suburb of London, divided between the London Borough of Lewisham and the London Borough of Greenwich. ... Bexleyheath, formerly known as Bexley New Town, part of the London Borough of Bexley, consists of a suburban development located 12 miles (19. ...

The SER and other railways

The SER and the LCDR

By 1853 the SER had almost completed a network of lines encompassing mid-Kent. There was still the North Kent coast not served by rail, and in 1853 a company named the East Kent Railway was incorporated. By various amalgamations and using "running powers" the new railway was to gain access to the new Victoria station; other extensions brought the railway to Dover and Ramsgate. The London, Chatham and Dover Railway was granted its title in 1859. 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. ... Victoria Station concourse Victoria station is a London Underground and railway station in London, in the City of Westminster. ... Ramsgate is an English seaside town on the Isle of Thanet in East Kent. ... 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. ...

This new railway company had a much more direct access to London than the SER; and it was imperative that this situation was improved. The direct line via Sevenoaks to Tonbridge was therefore constructed by the SER and was built. It involved huge earthworks: crossing the North Downs by means of summits and then long tunnels at both Knockholt and Sevenoaks. the latter was the longest in southern England at one mile, 1691 yards in length. This "cut-off" line, 24 miles in length, reached Chislehurst on July 1, 1865, but took three more years to reach Orpington and Sevenoaks (opening date March 2, 1868) and Tonbridge (May 1, 1868). Sevenoaks is a town in Kent, in south-east England. ... Tonbridge is a market town in the English county of Kent, with a population of 31,600 in 2001. ... The North Downs in England are a ridge of chalk hills that stretch about 100 mi (160 km) from Hampshire through Surrey and Kent. ... Knockholt is a village in Kent, England lying approximately 5 miles south of Orpington and 3 miles northwest of Sevenoaks. ... Chislehurst is a place in the London Borough of Bromley. ... July 1 is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 183 days remaining. ... 1865 (MDCCCLXV) is a common year starting on Sunday. ... Orpington is a place in the London Borough of Bromley. ... March 2 is the 61st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (62nd in leap years). ... 1868 (MDCCCLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Friday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... May 1 is the 121st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (122nd in leap years). ... 1868 (MDCCCLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Friday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ...

Many of the LCDR's lines served towns already possessing a station built by the SER. Ashford, Dover, Gravesend, Margate, Ramsgate, Rochester, Sevenoaks and Whitstable's second stations have subsequently been eliminated but Bromley, Canterbury and Maidstone still have more than one station. Ashford is a town spanning the confluence of the River Upper Great Stour, River East Stour, Aylesford Stream, Whitewater Dyke, Ruckinge Dyke and the resulting River Great Stour, in the borough of Ashford, located just south of the North Downs, in Kent, United Kingdom. ... Map sources for Dover at grid reference TR315415 Arms of Dover Borough Council This article is about the English port town. ... Gravesend can refer to: Gravesend, Kent, England Gravesend, New York, USA This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Margate is a town in the district known as the Isle of Thanet (though no longer an island) in Kent, England (population about 57,000). ... Ramsgate is an English seaside town on the Isle of Thanet in East Kent. ... Rochester is a small town in Kent, at the lowest bridging point of the River Medway about 30 miles (50 km) from London. ... Sevenoaks is a town in Kent, in south-east England. ... Whitstable is a town in Kent, England with a population of 30,000. ... Bromley is the principal town in the London Borough of Bromley. ... Canterbury is a cathedral city in east Kent in South East England and is the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Primate of All England and nominal head of the Anglican Communion. ... Maidstone (pronounced mādstun) is the county town of Kent, in southeast England, about 30 miles from London. ...

The LCDR was always in financial difficulties, and for years the amalgamation of the two Kent routes was mooted. On January 1, 1899 this was put to rest when the two companies joined for working under a Management Committee. On August 5, 1899 an Act of Parliament was passed entitled "South Eastern and London, Chatham and Dover Railway Companies Act" which resulted in the formation of the South Eastern and Chatham Railway. January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ... 1899 (MDCCCXCIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... August 5 is the 217th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (218th in leap years), with 148 days remaining. ... 1899 (MDCCCXCIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... In Westminster System parliaments, an Act of Parliament is a part of the law passed by the Parliament. ... Coat of Arms. ...

The SER and the LB&SCR

With the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway relationships were often bitter - almost an all-out war. The main sites of that war were in London, Redhill and Hastings: three locations where the two railway companies came closest together. The LB&SCRs coat of arms, displayed above the entrance to Gipsy Hill railway station. ...

In London, at both London Bridge and Victoria the rivalry between the two companies came to such a head that both stations, even today, show the existence of two separate areas at each site, with a wall between them. At Redhill the two companies' stations were placed at an inconvenient distance for passenger exchange; and when a new station was built, the SER gave preference to its own trains through the station. This led the LBSCR to build what is known as the "Quarry Line" so as to avoid Redhill altogether. At Hastings, where they came together for the final section through St Leonards, the troubles were even more direct. In their desire to secure the business, the SER were determined to keep the LBSCR out. The latter had opened their line from Brighton on February 13, 1851, connecting with the SER at Bo-peep Junction. After preventing some Brighton trains from passing the junction, the SER blocked in at Hastings those that had; removed track at the junction; and even put barriers up to stop the LBSCR coach link from operating. An LBSCR injunction eventually put matters to rights, but until the 1923 amalgamations relations were still to be bitter. Brighton is a town on the south coast of England, which together with its immediate neighbour Hove forms the city of Brighton & Hove. ... February 13 is the 44th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1851 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...

References

Publications

• The South Eastern and Chatham Railway (O.S. Nock, Ian Allen Ltd 1961)
• The Railway Year Book for 1912 (The Railway Publishing Company Ltd, 1912)
• Railways of the Southern Region (Geoffrey Body, Patrick Stephens Ltd, 1984)
• The Rural Landscape of Kent (S.G.McRae & C.P. Burnham, et al, Wye College, 1973)

• See also Rail transport in Great Britain

Class 180 multiple unit of First Great Western at speed near Yate, Bristol. ...

External links

• One history of the SER
• The London & Croydon Railway
• The London & Greenwich Railway