Ashford to Ramsgate (via Canterbury West) line

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Ashford to Margate (via Canterbury West) Line

Legend Chatham Main Line Ramsgate Branch Margate SER Margate Sands Broadstairs Ramsgate Harbour Tunnel LCDR Ramsgate Harbour Dumpton Park SER Ramsgate Town Ramsgate Depot Ramsgate Ramsgate St Lawrence To Dover Kent Coast Line Minster Grove Ferry and Upstreet Chislet Colliery Halt Canterbury & Sturry Whitstable Railway Canterbury West Curve closed ? Chatham Main Line Dover Branch Elham Valley Line A2 Chartham South Eastern Main Line Chilham Depot Wye High Speed 1 M20 Marshlink Line from Hastings Depot Ashford International to Swanley High Speed 1 to London Waterloo Depot South Eastern Main Line

The Ashford to Ramsgate (via Canterbury West) Line, shown with other railway lines in Kent

The Ashford to Ramsgate (via Canterbury West) line is the railway that runs from Ashford to Ramsgate via Canterbury West. The same termini can be reached by the Kent Coast Line

The line is electrified (750v DC third rail).

[edit] Services

Services are operated by Southeastern.

Typical service is hourly from Charing Cross to Ashford, dividing there into a part to Ramsgate via Canterbury West, and a part via the Kent Coast Line.

[edit] History

The line was built by South Eastern Railway (SER) as a branch from its mainline. Their rival London, Chatham and Dover Railway (LCDR) had already built to Canterbury and Ramsgate.

Upon the merging of the SER and LCDR into the South Eastern and Chatham Railway (SECR) the track layout and stations were rationalised at Ashford and on Thanet. In Thanet the SER branch to Margate was closed.

The line was electrified under the 1955 BR Modernisation plan.