Bexleyheath Line

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Bexleyheath Line

Legend London Victoria River Thames Brighton Main Line London Charing Cross River Thames Former Link Waterloo Waterloo East( Southwark) South Western Main Line Wandsworth Road Clapham High Street Brixton Chatham Main Line East Brixton Blackfriars Road Thameslink Line Denmark Hill London Cannon Street River Thames London Bridge Spa Road Southwark Park Dulwich Link Peckham Rye Nunhead Greenwich Park branch Catford Loop Line Brighton Main Line East London Line Greenwich Line New Cross St Johns Docklands Light Railway Lewisham Hayes Line South Eastern Main Line Blackheath North Kent Line Kidbrooke Tunnel Kidbrooke Eltham Well Hall A2 Eltham Eltham Park Falconwood Welling Bexleyheath Barnehurst North Kent Line Slade Green Dartford Loop Line Dartford Dartford Carriage Sidings North Kent Line

The Bexleyheath Line is last of the three rail routes created between the outskirts of London and Dartford in Kent.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Construction 1.2 Electrification 2 Stations 2.1 Future plans 3 Present services 4 See also 5 External links

[edit] History

[edit] Construction

The Bexleyheath Line leaves the North Kent Line immediately on the Down side of Blackheath railway station and travels due east for 8 miles (13 km) to a junction with the same line south of Slade Green. There was a line to the south (the Dartford Loop Line) but, in spite of public pressure in the 1880s, the South Eastern Railway (SER) refused to build a line to serve the area between the two lines.

It was therefore another company – the Bexley Heath Railway (BHR), led by railway engineer Alfred Bean (owner of Danson House) – who put forward a scheme for this line, securing the necessary Act of Parliament in 1883. But it took a further twelve years for the scheme to be realised, and it was not until 1 May 1895 that the Bexleyheath Line was finally opened. The BHR soon went into bankruptcy, and the SER were forced to take over the line.

[edit] Electrification

The line was electrified with the other SECR local routes to Dartford on 6 June 1926 by Southern Railway.

[edit] Stations

There were originally six stations on the line; one was added subsequently with the growth of the suburban area served by the line.

The stations, starting at the North Kent line, and with notable features listed underneath, are:

• Blackheath

— junction with the North Kent Line east of Blackheath

— near Kidbrooke Tunnel (c. 400 yd / 360 m)

• Kidbrooke
• Eltham, which was built to replace both:
  • Well Hall (subsequently renamed Eltham Well Hall before later closure)
  • Shooters Hill & Eltham Park (subsequently renamed Eltham Park before later closure)

Both of these stations were closed in 1985 and replaced by the current Eltham station. This was to allow construction of a relief road, part of the A2.[1]

• Falconwood

— opened in 1936

• Welling
• Bexleyheath
• Barnehurst

— triangular junction with the North Kent Line linking trains with Slade Green carriage sidings and Dartford

• Dartford

[edit] Future plans

It is planned that the Thameslink 2000 project serve the Bexleyheath Line. Trains would run from Bedford to Dartford via London Bridge. Some platforms will need to be lengthened if this is to go ahead.

[edit] Present services

The current off peak service is trains every 30 minutes to either London Charing Cross or London Victoria stopping at all stations to Lewisham and then trains run semi-fast from Lewisham. The off peak service to Dartford is a train every 15 minutes. In the evening and Sunday there is no London Victoria service and New Cross is always served at these times. Some trains continue from Dartford to Gillingham. Cannon Street and Slade Green are mostly served during peak hours

[edit] See also

• Eltham Well Hall rail crash

[edit] External links

• Report on the Derailment that occurred on 11th June 1972 at Eltham (Well Hall) Station

v • d • e Railway lines in London: North London: Dudding Hill Line • Gospel Oak-Barking Line • Hertford Loop Line • Lea Valley Lines • North London Line • Northern City Line • St Albans Branch Line • Thameslink • Watford DC Line East London: Romford-Upminster Line South London: Bexleyheath Line • Bromley North Line • Catford Loop Line • Greenwich Line • Dartford Loop Line • Hampton Court Branch Line • Hayes Line • Hounslow Loop Line • Inner South London Line • Outer South London Line • Kingston Loop Line • Nunhead to Lewisham link • Shepperton Branch Line • Tattenham Corner Line • Thameslink • Wimbledon to Sutton Line West London: Greenford Branch • West London Line

v • d • e Railway lines in South-East England: Eastern  (Kent) Primary Routes: High Speed 1 · Chatham Main Line · South Eastern Main Line Secondary Lines: Ashford-Ramsgate via Canterbury Line · East Coastway · Hastings Line · Kent Coast Line · Maidstone East Line Minor/Branch Lines: Bexleyheath Line · Bromley North Line · Catford Loop · Dartford Loop · Greenwich Line · Hayes Line · Marshlink Line · Medway Valley Line · Mid-Kent Line · North Kent Line · Nunhead to Lewisham link · Sheerness Line Central  (Sussex) Primary Routes: Arun Valley Line · Brighton Main Line · Thameslink Secondary Lines: East Coastway · New Guildford Line · North Downs Line · Redhill-Tonbridge Line · Sutton & Mole Valley Line · West Coastway Minor/Branch Lines: Caterham Line · Epsom Downs Branch · Oxted Line · Seaford Branch Line · South London Line · Tattenham Corner Line Western  (Wessex) Primary Routes: North Downs Line · Portsmouth Direct Line · South Western Main Line · West Coastway · West of England Main Line Secondary Lines: Alton Line · Ascot-Guildford Line · Chertsey Branch · Eastleigh-Fareham Line · Eastleigh-Romsey Line · Hounslow Loop · Kingston Loop Line · Waterloo-Reading Line · West London Line Minor/Branch Lines: Chessington Branch · Greenford Branch · Hampton Court Branch · Henley Branch Line · Island Line · Lymington Branch Line · Marlow Branch Line · Shepperton Branch Line · Slough-Windsor & Eton Line · Staines-Windsor & Eton Line Northern  (Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire) Primary Routes: West Coast Main Line · Chiltern Line Secondary Lines: London to Aylesbury Line · Cherwell Valley Line · Cotswold Line Minor/Branch Lines: Marston Vale Line · Oxford to Bicester Line · Princes Risborough to Aylesbury Line · Varsity Line (currently partially disused)