Chessington Branch Line

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Chessington Branch Line
Legend 0m 00ch London Waterloo Raynes Park South Western Main Line Motspur Park 10m 11ch Motspur Park Jn Sutton & Mole Valley Lines 11m 05ch Malden Manor Hogsmill River 12m 06ch Tolworth 13m 25ch Chessington North 13m 73ch Chessington South

The Chessington Branch is a branch of railway line which runs from Motspur Park to Chessington South.

[edit] History

The Chessington Branch, 4¼ miles (7km) in length, was the last line to be constructed by the Southern Railway. It was originally the intention to construct a loop line through Chessington from a junction at Motspur Park, on the Dorking line, to meet the line again at Leatherhead. The new line was incorporated in 1929 to serve the many new housing estates being built south of Surbiton. The line was opened as follows:

• 29 May 1938 Motspur Park - Tolworth, with an intermediate station at Malden Manor
• 28 May 1939 Tolworth - Chessington South - intermediate station Chessington North

World War II then intervened and the line was not completed. After the war the Green Belt put a stop to further extension, and the line ends just south of Chessington South.

The stations on the line were all built in the Art Deco style, typical of the 1930s (see this illustrated article on Malden Manor station)

[edit] Description of the branch

The line is mainly constructed on embankments. There are short distances in cuttings and several bridges. There is a 140ft (42m) viaduct over the Hogsmill River near Malden Manor station. All the stations are of their time, and constructed in concrete. The route is double track and was electrified with the 750V DC third rail system at the time of its construction.

[edit] Typical journey times from Chessington South

Based on 2006 timetable. Stations in italics served by through trains, but are not part of the Chessington Branch.

Destination	Journey time
Chessington North	2 minutes
Tolworth	4 minutes
Malden Manor	7 minutes
Motspur Park	10 minutes
Raynes Park	13 minutes
Wimbledon	17 minutes
Earlsfield	21 minutes
Clapham Junction	24 minutes
Vauxhall	29 minutes
LONDON WATERLOO	35 minutes

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 Main 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)