The North Kent Line is a railway line which branches off the

South East Main Line The South Eastern Main Line is a major long-distance railway route in South East England, UK, one of the three main routes crossing the county of Kent, going via Sevenoaks, Tonbridge, Ashford and Folkestone to Dover. The other routes are the ...

at St Johns junction west of

Lewisham station Lewisham is a National Rail and Docklands Light Railway station in Lewisham, south-east London which first opened in 1849. On the National Rail network it is measured from and is operated by Southeastern.SoutheasternStation facilities: Lewish ...

Greater London Greater may refer to: * Greatness, the state of being great *Greater than, in inequality * ''Greater'' (film), a 2016 American film * Greater (flamingo), the oldest flamingo on record * "Greater" (song), by MercyMe, 2014 * Greater Bank, an Austra ...

and runs to Rochester Bridge Junction near

Strood Strood is a town in the unitary authority of Medway in Kent, South East England. The town forms a conurbation with neighbouring towns Chatham, Rochester, Gillingham and Rainham. It lies on the northwest bank of the River Medway at its lowest ...

Medway Medway is a unitary authority district and conurbation in Kent, South East England. It had a population of 278,016 in 2019. The unitary authority was formed in 1998 when Rochester-upon-Medway amalgamated with the Borough of Gillingham to for ...

where it links to the Chatham Main Line. The section from Charlton to Dartford is also referred to as the "Woolwich Line" in the context of Southeastern Metro services.

History

Construction

The North Kent Line was the means by which the South Eastern Railway (SER) was able to connect its system to London at London Bridge. In 1846 the SER purchased the

Thames and Medway Canal The Thames and Medway Canal is a disused canal in Kent, south east England, also known as the Gravesend and Rochester Canal. It was originally some long and cut across the neck of the Hoo peninsula, linking the River Thames at Gravesend with ...

tunnel near Higham and laid railway tracks through it; in 1847 trains were working through from the Strood terminus, on the

River Medway The River Medway is a river in South East England. It rises in the High Weald, East Sussex and flows through Tonbridge, Maidstone and the Medway conurbation in Kent, before emptying into the Thames Estuary near Sheerness, a total distance ...

Gravesend Gravesend is a town in northwest Kent, England, situated 21 miles (35 km) east-southeast of Charing Cross (central London) on the south bank of the River Thames and opposite Tilbury in Essex. Located in the diocese of Rochester, it is th ...

. From 30 July 1849 the line was extended, via Blackheath, to a junction with the London and Greenwich Railway at North Kent East Junction, near

Deptford Deptford is an area on the south bank of the River Thames in southeast London, within the London Borough of Lewisham. It is named after a Ford (crossing), ford of the River Ravensbourne. From the mid 16th century to the late 19th it was home ...

, and through trains were now able to operate.

Electrification

The line is

electrified Electrification is the process of powering by electricity and, in many contexts, the introduction of such power by changing over from an earlier power source. The broad meaning of the term, such as in the history of technology, economic histor ...

(750 V DC third rail). Electrification was initially to Dartford (6 June 1926) and was extended to Gillingham by World War Two.

Former services

From 1999 until 2002, there were semi-fast trains running from Plumstead to London Victoria, temporarily resuming a 1980s service pattern. This service was for the Millennium Dome; trains called at Woolwich Arsenal, Charlton, Blackheath, Lewisham, Peckham Rye, then ran non-stop to London Victoria. There was also an early morning semi-fast service to

London Blackfriars Blackfriars, also known as London Blackfriars, is a central London railway station and connected London Underground station in the City of London. It provides Thameslink services: local (from North to South London), and regional (Bedford and ...

from Dartford in the 1980s. In 2003, there were plans to run a Plumstead to Clapham Junction service across South London which had never came to fruition. Until May 2018, there were regular semi-fast services to Gillingham (Kent) from London Charing Cross via Lewisham (for DLR) and Woolwich Arsenal (for DLR) operated by Southeastern calling at Waterloo East, London Bridge then non-stop to Lewisham (for DLR), Blackheath, Charlton, Woolwich Arsenal (for DLR), Abbey Wood (for Crossrail (Elizabeth Line)), Dartford, Greenhithe (for Bluewater), Gravesend and then all stations to Gillingham (Kent). Since then, these services were replaced by the new Thameslink services from Luton calling at all but some stations to Rainham (Kent).

Route

The line diverges from the Southeastern Main Line at Lewisham Vale junction at the country end of St John's station at the edge of Inner London, and runs as far as Rochester Bridge junction (Retrieved 25 December 2011) beside the

by the north coast of historic mid-Kent.

Services

The North Kent Line is a high-frequency line, with all stations in the London area being served by at least 4 trains per hour, with

Lewisham Lewisham () is an area of southeast London, England, south of Charing Cross. It is the principal area of the London Borough of Lewisham, and was within the historic county of Kent until 1889. It is identified in the London Plan as one o ...

having 14tph.

London Charing Cross Charing Cross railway station (also known as London Charing Cross) is a central London railway terminus between the Strand and Hungerford Bridge in the City of Westminster. It is the terminus of the South Eastern Main Line to Dover via Ashf ...

to 2tph, calling at Waterloo East, fast to Lewisham (for DLR), Blackheath, Charlton, Woolwich Dockyard, Woolwich Arsenal (for DLR), , Abbey Wood (for the Elizabeth Line) Belvedere, Erith, Slade Green and Dartford. London Cannon Street to all stations via Greenwich 4tph, of which 2tph continue back to Cannon Street via Bexleyheath and Lewisham on the Bexleyheath line and 2tph to Cannon Street via Sidcup and Hither Green on the Dartford Loop Line. to 2tph, Semi Fast calling all stations to West Hampstead Thameslink,

St Pancras International St Pancras railway station (), also known as London St Pancras or St Pancras International and officially since 2007 as London St Pancras International, is a central London railway terminus on Euston Road in the London Borough of Camden. It i ...

, Farringdon, City Thameslink, London Blackfriars, London Bridge, Deptford, Greenwich (for DLR), Maze Hill, Westcombe Park, Charlton, Woolwich Arsenal (for DLR), Plumstead, Abbey Wood (for the Elizabeth Line), Slade Green, Dartford, Stone Crossing, Greenhithe (for Bluewater), Swanscombe, Northfleet, Gravesend and all stations to Rainham.

Service patterns

, the service pattern is: Off-peak & Saturday: *2tph between Luton & Rainham via Greenwich (Semi-Fast) *2tph between

London Cannon Street Cannon Street station, also known as London Cannon Street, is a central London railway terminus and connected London Underground station in Travelcard zone 1 located on Cannon Street in the City of London and managed by Network Rail. It is on ...

& Slade Green via Greenwich, continuing to London Cannon Street via the Bexleyheath Line (stopping service)(Also runs 2tph via Bexleyheath first and then via Greenwich) *2tph between London Cannon Street & Slade Green via Greenwich, continuing to London Cannon Street via the Dartford Loop Line (stopping service)(Also runs 2tph via the Dartford Loop Line first and then via Greenwich) *2tph between London Charing Cross & Dartford via Lewisham & Woolwich Arsenal *2tph between London Charing Cross & Dartford via Bexleyheath *2tph between London Charing Cross & via Dartford Loop Line (Fast service) *2tph between London Charing Cross & Dartford via Dartford Loop Line (Semi-Fast) *2tph between St Pancras International & , continuing to St Pancras International via the Kent Coast Line and High Speed One, via High Speed One Sunday: *2tph between London Cannon Street & Dartford via Greenwich (stopping service) *2tph between London Charing Cross & Dartford via Lewisham and Woolwich Arsenal *2tph between Kentish Town & Rainham via Greenwich (Semi-Fast) Peak hour frequencies vary, with services from the Bexleyheath and Dartford loop lines also running to and from stations to Gillingham.

Future

Abbey Wood station has been rebuilt to become the eastern terminus of the Elizabeth Line. However, a possible extension of the Elizabeth line to

has been safeguarded.

Stations

Train services working the Line today take the following route; the first ten miles (16 km) passes through many tunnels, included on the list: *

* Blackheath – here is the junction for the Bexleyheath Line ** ''Blackheath Tunnel'' mile (1.6 km) in length** here is the freight branch to Angerstein Wharf ** junction for the line from

Greenwich Greenwich ( , ,) is a town in south-east London, England, within the ceremonial county of Greater London. It is situated east-southeast of Charing Cross. Greenwich is notable for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwic ...

and the eastern connection with the ''London and Greenwich Railway'', opened in 1878 *

Charlton Charlton may refer to: People * Charlton (surname) * Charlton (given name) Places Australia * Charlton, Queensland * Charlton, Victoria * Division of Charlton, an electoral district in the Australian House of Representatives, in New South Wale ...

** ''Charlton Tunnel''

54 yd (138 m) 54 may refer to: * 54 (number) * one of the years 54 BC, AD 54, 1954, 2054 * ''54'' (novel), a 2002 novel by Wu Ming * Studio 54, a New York City nightclub from 1977 until 1981 * ''54'' (film), a 1998 American drama film about the club * ''54'' ...

** ''Mount Street Tunnel''

21 yd (108 m) 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. ...

** ''Dockyard Tunnel''

Woolwich Dockyard Woolwich Dockyard (formally H.M. Dockyard, Woolwich, also known as The King's Yard, Woolwich) was an English naval dockyard along the river Thames at Woolwich in north-west Kent, where many ships were built from the early 16th century until ...

** ''Coleman Street Tunnel''

9 yd(80 m) 9 (nine) is the natural number following and preceding . Evolution of the Arabic digit In the Brahmi numerals, beginning, various Indians wrote a digit 9 similar in shape to the modern closing question mark without the bottom dot. The Kshat ...

** ''George IV Tunnel''

38 yd (214 m 38 may refer to: *38 (number), the natural number following 37 and preceding 39 *one of the years 38 BC, AD 38, 1938, 2038 *.38, a caliber of firearms and cartridges **.38 Special The .38 Special, also commonly known as .38 S&W Special (not ...

** ''Calderwood Street Tunnel'' 8 yd (52 m)** ''Cross Street Tunnel''

34 yd (120 m) 34 may refer to: * 34 (number), the natural number following 33 and preceding 35 * one of the years 34 BC, AD 34, 1934, 2034 * ''34'' (album), a 2015 album by Dre Murray * "#34" (song), a 1994 song by Dave Matthews Band * "34", a 2006 song by S ...

* Woolwich Arsenal *

Plumstead Plumstead is an area in southeast London, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich, England. It is located east of Woolwich. History Until 1965, Plumstead was in the historic county of Kent and the detail of much of its early history can ...

– here the

Royal Arsenal The Royal Arsenal, Woolwich is an establishment on the south bank of the River Thames in Woolwich in south-east London, England, that was used for the manufacture of armaments and ammunition, proofing, and explosives research for the Br ...

railway system connected with the main line * Church Manor Way Halt – closed *

Abbey Wood Abbey Wood is an area in south east London, England, straddling the border between the Royal Borough of Greenwich and the London Borough of Bexley. It is located east of Charing Cross. Toponymy The area takes its name from Lesnes Abbey ...

* Belvedere *

Erith Erith () is an area in south-east London, England, east of Charing Cross. Before the creation of Greater London in 1965, it was in the historical county of Kent. Since 1965 it has formed part of the London Borough of Bexley. It lies nort ...

Slade Green Slade Green is an area of South East London, England, within the London Borough of Bexley. It lies northeast of Bexleyheath, northwest of Dartford and south of Erith, and east-southeast of Charing Cross. Historically Slade Green was part of th ...

-includes the large carriage-servicing depot ** here is the triangular junction with the Bexleyheath Line ** here is the triangular junction with the Dartford Loop Line *

Dartford Dartford is the principal town in the Borough of Dartford, Kent, England. It is located south-east of Central London and is situated adjacent to the London Borough of Bexley to its west. To its north, across the Thames estuary, is Thurrock ...

* Stone Crossing * Greenhithe, subtitled ''"for Bluewater"'' ** ''Greenhithe Tunnel

53 yd (228 m) 53 may refer to: * 53 (number) * one of the years 53 BC, AD 53, 1953, 2053 * FiftyThree, an American privately held technology company that specializes in tools for mobile creation and visual thinking * 53rd Regiment Alabama Cavalry * 53rd Regimen ...

Swanscombe Swanscombe /ˈswɒnzkəm/ is a village in the Borough of Dartford in Kent, England, and the civil parish of Swanscombe and Greenhithe. It is 4.4 miles west of Gravesend and 4.8 miles east of Dartford. History Prehistory Bone fragments and ...

Northfleet Northfleet is a town in the borough of Gravesham in Kent, England. It is located immediately west of Gravesend, and on the border with the Borough of Dartford. Northfleet has its own railway station on the North Kent Line, just east of Ebb ...

– this station is only 305m or so from

Ebbsfleet International Ebbsfleet International railway station is in Ebbsfleet Valley, Kent, east of London, England, near Dartford and the Bluewater shopping centre to the west and Gravesend to the east. The station, part of the Thames Gateway urban regeneration pr ...

c. 800m by foot. *

: was originally named ''Gravesend Central'' to differentiate it from the ex- London, Chatham and Dover Railway station at Gravesend West which closed in 1968 * Milton Road Halt-closed * Denton Halt- closed * Milton Range Halt-closed * Hoo Junction Staff Halt, where the line branches (" The Hundred of Hoo Railway") to

Grain A grain is a small, hard, dry fruit ( caryopsis) – with or without an attached hull layer – harvested for human or animal consumption. A grain crop is a grain-producing plant. The two main types of commercial grain crops are cereals and legu ...

. Currently for freight services (not electrified) * Higham ** '' Higham and Strood tunnel'' – actually two tunnels otal 3931 yd (3595 m)with a gap of between. *

– the junction for the Medway Valley Line. The North Kent Line connects with the LCDR Chatham Main Line at Rochester Bridge Junction, about 200 m beyond Strood station. It totals some 30 miles (48 km) in length.

References

External links

{{Railway lines in South East England Transport in the London Borough of Bexley Transport in the Borough of Dartford Transport in the Royal Borough of Greenwich Rail transport in Kent Transport in the London Borough of Lewisham Railway lines in London Transport in Medway Railway lines in South East England Standard gauge railways in Kent Standard gauge railways in London