The North Kent Line is a railway line which branches off the South East Main Line 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 (train operating company), Southeaster ...

Greater London Greater may refer to: *Greatness, the state of being great *Greater than, in inequality (mathematics), inequality *Greater (film), ''Greater'' (film), a 2016 American film *Greater (flamingo), the oldest flamingo on record *Greater (song), "Greate ...

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 lowes ...

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 Chatham Main Line is a railway line in England that links London VictoriaQuail Map 5 – England South ages 2–13Sept 2002 (Retrieved 14 December 2011) and Dover Priory / Ramsgate, travelling via Medway (of which the town of Chatham is ...

. The section from Charlton to Dartford is also referred to as the "Woolwich Line" in the context of

Southeastern The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each se ...

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 Several bridges named London Bridge have spanned the River Thames between the City of London and Southwark, in central London. The current crossing, which opened to traffic in 1973, is a box girder bridge built from concrete and steel. It r ...

. 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 th ...

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 AONB, High Weald, East Sussex and flows through Tonbridge, Maidstone and the Medway conurbation in Kent, before emptying into the Thames Estuary near Sheerness, a to ...

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

. From 30 July 1849 the line was extended, via

Blackheath Blackheath may refer to: Places England *Blackheath, London, England ** Blackheath railway station **Hundred of Blackheath, Kent, an ancient hundred in the north west of the county of Kent, England *Blackheath, Surrey, England ** Hundred of Blackh ...

, to a junction with the

London and Greenwich Railway The London and Greenwich Railway (L&GR) was opened in London between 1836 and 1838. It was the first steam railway in the capital, the first to be built specifically for passengers, and the first entirely elevated railway. Origins The idea for t ...

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 of the River Ravensbourne. From the mid 16th century to the late 19th it was home to Deptford Dock ...

, 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 history ...

(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 Victoria station, also known as London Victoria, is a central London railway terminus and connected London Underground station in Victoria, in the City of Westminster, managed by Network Rail. Named after the nearby Victoria Street (not the Q ...

, temporarily resuming a 1980s service pattern. This service was for the

Millennium Dome The Millennium Dome was the original name of the large dome-shaped building on the Greenwich Peninsula in South East (London sub region), South East London, England, which housed a major exhibition celebrating the beginning of the third millenn ...

; 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 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 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 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 counties of England, historic county of Kent until 1889. It is identified i ...

having 14tph. London Charing Cross 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 The Dartford Loop Line is one of three lines linking London with Dartford in Kent, England. It lies to the south of the other two: the North Kent Line (or Woolwich Line) and the Bexleyheath Line. Informally, the line is known as the Sidcup ...

. to 2tph, Semi Fast calling all stations to West Hampstead Thameslink, St Pancras International, 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 ...

& 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: *

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

Angerstein Wharf Angerstein Wharf is an industrial area and location of a marine construction aggregate and an associated cement facility and freight station in the Port of London, operated by the Cemex company, located on the south bank of the Bugsby's Reach ...

** 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 Greenwich ...

and the eastern connection with the ''London and Greenwich Railway'', opened in 1878 * Charlton ** ''Charlton Tunnel'' 54 yd (138 m)** ''Mount Street Tunnel'' 21 yd (108 m)** ''Dockyard Tunnel'' 21 yd (108 m)*

Woolwich Dockyard Woolwich Dockyard (formally H.M. Dockyard, Woolwich, also known as The King's Yard, Woolwich) was an English Royal Navy Dockyard, naval dockyard along the river Thames at Woolwich in north-west Kent, where many ships were built from the early 1 ...

** ''Coleman Street Tunnel'' 9 yd(80 m)** ''George IV Tunnel'' 38 yd (214 m** ''Calderwood Street Tunnel''

8 yd (52 m) 8 (eight) is the natural number following 7 and preceding 9. In mathematics 8 is: * a composite number, its proper divisors being , , and . It is twice 4 or four times 2. * a power of two, being 2 (two cubed), and is the first number of the ...

** ''Cross Street Tunnel'' 34 yd (120 m)* 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 counties of England, historic county of Kent and the detail of mu ...

– 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 Britis ...

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 Woo ...

Belvedere Belvedere (from Italian, meaning "beautiful sight") may refer to: Places Australia *Belvedere, Queensland, a locality in the Cassowary Coast Region Africa * Belvedere (Casablanca), a neighborhood in Casablanca, Morocco *Belvedere, Harare, Zi ...

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 o ...

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

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 in ...

* Stone Crossing *

Greenhithe Greenhithe is a village in the Borough of Dartford in Kent, England, and the civil parish of Swanscombe and Greenhithe. It is located east of Dartford and west of Gravesend. Area In the past, Greenhithe's waterfront on the estuary of the ri ...

, subtitled ''"for Bluewater"'' ** ''Greenhithe Tunnel 53 yd (228 m)*

Swanscombe Swanscombe Help:IPA/English, /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 B ...

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 Ebbsfl ...

– 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 The London, Chatham and Dover Railway (LCDR or LC&DR) was a railway company in south-eastern England created on 1 August 1859, when the East Kent Railway was given parliamentary approval to change its name. Its lines ran through London and nor ...

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 legum ...

. 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

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