Mid-Kent Railway

Mid-Kent Railway
Overview
Type	Commuter rail, Suburban rail
System	National Rail
Status	Operational
Locale	Greater London
Operation
Opened	1857
Owner	Network Rail
Operator(s)	Southeastern
Technical
Track gauge	Standard gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)

The Mid-Kent Line is the name used by the successors to railways built by the Mid Kent Railway and South Eastern Railway between 1857 and 1882. The railway was originally planned the border of the counties of Kent and Surrey, and on to Westerham and Sevenoaks but a combination of factors caused it to never actaully serve the part of the county named in its title.

The line was opened on 1 January 1857^[1] between Lewisham, now in the London borough of that name, and Beckenham Junction. Stations on that section were:

• Ladywell
• Catford Bridge
• Lower Sydenham - rebuilt on a new site in 1904-6
• Beckenham (renamed Beckenham Juncton in 1864.

Operated by the South Eastern Railway the line was extended from a new station at New Beckenham to Elmers End and Addiscombe in 1864 with later intermediate stations at Clock House (1980) and Woodside and South Norwood (1881). The section between Elmers End and Addiscombe was closed in 1997 in preparation for its Tramlink replacement opened in 2000.

In 1882 two extensions were constructed; one the Hayes branch went to Eden Park, West Wickham and Hayes and the Woodside and South Croydon Railway (a joint South Eastern Railway and London, Brighton and South Coast Railway line) to the Oxted Line, and electrified as far as Sanderstead which and closed in 1993. The Mid Kent line and Hayes Branch was electrified in 1925-6 and the Sanderstead line in 1935.

Today trains run only to Hayes. Tramlink now occupies the track of the former line south of Elmers End. Goods services wedre withdrawn in 1964 with the exception of Beckenham Junction which survived until 1982.^[2]

References

1. ^ "The History of Railways in Beckenham". Beckenham History. http://www.beckenhamhistory.co.uk/railwaysinbeckenham.html. Retrieved 22 February 2011. 
2. ^ "The Railways of Beckenham", Andrew Hajducki, 2011^{[page needed]}