Bexleyheath Line

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

History

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.

Electrification

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

tations

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. [http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/stations/e/eltham_park/index.shtml]
* Falconwood:— opened in 1936
* Welling
* Bexleyheath
* Barnehurst:— triangular junction with the North Kent Line linking trains with Slade Green carriage sidings and Dartford
* Dartford

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.

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

ee also

*Eltham Well Hall rail crash

External links

* [http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/documents/DoE_Eltham1972.pdf?PHPSESSID=35e2aaed90f0e75a588a4d8b3bda861d Report on the Derailment that occurred on 11th June 1972 at Eltham (Well Hall) Station]