Status Operational | ||
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Locale Greater LondonSouth East England Depot(s) Slade GreenGrove ParkGillingham Rolling stocks British Rail Class 375, British Rail Class 376 Terminis Gillingham (Kent) railway station, Dartford railway station, Charing Cross railway station, Cannon Street station | ||
Trains on the north kent line 31 7 2013
The North Kent Line is a railway which runs from a junction of Britain's South East Main Line, east of St Johns railway station, Greater London to a point south-west of Strood station by the River Medway in Medway where it links to the Chatham Main Line and where services usually terminate at Gillingham or closer at Dartford along the north coast/estuary. The London terminus is Charing Cross station.
Contents
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 tunnel near Higham and laid railway tracks through it; in 1847 trains were working through from the Strood terminus, on the River Medway to Gravesend. 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, and through trains were now able to operate.
Electrification
The line is electrified (750 V DC third rail). Electrification was initially to Dartford (6 June 1926) and was extended to Gillingham by World War Two.
The Route and Services
The line runs from the country end of St John's station at Lewisham Vale junction at the edge of Inner London diverging from the Southeastern Main Line, to Rochester Bridge junction beside the River Medway by the north coast of historic mid-Kent. 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 14tph.
London Charing Cross to Gillingham 2tph fast, calling at Waterloo East, London Bridge fast to Lewisham (for Docklands Light Railway), Blackheath, Charlton, Woolwich Arsenal (for the Docklands Light Railway), Abbey Wood (Future interchange with Crossrail) fast to Dartford, then Greenhithe (for Bluewater), Gravesend then all stations to Gillingham.
London Cannon Street to Slade Green all stations via Greenwich 6tph, of which 2tph continue to Dartford, 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.
London Cannon Street to Plumstead 2tph, Semi Fast calling at London Bridge, New Cross, Lewisham, Blackheath, Charlton, Woolwich Arsenal and Plumstead, this service does not call at St. Johns and Woolwich Dockyard.
Former services
From 1999–2002 there were semi-fast trains starting from Plumstead to London Victoria briefly resuming a 1980s service pattern. This service was for the Millennium Dome, the service called at, Woolwich Arsenal, Charlton, Blackheath, Lewisham, Peckham Rye then non-stop to London Victoria, there was also an early morning semi fast service to London Blackfriars from Dartford in the 1980s.
There were plans in 2003 to have a Plumstead to Clapham Junction cross south London service but it never came into fruition
Future
Abbey Wood is to become the eastern terminal for Crossrail. A possible extension of Crossrail to Gravesend has been safeguarded.
Thameslink services are set to commence from 2018, from Rainham, Kent to Luton via Greenwich, calling at all stations except for Erith, Belvedere and Woolwich Dockyard, this is to compensate for the loss of Charing Cross trains (With the exception of Abbey Wood, Woolwich Arsenal and Charlton, which are still served by Charing Cross trains from Gillingham and these services run via Lewisham).
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:
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.
Service patterns
As of July 2015, the service pattern is:
Off-peak & Saturday:
Sunday:
Peak hour frequencies vary, with services from the Bexleyheath and Dartford loop lines also running to and from stations to Gillingham.