Bexleyheath Line

Bexleyheath Line
Overview
Type	Heavy rail
System	National Rail
Status	Operating
Locale	Greater London
Termini	Lewisham Dartford
Operation
Owner	Network Rail
Operator(s)	Southeastern
Rolling stock	British Rail Class 376 British Rail Class 465 British Rail Class 466
Technical
Number of tracks	2
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	750 DC third rail
Route map Legend South Eastern Main Line to Charing Cross Lewisham South Eastern Main Line to Dover Blackheath North Kent Line to Woolwich Arsenal Kidbrooke Tunnel Kidbrooke Eltham Well Hall(1895–1985) A2 Rochester Way Relief Road Eltham Eltham Park(1908–1985) Falconwood Welling Bexleyheath Barnehurst North Kent Line to Woolwich Arsenal Slade Green River Cray Dartford Loop Line to Sidcup and SEML Dartford Dartford Carriage Sidings North Kent Line to Rochester

The Bexleyheath Line runs for 8 miles (13 km) from Lewisham to Dartford in Kent. It separates from the North Kent Line just to the East of Blackheath Station, and rejoins the same line just South of Slade Green in Dartford.

History

The Bexley Heath Railway company, led by railway engineer Alfred Bean (owner of Danson House),^[1] secured the necessary Act of Parliament to build the line in 1883,^[2] but it was not until 1 May 1895 that the Bexleyheath Line was finally opened.^[3] The company soon went into bankruptcy. South Eastern Railway - who had previously refused to build a line to serve the area between the two lines - was then forced to take over.^[4]

The line was electrified with the other South Eastern and Chatham Railway local routes to Dartford on 6 June 1926 by Southern Railway.^[5]

In 1985 the new Eltham railway station replaced two nearby stations Well Hall station and Shooters Hill & Eltham Park station.^[6] The change coincided with the opening of the Rochester Relief Road which forms part of the A2 road.^[7]

Service patterns

December 2010

Off-peak & Saturday:

• 2tph between London Charing Cross & Dartford (not calling at New Cross)
• 2tph between London Cannon Street & Barnehurst (calling at New Cross)
• 2tph between London Victoria & Dartford

From 11 December 2011 the Barnehurst service continued to Slade Green and returned to London Cannon Street.^[8]

Evenings & Sunday:

• 2tph between London Charing Cross & Dartford (calling at New Cross)

From January 2015

Due to the Thameslink Programme causing Southeastern to make modifications to its timetable, it has been proposed that the following service pattern will operate.^[9]

Off-peak & Saturday

• 2tph between London Charing Cross & Dartford
• 2tph between London Cannon Street & Slade Green (calling at New Cross)
• 2tph between London Victoria & Dartford

Evenings:

• 2tph between London Charing Cross & Dartford
• 2tph between London Victoria & Dartford

Sundays:

• 2tph between London Victoria & Dartford

From August 2016

Due to the Thameslink Programme causing Southeastern to make more modifications to its timetable, the line is expected to have some minor changes.

Events

The Eltham Well Hall rail crash took place close to at Eltham Well Hall station in 1972 and resulted in 5 deaths and 126 injuries.^[10]

References

Railway lines in London
Main Lines	Primary High Speed 1 East Coast Main Line Great Eastern Main Line Great Western Main Line Midland Main Line West Coast Main Line Secondary Chatham Main Line Chiltern Main Line Crossrail (under construction) South Eastern Main Line South Western Main Line West Anglia Main Line Thameslink London, Tilbury and Southend Line
Branch	Regional Aylesbury Line Bexleyheath Line Caterham Line Dartford Loop Line Epsom Downs Branch Hampton Court Branch Line Hertford Loop Line Lea Valley Lines North Kent Line Oxted Line Shepperton Branch Line Sutton and Mole Valley Lines Tattenham Corner Line Watford DC Line Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Line Intra-London Acton–Northolt Line Bromley North Line Catford Loop Line Chessington Branch Line Chingford Branch Line Crystal Palace Line Dudding Hill Line East London Line Gospel Oak to Barking Line Greenford Branch Line Greenwich Line Hayes Line Hounslow Loop Line Kingston Loop Line North London Line Northern City Line Nunhead to Lewisham Link Romford to Upminster Line South London Line West London Line
Disused	Addiscombe Line City Widened Lines Croxley Green Line Crystal Palace High Level Branch Line Greenwich Park Branch Line North London Line (City Branch) Palace Gates Line Staines & West Drayton Line Uxbridge (Vine Street) Branch Line Watford to Rickmansworth Line West Croydon to Wimbledon Line Woodside & Sanderstead Line
London Transport portal

Railway lines in the South East
Primary	International High Speed 1 (Ashford • Ebbsfleet) National Great Western Main Line (Slough • Maidenhead • Reading • Didcot Parkway) West Coast Main Line (Watford Junction • Milton Keynes Central)
Secondary	Berks/Bucks/Oxon to London Aylesbury Line Chiltern Main Line Waterloo to Reading Line (and in Surrey) Windsor & Eton Riverside Line (and in Surrey) Crossrail (under construction) (and past London to Essex) Kent to London Bexleyheath Line Chatham Main Line Dartford Loop Line Kent Coast Line Maidstone Line Medway Valley Line North Kent Line Ramsgate (via Canterbury West) Line Sheerness Line South Eastern Main Line Tonbridge Line (and in Surrey) Surrey/Sussex/Hants to London Ascot to Guildford Line Alton Line Arun Valley Line Brighton Main Line Caterham Line Fareham Line Hampton Court Branch Line Hastings Line (and in Kent) Chertsey Branch Line Epsom Downs Branch New Guildford Line Oxted Line (and in Kent) Portsmouth Direct Line Shepperton Branch Line South Western Main Line Sutton and Mole Valley Lines Tattenham Corner Line Thameslink (and past London to Beds/Herts) West of England Main Line Others Cherwell Valley Line Cotswold Line Eastleigh to Romsey Line East Coastway Line (inc Marshlink Line) Henley Branch Line Island Line Lymington Branch Line Marlow Branch Line Marston Vale Line North Downs Line Oxford to Bicester Line Princes Risborough to Aylesbury Line Reading to Taunton Line West Coastway Line Wessex Main Line Slough to Windsor & Eton Line Reading to Basingstoke Line Seaford Branch Line
Heritage	Bluebell Railway Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway Cholsey & Wallingford Railway East Kent Railway Isle of Wight Steam Railway Kent and East Sussex Railway Lavender Line Spa Valley Railway Watercress Line
Non-passenger/ Defunct	Hundred of Hoo Railway Oxfordshire Ironstone Railway