Greenwich Park Branch Line
| Lewisham line | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Type | Commuter rail, Suburban rail |
| System | National Rail |
| Status | Operational |
| Locale | Greater London |
| Termini |
London Victoria London Blackfriars (rarely) Dartford |
| Operation | |
| Owner | Network Rail |
| Operator(s) | Southeastern |
| Rolling stock |
British Rail Class 465 British Rail Class 466 |
| Technical | |
| Number of tracks | 2 |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Electrification | 750 V DC third rail |
The Lewisham line is a short section of railway line in south east London which links the Catford Loop line to the South Eastern main line. It provides a link for freight trains travelling from north London to the south east, as well as a route for passsenger trains from London Victoria station to destinations in Kent.
The line was originally built as the Greenwich Park branch line by the London, Chatham and Dover Railway (LCDR) from Nunhead to a terminus at Greenwich Park. It ran from a junction at Nunhead in a generally north-east direction to a terminus on the Greenwich High Road, close to the north-west corner of Greenwich Park, approximately 3 miles (4.8 km). The original plan was for the branch to terminate at Woolwich Dockyard. A short tunnel took the branch under the A2 at Blackheath Hill. The entrance to Brockley Lane station in still visible at Brockley Cross.
There were four stations:
All closed on 1 January 1917, and the branch beyond Lewisham Road was abandoned on 1 January 1926 by the Southern Railway.
On 7 July 1929, the branch was reopened as far as Lewisham Road station, with a new connection to the SER lines at Lewisham. The Southern Railway had absorbed the LCDR and South Eastern Railway (SER) and sought to link the two networks to enable cross-London freight. In September 1935 the line was electrified, enabling passenger trains from Dartford to access Victoria from 30 September 1935 (see Bexleyheath Line).
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Wikipedia