56-554: The Mid-Kent line (also referred to as the Hayes line by train operators, official bodies and the general public) is a British railway line running from Courthill Loop North junction (just south of Lewisham station ) to Hayes railway station in the London Borough of Bromley . Despite its name, none of the line is in the present-day county of Kent . All services along the line are operated by Southeastern . The standard off-peak service
112-574: A Network Card to qualify. Although NSE did not originally own or maintain infrastructure, it exercised control over almost all carrier core functions. NSE set its own goals and service standards in consultation with BR, and created its own management structure and oversight. BR allowed NSE to decide about scheduling, marketing, infrastructure enhancements, and rolling stock specifications on NSE-assigned lines and services. In April 1990, British Rail Chairman Bob Reid announced that sectorisation would be made complete, with regions disbanded by 1991–92 and
168-611: A bomb which was discovered in the ladies waiting room at Eden Park railway station . The clockwork mechanism had stopped working and so it didn't go off. This event followed the death of Emily Wilding Davison six days earlier after her attempt to stop the King's horse at The Derby . Following the Railways Act 1921 (also known as the Grouping Act), the Mid-Kent line came under the control of
224-568: A change of name to Jubilee line , the first part of the line opened in 1979, but the remaining plans were not carried out. When the Jubilee line was extended in 1999, a different route to Stratford was followed. TfL is currently considering extending the Bakerloo line to Lewisham. Both line options stop at Lewisham. If progressed the station is currently expected to open in 2030. In its draft Kent Route Utilisation Strategy , Network Rail mentions
280-535: A minimum weekday fare of £13). Holders of annual season tickets for journeys within the Network area, including on London Underground, are issued with a "Gold Card" which gives them similar privileges to the Network Railcard. NSE was broken down into various sub-divisions. London Victoria-East Grinstead/Uckfield/Sutton/Epsom Downs/Dorking/Horsham Soon after conception, Network SouthEast started to modernise parts of
336-570: A petition signed by over 1,000. British Transport Police also maintains a neighbourhood policing presence at Lewisham. The North Kent line opened on 30 July 1849 by the South Eastern Railway linking Strood with the London and Greenwich Railway route to London Bridge. The original station was located east of the Lewisham Road overbridge with access off Lewisham Road. With the opening of
392-554: A self-contained franchise, it was not incorporated with the rest of NSE services from Waterloo into the South West Trains operation, and was instead transferred to London Underground . Although NSE ceased to exist in 1994, its logos, livery and signage would linger well into the following decades. Southeastern , Southern and First Capital Connect trains continued to run in NSE livery until as late as 2007. Underground stations on
448-462: Is four trains per hour (tph) each way between London Charing Cross and Hayes, two non-stop between London Bridge and Ladywell , and two that stop additionally at Lewisham . The existing Mid-Kent line consists of three sections built at different times. The Mid Kent Railway was built by the Mid-Kent and North Kent Junction Railway (MK&NKJR) and was opened on 1 January 1857 from Lewisham (where
504-589: Is on the boundary of Travelcard Zone 2 and Zone 3 and is a major transport hub, with many buses passing through or terminating here. During infrastructure works on the Greenwich Line , Thameslink services are normally diverted through Lewisham, giving it a temporary link to Luton in the north and Rainham in the east. National Rail services at Lewisham are operated by Southeastern using Class 376 , 465 , 466 and 707 EMUs . The typical off-peak service in trains per hour is: Additional trains serve
560-718: Is operated by Southeastern . There are four platforms for main-line trains: 3 and 4 on the North Kent Line , and 1 and 2 on the Mid-Kent line which is also used as a loop off the South Eastern Main Line . The current station, which dates back to 1857, is constructed of yellow stock brick with stone dressing. Behind it survives, rather unusually, a wooden clapboard building. The facade is symmetrical, with three windows, three entrance doors, and three windows. The original doors, sash windows, skirting, tiling, and banisters are present inside. The original corniced ceiling of
616-589: The London Midland Region , Southern Region , Western Region , and Eastern Region. Sectorisation of BR changed this setup by organising by the traffic type: commuter services in the south-east of England, long-distance intercity services, local services in the UK regions, parcels and freight. The aim was to introduce greater budgetary efficiency and managerial accountability by building a more market-focused and responsive business, rather than privatising BR completely. It
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#1732854658127672-523: The Mid-Kent line on 1 January 1857 a new station was built to the west so both lines could be served. For a period Old Lewisham Station was also kept open. Eleven passengers were killed in the 1857 Lewisham rail crash when a train ran into the back of a stationary train. In 1898 the South Eastern Railway and the London Chatham and Dover Railway agreed to work as one railway company under
728-537: The Southern Railway . The line was electrified with other SECR suburban routes in 1926. Hayes, West Wickham and Elmers End stations were all damaged by enemy bombs during the Second World War , in 1940. After World War II and following nationalisation on 1 January 1948, the line became part of British Railways Southern Region. In 1956 platform lengths were extended to accommodate 10-car trains. During
784-546: The 1960s the local goods yards at Catford Bridge, Lower Sydenham, Clock House, Elmers End, West Wickham and Hayes all closed as did the gas works internal railway at Lower Sydenham. Colour light signalling was introduced south of Ladywell (as far as New Beckenham) on 4 April 1971. The line was fully converted to colour light operation in September 1975 under the control of London Bridge Signalling Centre. The old mechanical signal boxes closed at this time. Upon sectorisation in 1982,
840-399: The 1960s, these lines became seriously run down with a lack of investment and a reduction of services. By the late 1980s, the 25-year-old Class 115s needed replacement; the lines had low speed limits and were still controlled by semaphore signalling from the early 1900s; and Marylebone was served only by infrequent local trains to and from High Wycombe and Aylesbury. Numerous plans for
896-518: The Integrated Kent franchise. The services operated by South Eastern Trains transferred to Southeastern on 1 April 2006. The loop line to St Johns was doubled in 2013. There was formerly a bus terminus within the station, but this was relocated to Thurston Road as part of the Lewisham Gateway project. In 1971 and 1972, parliamentary approval was given for construction of Phases 2 and 3 of
952-461: The London area; InterCity , operating principal express services; and London & South East (renamed Network SouthEast in 1986) who operated commuter services in the London area. Following de-nationalisation of British Rail on 1 April 1994 the infrastructure to St Johns station became the responsibility of Railtrack whilst a business unit operated the train services. On 13 October 1996 operation of
1008-499: The MK&;NKJR built an extension from a new junction station at New Beckenham to Croydon (Addiscombe Road) which again was operated by the SER. The line diverged from the 1857 line to the west of Beckenham Junction and a new station was built in the junction area. This was re-located northwards two years later. In September 1866 a short spur was opened from the north end of Ladywell station to
1064-567: The Moorgate branch of the Great Northern route ( Highbury & Islington , Essex Road , Old Street and Moorgate ) used to have the NSE era colour schemes after going through 3 privatised operators ( WAGN , First Capital Connect and Great Northern ) until late-2018. NSE signage and logos can be found across the Island Line, Isle of Wight , with particularly well-maintained examples existing at
1120-478: The Regions – and the sector came into existence with barely thirty staff based at Waterloo. On 10 June 1986, L&SE was relaunched as Network SouthEast, along with a new red, white and blue livery. The relaunch was intended to be more than a superficial rebranding and was underpinned by considerable investment in the presentation of stations and trains, as well as efforts to improve service standards. This approach
1176-468: The Ryde Pier Head and Shanklin ticket offices. Kew Gardens station in London still has the NSE logo on a plaque in the booking hall marking the station's reopening by Michael Portillo in 1989. Marylebone station , also in London, was refurbished by NSE in the 1980s and still has the company's logo in the form of three parallelograms in relief over the main entrance. The last train still in NSE livery
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#17328546581271232-742: The Second World War and following nationalisation on 1 January 1948, the station fell under the auspices of British Railways Southern Region. On 4 December 1957, the Lewisham rail crash occurred to the west of the station; there were 90 fatalities. As part of the London Bridge re-signalling, a new loop line was opened with a reversible track down to the west (Fast Line) side of St Johns, which opened up on 1 April 1976. Upon sectorisation in 1982, three passenger sectors were created: Provincial (later renamed Regional Railways ) for local services outside of
1288-593: The South Eastern Railway and its bitter rivals the London Chatham and Dover Railway agreed to work as one railway company under the name of the South Eastern and Chatham Railway and thus the stations became an SECR stations. The original Lower Sydenham station was closed and moved half a mile south in 1906 in an attempt to develop a new area for housing. On 14 June 1913 members of the Suffragettes movement planted
1344-487: The existing station was closed and a new station re-opened at the junction) as far as Beckenham Junction (although it was not technically a junction as the West End of London and Crystal Palace Railway ’s line did not open until 3 May 1858). From opening the line was worked by the South Eastern Railway (SER) and served new stations at Ladywell , Catford Bridge , Lower Sydenham and Beckenham (Junction). Seven years later
1400-536: The extension would not be seen in the next decade. Download coordinates as: 51°24′57″N 0°02′07″W / 51.4158°N 0.0353°W / 51.4158; -0.0353 Lewisham station Lewisham is an interchange station in Lewisham , south-east London, for Docklands Light Railway (DLR) and National Rail services. On the National Rail network, it is 7 miles 61 chains (12.5 km) as measured from London Victoria and
1456-510: The extra trains and passengers. What did happen was total route modernisation . This was an ambitious plan to bring the lines into the modern era of rail travel. Class 115s were replaced by new Class 165s . Semaphore signals were replaced by standard colour light signals and ATP was fitted on the line and trains. Speed limits were increased to 75 mph (only 75 due to running on London Underground track between Harrow and Amersham ), all remaining fast loops at stations were removed and
1512-420: The individual sectors becoming directly responsible for all operations other than a few core long-term planning and standards functions. Network SouthEast thus went from a business unit of around 300 staff to a major business operation with 38,000 staff and a £4.7 billion asset value – large enough to be ranked as the 15th-biggest business in the UK. Network SouthEast, like each other sector,
1568-557: The infrastructure. On 27 June 2003, the Strategic Rail Authority decided to strip Connex of the franchise citing poor financial management and run the franchise itself. Connex South Eastern continued to operate the franchise until 8 November 2003; the services transferred to the Strategic Rail Authority 's South Eastern Trains subsidiary the following day. On 30 November 2005, the Department for Transport awarded Govia
1624-422: The line between Bicester North and Aynho Junction was singled. Stations were refurbished and even reconstructed (£10 million spent on stations alone), and signal boxes and the freight depots/sidings were demolished. Regular services to Banbury , and a few specials to Birmingham were introduced and a new maintenance depot was built at Aylesbury. This was a massive undertaking and work began in 1988 and by 1992,
1680-467: The line came under the control of the London & South East sector, which was renamed Network SouthEast in 1986. Goods services were withdrawn in 1964 with the exception of Beckenham Junction which survived until 1982. During the planning of the London Underground Fleet line, now the Jubilee line , it was suggested that the Mid-Kent line be taken over. However a more northerly alignment
1736-561: The line, returning the line to the state it was before the Beeching Axe. Network SouthEast started a programme of replacing old rolling stock up to privatisation. On 1 April 1994, as part of the privatisation of British Rail, Network SouthEast was divided up into train operating units which would later become passenger franchises: One element of NSE that remained in public ownership was the Waterloo & City Line; too small to be operated as
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1792-515: The line. The line would have to be converted for the Bakerloo line; TfL has stated that all stations along the line would be made step-free from street to train. Bromley Council is supportive of the extension to Lewisham, but does not support the extension to Hayes and Beckenham Junction. Due to the financial situations resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic , work to implement the extension is currently on hold. In March 2021, TfL's finance chief stated that
1848-483: The lines were proposed. One serious plan was to close the line between Marylebone and South Ruislip / Harrow-on-the-Hill , and convert Marylebone into a coach station. Metropolitan line trains would be extended to Aylesbury and BR services from Aylesbury would be routed to London Paddington via High Wycombe . Also the line north of Princes Risborough would close. However, this did not happen as Baker Street and London Paddington would not have been able to cope with
1904-475: The main hall is currently concealed by a lowered fake ceiling. Platform 3 has kept its original canopy with its elaborate cast iron brackets which depict cherries. Some of the original chamfered wood and cast iron supports of the original canopy survive on Platform 2. The station has similarities with other listed stations built at around the same time such as the listed Ladywell railway station , Blackheath railway station and Gravesend railway station which has
1960-411: The name of the South Eastern and Chatham Railway . Following the Railways Act 1921 (also known as the Grouping Act), Lewisham became a Southern Railway station on 1 January 1923. The Mid-Kent line was electrified with services commencing on 28 February 1926. The North Kent Line was electrified with the (750 V DC third rail) system. Electrification was initially to Dartford (6 June 1926) and
2016-425: The network went as far west as Exeter and also covered the inner East of England . Before 1986, the sector was originally known as London & South Eastern . During the privatisation of British Rail , it was gradually divided into a number of franchises. Before the sectorisation of British Rail (BR) in 1982 the system was split into largely autonomous regional operations: those operating around London were
2072-567: The network, which had become run down after years of under-investment. The most extreme example was the Chiltern Lines. The Chiltern Line ran on two railway lines ( Chiltern Main Line and London to Aylesbury Line ) from London Marylebone to Aylesbury and Banbury . These lines were former GWR and GCR intercity lines to Wolverhampton and Nottingham respectively. After the Beeching Axe in
2128-431: The passenger services passed to Connex South Eastern who were originally due to run the franchise until 2011. On 22 November 1999 Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott opened the 4·2 km Lewisham extension of London's Docklands Light Railway with trains running through to Bank. Following a number of accidents and financial issues Railtrack plc was sold to Network Rail on 3 October 2002 who became responsible for
2184-487: The planned Fleet line . Phase 3 of the proposal would have extended the line from Fenchurch Street to Lewisham, with new platforms constructed underground. Further plans for Phase 4 of the extension considered the line taking over the mainline tracks on the Addiscombe and Hayes branch lines. Preliminary construction works were carried out elsewhere on the extension before the plan was postponed by lack of funds. Following
2240-622: The possibility of extending the Bakerloo line from Elephant & Castle to Lewisham, and then taking over the Hayes branch line. Network Rail states that this would free up six paths per hour into central London and so increasing capacity on the Tonbridge main line , which would also relieve the junctions around Lewisham. Lewisham is the southern terminus of the DLR, the previous station being Elverson Road . It
2296-502: The recently opened South Eastern Main Line avoiding Lewisham station, which it joins at Parks Bridge Junction. The Elmers End – Hayes section was built by the West Wickham & Hayes Railway, but was sold to the South Eastern Railway in 1881, opening on 29 May 1882. Intermediate stations were opened at Eden Park and West Wickham . Clock House station was opened in June 1890. In 1898
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2352-456: The route had been completely modernised, demand for the service had grown considerably and the route had become profitable. Since modernisation the route has seen further improvements (see Chiltern Main Line ). Electrification was considered but was deemed to be too expensive as the Thames Line sector would then have to be electrified as well. Another reason electrification did not take place
2408-400: The same elaborate cast iron supporting brackets as can be found at Lewisham. Platforms 5 and 6 are served by Docklands Light Railway trains to Bank and Stratford . The Docklands Light Railway station opened in 1999 following a southward extension from Island Gardens . The original canopy over Platform 4 was demolished at some point after 1990. The original canopy over the main entrance
2464-560: The station during the peak hours. The typical off-peak DLR service from Lewisham is 12 trains per hour to and from Bank . Additional services run to and from the station during the peak hours, increasing the service to up to 22 trains per hour, with up to 8 trains per hour running to and from Stratford instead of Bank. London Buses routes 21 , 47 , 75 , 89 , 129 , 136 , 178 , 181 , 185 , 199 , 208 , 225 , 261 , 273 , 284 , 321 , 380 , 436 , 484 , P4 , school route 621 and night routes N21 , N89 , N136 and N199 serve
2520-512: The station. Lewisham previously had an adjoining bus station for terminating routes. The station closed on 28 February 2014 for the major Lewisham Gateway redevelopment project. Network SouthEast Network SouthEast (NSE) was one of the three passenger sectors of British Rail created in 1982. NSE mainly operated commuter rail trains within Greater London and inter-urban services in densely populated South East England , although
2576-592: The trademark of Network SouthEast's brandname, logo and typeface. The group wanted to obtain the trademark to help Network SouthEast's name and legacy live on following its demise and educate about NSE. In 2017, the Railway Heritage Trust collaborated with train operator Govia Thameslink Railway to recreate the Network SouthEast image at Downham Market station as a commemorative measure. The station has been equipped with paintwork and signage that mimic
2632-477: Was demolished in 2009 at a cost of £790k and replaced with a steel version. From December 2009, Lewisham was fitted with electric ticket gates, in line with the Government's new strategy to give all Greater London National Rail stations Oyster card accessibility and closing access to those who attempt to travel without tickets. This was controversial as it involved the closure of the gate on Platform 4 and led to
2688-414: Was disbanded with its operations transferred to train operating units ready for privatisation . Although NSE ceased to exist in 1994, the grouping of services that it defined before privatisation remain grouped by the Network Railcard, which can be bought for £30 and which offers a 34% discount for adults and 60% discount for accompanying children after 10:00 on weekdays and all day at weekends (subject to
2744-407: Was electrified on 16 July 1933, allowing Sidcup and Orpington local electric services to call. The Nunhead line was electrified in summer 1935 and opened to electric traffic on 30 September 1935, with services from Bexleyheath and Sidcup to St Paul's (later renamed Blackfriars). This service was cancelled during the Second World War as an economy measure, and recommenced on 12 August 1946. After
2800-473: Was expected that the London and South East sector would cover most of its operating costs from revenues, in contrast to heavily subsidised rural services. Upon sectorisation, the London & South Eastern sector took over responsibility for passenger services in the south-east of England, working with the existing BR business units of Regions and Functions to deliver the overall service. Day-to-day operation, staffing and timetabling continued to be delivered by
2856-428: Was extended to Gillingham by the Second World War. In 1929 large-scale remodelling of the junction was undertaken to enable cross-London freight traffic to be routed via Nunhead and Loughborough Junction . The new route utilised part of the former Greenwich Park branch (which had closed in 1917) and included an overpass . The loop between Lewisham and the main line towards Hither Green, which had opened in 1929,
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#17328546581272912-598: Was given primary responsibility for various assets (rolling stock, tracks, stations), and control resided with the primary user. Other sectors could negotiate access rights and rent facilities, using their own resources. NSE was able to exert much greater control and accountability over both its operating budget and service quality than BR could under its Regions. Relations were generally good between NSE and other sectors, although operating pressures sometimes forced staff to use equipment and assets belonging to other sectors to meet immediate needs. On 1 April 1994, Network SouthEast
2968-528: Was instead taken. The section from Elmers End to Addiscombe was closed in 1997 and taken over by Tramlink operations. Since the late 2000s, Transport for London (TfL) has been planning an extension of the Bakerloo line from Elephant & Castle to Lewisham via Old Kent Road . Following completion of the Lewisham extension, TfL proposes extending the line over the existing National Rail line to Hayes and Beckenham Junction, adding an additional 10 stations to
3024-472: Was largely brought about by a new director, Chris Green , who had presided over similar transformation and rebranding of ScotRail . The relaunch was marked by the first 'Network Day', on 21 June 1986. For £3 passengers could travel anywhere within the Network. 200 extra services were provided and over 200,000 passengers took advantage of the offer. There was a second Network Day on 13 September, and others in subsequent years, though passengers for these required
3080-555: Was that some part of the line ran on London Underground tracks, which were electrified as 4-rail 660 V DC, while British Rail preferred 25 kV AC overhead traction for lines north of London. Success of the modernisation implemented by NSE has made it possible for the Chiltern Main Line to compete with the West Coast Main Line between London and Birmingham, and there are now plans to increase speeds and quadruple sections of
3136-508: Was withdrawn on 15 September 2007 when 465193 , was sent for revinyling. In 2002, the Network SouthEast Railway Society was formed to keep the memories of NSE alive by re-promoting through merchandise that they make to raise money for their 4-CIG EMU No.1753 which was named 'Chris Green' at the NSE 30 event at Finmere, Oxfordshire by the ex-NSE boss himself. On 28 August 2015, the Network SouthEast Railway Society obtained
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