Title Page - Introduction - Photo Project - Photographer - Records - The Railway - The Gravesend Branch Railway - Finally

 

The Waterloo link from Southfleet Junction (CTRL) to Fawkham Junction (Railtrack Main Line) is over part of the route of the former Gravesend West Branch Line. Construction work on this part of the CTRL is included in Stage 1.

The following historical notes may be of interest.

 

The Gravesend Railway Company was authorised to build a double track railway from the main line between Farningham Road and Fawkham stations (London Chatham and Dover Railway) and Gravesend on 18th July 1881. The LCDR was to operate the line. On July 24th 1882 the railway was given permission to build a pier on the river Thames and carry the railway on to it

On June 29th 1883 the railway was taken over by the LCDR.

Remains of West Street Pier, Gravesend

Summer 2004

The London, Tilbury and Southend Railway planned to link up with the line by building a tunnel under the river Thames from Tilbury to Gravesend.

The stations were Gravesend, later renamed Gravesend West Street, Rosherville and Southfleet. Gravesend West Street was renamed Gravesend West on 26th September 1949.

The line opened on 17th April 1886, the first passenger services being on the 10th of May 1886. All trains were through to/from London and there were express services linking with river steamers to Walton on the Naze, Clacton and Southend.

Bridge Construction work B255 road near Longfield

November 1999

 

Rosherville station served Rosherville Gardens and was destaffed from June 17th 1928, the gardens having closed in 1910. Following the closure of the gardens most through London services were withdrawn and substituted with push pull trains to Farningham Road. Rosherville station was closed on 16th July 1933.

The Batavia Line introduced a steamer service to Rotterdam in 1916, through boat trains running from London Victoria to Gravesend West Street Pier. The steamer service ceased in 1939 and after the second world war it was restarted but to Tilbury.

Bridge Construction B260 road near Longfield

November 1999

The branch station at Longfield where the branch line crossed the Longfield to Betsham Road comprised two wooden platforms and was called Longfield, the station on the LCDR main line being called Fawkham for Hartley and Longfield.

Following closure of the branch the name of the latter was changed to Longfield on 12th June 1961.

Passenger trains were withdrawn on 3rd August 1953 and the line singled in 1959. The freight service was withdrawn from 24th March 1968 but coal trains for the APCM (Blue Circle) cement works at Northfleet continued until 1976.

The trackbed was retained after closure, first by B.R., then Railtrack, and used to route a high voltage feeder cable to a converter/3rd rail supply station at Fawkham Junction for powering the main line.

Constructing Downs Road Bridge, Southfleet Jct.

November 1999

 

Bridges carrying the branch railway over the A2 ( London - Dover ) road were demolished in January/February 1991 and I took the only photographs of the removal of the double track span at 5am on Sunday 2nd February. The temperatuire at the time was -3 degrees C. The main contractor was Gregory Demolition. The work was managed by Kent County Council on behalf of the Ministry of Transport.

Bridge over the A2 road at an early stage of demolition.

Left span single track, right span double track. Extreme right the original brick arch bridge.

( View from bridge in background of image below )

Double track span on day of demolition.

A night shot. Gas cutting a deck section of the double track span prior to lifting.

Title Page - Introduction - Photo Project - Photographer - Records - The Railway - The Gravesend Branch Railway - Finally