126-530: The Kingston loop line is a railway line built by the London and South Western Railway (L&SWR) in South West London. It was built in two stages, the first of which was opened in 1863 and ran from Twickenham to Kingston . Travel from Kingston to London by that route was a rather circuitous trip. Later, the line was extended from Kingston to Wimbledon in 1869. The line ran independently alongside
252-518: A circular service started from Euston via Willesden and Waterloo to London Bridge. The SER was clearly reluctant to encourage this service, and diverted it to Cannon Street. It struggled on until ceasing on 31 December 1867. A few van shunts, and also the Royal Train, were the only movements over the line after that. The SER decided to instead build its own station at Waterloo, now known as Waterloo East , requiring passengers to transfer to-and-from
378-602: A dedicated station on the south side of the LSWR station, opening it in 1854. It was independent of the LSWR, but it chartered daily funeral trains to from Waterloo to Brookwood for mourners and the deceased. First, second and third class accommodation was provided on the trains. The Necropolis Station was demolished and replaced by a new one beyond Westminster Bridge Road railway bridge; its new station had two platforms, and opened on 16 February 1902. The service continued until May 1941. The Charing Cross Railway (CCR), supported by
504-439: A direct service to Waterloo soon made itself felt; there were only two through trains each way at first but in time a roundabout service (referred to as such in LSWR publicity) was operated, Waterloo to Waterloo via Wimbledon, Kingston and Twickenham. By 1909 there were 39 trains from Waterloo to Kingston via Wimbledon each weekday, with a running time of 37 minutes over the 12 miles off peak, and by omitting some stops, 25 minutes in
630-648: A distinct section of the Wimbledon station, east of Wimbledon Hill Road, while the LBSCR lines and the TM&;WR used a location east of the road overbridge. There was no connection at Malden between the Kingston line and the main line. The Wimbledon and Dorking Railway line had opened in 1859 and made a junction with the main line at that time. The location was called Epsom Junction, at the place where Raynes Park station
756-553: A diveunder had been created for the Up Epsom line, so that it ran into the up Local Line without interference with the other tracks. This was commissioned on 16 March 1884. The original Kingston line left the Richmond to Windsor line by a flat junction at Twickenham. As train frequencies increased, the junction became a source of congestion, and a flyover for the up Kingston line was opened on 22 October 1883. The Up line continued to
882-479: A great arc round from Twickenham, and there had been several schemes for more direct connections, to the south-west and to the north-east, and particularly the City of London. All of these had failed, but the LSWR saw the imperative of making some better connection itself. The solution was a Kingston Further Extension Line, authorised by an Act of 19 June 1865 with supplementary share capital of £120,000. It had agreed with
1008-441: A harbour for cross channel services and for Isle of Wight ferries. Although the LSWR's area of influence was not the home of large-scale heavy industry, the transport of goods and mineral traffic was a major activity, and the company built a large marshalling yard at Feltham . Freight, docks and shipping business provided almost 40 per cent of turnover by 1908. The company handled the rebuilding of London Waterloo station as one of
1134-571: A heavily built-up area was expensive and slow. Four extra platforms were opened on 3 August 1860 on the north-west side of the original station, but separated from it by the cab road. These extended as far as what is today platform 16 and were always known as the Windsor station. There was an extra track between platforms 2 and 3 and this was the line connecting to the South Eastern Railway ; it opened on 1 July 1865. The South Station
1260-570: A hub for secondary routes. The London and Southampton Railway opened in 1838, part of the way, and in 1840 throughout. Its promoters wanted to make a branch line to Portsmouth, but in those early days the cost of a direct route was impossibly daunting. The company renamed itself the London and South Western Railway, and instead built a branch line from Bishopstoke (Eastleigh) to Gosport , opening on 7 February 1842. Portsmouth could be reached from Gosport by ferry. The importance of Portsmouth attracted
1386-409: A junction which led north to Loughborough Junction . This route was brought into use on 1 March 1866, and the LSWR passenger service to Ludgate Hill began on Easter Tuesday 3 April 1866. The first service was from Kingston via Clapham Junction, Brixton , and Loughborough junction. The LSWR had its own booking office at Ludgate Hill, which it maintained until 1890. Kingston was at the southern end of
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#17327721925921512-477: A line from Pirbright Junction, on the main line near Brookwood, to a junction near Farnham via Aldershot. The new line opened in 1870. A curve was opened in 1879 at Aldershot Junctions enabling direct running from Guildford to Aldershot; the original line via Tongham declined as a result. The local network was electrified in 1937 and the Tongham line was closed to passengers at that time. The Bordon Light Railway
1638-536: A network of routes in Hampshire , Surrey and Berkshire , including Portsmouth and Reading . The LSWR became famous for its express passenger trains to Bournemouth and Weymouth, and to Devon and Cornwall. Nearer London it developed a dense suburban network and was pioneering in the introduction of a widespread suburban electrified passenger network. It was the prime mover of the development of Southampton Docks , which became an important ocean terminal as well as
1764-612: A new independent platform at the north side of Twickenham station, joining the up Windsor line at the east end. In the first decade of the twentieth century, the LSWR was increasingly aware of the competitive disadvantage of its steam operated suburban passenger services, and the decision was taken to electrify certain routes. There was to be a two-stage process, and the Kingston Loop (and the Shepperton branch line) were in stage one. The third rail system at 660 V DC
1890-482: A peak shuttle service operated from Custom House to Gallions. Passengers for the North Greenwich branch changed at Millwall Junction . The Blackwall and North Greenwich passenger services were scheduled for closure on 30 June 1926 but the general strike brought that forward to 3 May. The station was rebuilt in 1935 to address overcrowding and provide better accommodation for Southend line services. When
2016-534: A replacement DLR station for Tower Gateway as Transport for London have looked into closing Tower Gateway and constructing a replacement on the Bank branch to increase capacity. A number of goods depots were established near Fenchurch Street owing to the station's proximity to the City of London. This table lists the depots connected to the line between the station and Christian Street Junction just east of Leman Street : The poet John Betjeman passed through
2142-492: A rival port—at being given simply as branch and thereby a roundabout route to London, killed the prospects of such a line. Portsmouth people wanted their own direct line, but in trying to play off the L&;SR against the London and Brighton Railway they were unable to secure the committed funds they needed. The L&SR now promoted a cheaper line to Gosport , on the opposite side of Portsmouth Harbour , shorter and simpler than
2268-476: A service from Bow into Fenchurch Street and the L&BR withdrew its service, closing the line between Gas Factory Junction and Bow & Bromley. The station had two heavily used platforms and a double track line from Stepney onwards. Following a reduced income at Blackwall (the South Eastern Railway had opened a direct line from Gravesend to London), LBR shareholders voted to align with
2394-428: A stairway to the booking hall. Steam locomotives did not use the station until 1849 because before this time trains were dragged uphill from Blackwall to Minories, and ran to Fenchurch Street via their own momentum. The reverse journey eastwards required a manual push from railway staff. William Marshall's railway bookstall established at the station in 1841 was the first to be opened in the City of London. Following
2520-555: A suburban network was developing, and this gathered pace in the following decades. The Chertsey branch line opened from Weybridge to Chertsey on 14 February 1848. The Richmond line was extended, reaching Windsor in 1849, while a loop line from Barnes via Hounslow rejoining the Windsor line near Feltham had been opened in 1850. In 1856 a friendly company, the Staines, Wokingham and Woking Junction Railway, opened its line from Staines to Wokingham , and running powers over
2646-437: A terminus and was unsuitable for dealing with the eastward extension, so a new high level station was built alongside for the purpose; the high level was dictated by the need to cross Richmond Road. A level crossing had been proposed earlier, but it was realised that this was impracticable. Terminating trains at Kingston from Twickenham continued to use the low-level station. For some time, the Kingston to Ludgate Hill trains used
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#17327721925922772-479: A third exit on Cooper's Row to make connections with Tower Hill easier. In 2019, a planning application was submitted to the City of London (planning authority) for permission to revamp the station building. In the 1970s, Fenchurch Street was considered to be an integral part of the proposed Fleet line (now called the Jubilee line ), which would have given the station an Underground connection. An extension from
2898-580: Is a central London railway terminus in the southeastern corner of the City of London . It takes its name from its proximity to Fenchurch Street , a key thoroughfare in the City. The station and all trains are operated by c2c . Services run on lines built by the London and Blackwall Railway (L&BR) and the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway (LTSR) are to destinations in east London and south Essex , including Upminster , Grays , Basildon , Southend and Shoeburyness . The station opened in 1841 to serve
3024-414: Is built adjacent to it. Following rail privatisation in 1994, the station was run by Network Rail . Since 1996, the station has been served by c2c (which was sold by National Express to Trenitalia in 2017) who have a franchise to run services until 2029. Fenchurch Street is in the central London Travelcard zone 1 like other terminal stations in the city, but it does not have a direct link to
3150-565: Is given on Sundays, including some terminations at Kingston, running from Waterloo via Hounslow to Twickenham and reversing there. London and South Western Railway The London and South Western Railway ( LSWR , sometimes written L&SWR ) was a railway company in England from 1838 to 1922. Originating as the London and Southampton Railway , its network extended to Dorchester and Weymouth , to Salisbury , Exeter and Plymouth , and to Padstow , Ilfracombe and Bude . It developed
3276-537: Is one of the smallest railway terminals in London in terms of platforms, but one of the most intensively operated. It is the only London terminal with no direct interchange with the London Underground . Plans to connect it stalled in the early 1980s because of the lack of progress on the Jubilee line , but it is within 350 yards (320 m) of both the Tower Hill station on the London Underground and
3402-557: The gauge wars . In the early days government held that several competing railways could not be sustained in any particular area of the country, and a commission of experts referred to informally as the "Five Kings" was established by the Board of Trade to determine the preferred development, and therefore the preferred company, in certain districts, and this was formalised in the Railway Regulation Act 1844 . The LSWR
3528-654: The First World War it successfully handled the huge volume of traffic associated with bringing personnel, horses and equipment to the English channel ports, and the repatriation of the injured. It was a profitable company, paying a dividend of 5% or more from 1871. Following the Railways Act 1921 the LSWR amalgamated with other railways to create the Southern Railway , on 1 January 1923, as part of
3654-645: The Gravesend–Tilbury Ferry and cruise services) Basildon , Southend Central and Shoeburyness . As of the June 2024 timetable the typical Monday to Friday off-peak service is: During peak periods services are increased up to 20 trains per hour. Most peak services have 12 cars. Although the station's capacity is small compared to other London terminals, it has a high footfall, averaging around 16 million passengers annually. A report in 2001 showed approximately 3,000 people commuted daily from Castle Point to
3780-527: The London Underground . The nearest stations on the London Underground network are Tower Hill about 0.2 miles (0.32 km) to the southeast and Aldgate around 0.3 miles (0.48 km) to the northeast. The area around Fenchurch Street is one of the oldest inhabited parts of London; the name "Fenchurch" derives from the Latin faenum (hay) and refers to hay markets in the area. The station
3906-558: The South Eastern Railway (SER), opened from London Bridge to Charing Cross on 11 January 1864. Under the terms of the Charing Cross Railway Act 1859 ( 22 & 23 Vict. c. lxxxi), the CCR was required to build a spur from its line to the LSWR at Waterloo. The single-track connection ran through the station concourse between platforms 2 and 3 and there was a movable bridge to allow passengers to cross. On 6 July 1865
Kingston loop line - Misplaced Pages Continue
4032-490: The Southampton main line from Malden to Wimbledon - where the line connected to other railway lines, which gave access to Ludgate Hill in the City of London, as well as to Waterloo . When the main line was widened to four tracks in 1884, a direct junction between the Kingston line and the main line was made at New Malden. A grade-separated junction was made to avoid conflicts with main line trains, and after that time
4158-564: The Tower Gateway station on the Docklands Light Railway . The station frontage is on Fenchurch Place, adjacent to Fenchurch Street in the City of London . The station has two entrances: one on Fenchurch Place and another on Cooper's Row, near Tower Hill. It has four platforms arranged on two islands elevated on a viaduct. The station has been Grade II listed since 1972 and the conference venue One America Square
4284-612: The West London Extension Railway , then reaching the LCDR at Longhedge Junction. From there Ludgate Hill was accessible via Loughborough Junction. The Kingston to Malden link also opened on 1 January 1869; running through independently of the main line to Wimbledon, it joined the Epsom line at Epsom Junction, later Raynes Park station . The Kingston and Epsom lines ran to a separate station at Wimbledon at first; this
4410-424: The City of London. The approaches to Ludgate Hill via Loughborough Junction were circuitous and slow, and inaccessible to passengers using main line trains, and outer suburban trains, at Waterloo. The City and South London Railway opened in 1890 as a deep level tube railway. Although it had limitations, it showed the idea to be practical and popular, and the LSWR saw that this was a way forward. The company encouraged
4536-566: The ECR and jointly construct the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway (LTSR) from Tilbury to Forest Gate Junction. Services would split at Stratford , one service to Bishopsgate and the other to Fenchurch Street along the reopened line via Bow & Bromley (although the station did not reopen). To accommodate this service a third line was built between Stepney and Fenchurch Street which was enlarged at this time. The new service commenced on 13 April 1854 using ECR locomotives and stock. To accommodate
4662-458: The Gosport branch. It opened in 1894, but it never had through trains on to the LSWR. It closed to passengers in 1931 and completely in 1935. The LSWR opened a line from Guildford to Farnham in 1849, extending to Alton in 1852. At the time the establishment of the army garrison at Aldershot led to a massive increase in population there, and consequently demand for travel, and the LSWR constructed
4788-454: The Kingston loop is considered to extend from Twickenham to New Malden only. The Shepperton branch line, opened in 1864, was connected into the Kingston Loop at Strawberry Hill and a triangular junction was later formed there. The line was electrified in 1916 and a very frequent and attractive train service was put on, encouraging a considerable increase in passenger volume. Usage and train frequency have declined somewhat in recent years, but
4914-594: The Kingston tracks were incorporated with the main line to form an ordinary quadruple track section; the Local Lines were on the outside. The four tracks. The junction for Kingston was changed; the Up Kingston line directly joined the Up Local Line on the north side of the main line. There is some dispute over the exact date, but it was probably brought into use on Tuesday, 25 March 1884. A few days earlier
5040-654: The L&BR and was rebuilt in 1854 when the LTSR, a joint venture between the L&BR and the Eastern Counties Railway (ECR), began operating. The ECR also operated trains out of Fenchurch Street to relieve congestion at its other London terminus at Bishopsgate . In 1862 the Great Eastern Railway was created by amalgamating various East Anglian railway companies (including the ECR) and it shared
5166-408: The L&SR included in its bill a change of name to the London and South Western Railway under section 2. Construction of the Gosport branch was at first quick and simple under the contractor Thomas Brassey . Stations were built at Bishopstoke (the new junction station; later renamed Eastleigh) and Fareham . An extremely elaborate station was built at Gosport , tendered at £10,980, seven times
Kingston loop line - Misplaced Pages Continue
5292-467: The LBSCR line there, was made. The LSWR route relied on running powers over the LBSCR route from Havant to Portcreek Junction. The LBSCR was very disputatious at this period, and there was an undignified stand-off at Havant before mature arrangements were agreed. The Portsmouth station was about a mile (about 1.5 km) from piers at which the Isle of Wight ferries might be boarded, and as the popularity of
5418-425: The LBSCR route from Brighton. The actual point of junction was on a spur near Cosham, and it was agreed that the line into Portsmouth from there would be jointly operated. This still fell short of the expectations of Portsmouth people, as the choice was via Brighton, reversing there, or via Bishopstoke. A branch line from Woking to Guildford and Godalming had been opened, and now a line from Godalming to Havant, joining
5544-400: The LBSCR three miles north of Streatham Junction. The LCDR connection gave direct access to Ludgate Hill, and friendly relations now existed between the LSWR and the LBSCR, such that running powers were agreed to bridge the gap. All the route sections were ready and LSWR trains started using the route on 1 January 1869. The LSWR continued to be concerned about the remoteness of Waterloo from
5670-482: The LSWR and the LBSCR. The purported object of this short line was to alleviate the transfer to the ferries; by this time the through trains from London ran through to Portsmouth Harbour, so the benefit of changing trains to get to another pier was non-existent, and the Southsea Railway was a commercial failure. In an attempt to arrest the decline, railmotors were built to operate the line; these were reputedly
5796-418: The LSWR on foot. The inconvenience of the location of Waterloo as a London terminal continued to exercise the Board of the LSWR. At this time the London, Chatham and Dover Railway was building its own line to the city, but was in financial difficulty having overreached itself. It therefore welcomed an approach from the LSWR to use its Ludgate Hill station in the City of London, when a financial contribution
5922-409: The LSWR routes duplicated former Great Western Railway routes, and in the 1960s they were closed or substantially reduced in scope. Some unsuccessful rural branch lines nearer the home counties closed too in the 1960s and later, but much of the LSWR network continues in busy use to the present day. The London and South Western Railway arose out of the London and Southampton Railway (L&SR), which
6048-493: The LSWR the facility of getting goods trains to and from Deptford Wharf on the LBSCR. The Tooting, Merton and Wimbledon Railway opened on 1 October 1868, and on 1 January 1869 the Knights Hill Junction to Herne Hill line was ready. On that day the Kingston – Malden – Wimbledon line was opened, and the Kingston to Ludgate Hill passenger service was started on the same day. The original Kingston station had been
6174-430: The LSWR trains were the only ones using Ludgate Hill. That came to an end with electrification of the LSWR. Until 1939 there were a few night trains that were steam hauled. The electric traction was switched off at night, as it was fed by rotary converters which had to be manned. The night steam operation saved the expense of the staffing. When Kingston station first opened in 1863 there were 15 up and 13 down trains on
6300-460: The LTSR services. After the Railways Act 1921 the country's railways were grouped into four companies, with effect from 1 January 1923. At Fenchurch Street, the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMSR) took over operations of the MR, whilst GER services were taken over by the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER). Direct trains to Gallions were usually routed via Bromley at off-peak hours and
6426-516: The London, Chatham and Dover Railway on access to Ludgate Hill station, in the city, for its suburban trains. The line was therefore to continue the Kingston branch through Norbiton , and to burrow under the LSWR main line near the present-day New Malden. The line would then continue independently alongside the main line on its south side, to Wimbledon station . At Wimbledon it would join the Tooting, Merton and Wimbledon Railway , when it opened. That
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#17327721925926552-513: The NLR shuttle from Bow in 1869, which it operated until April 1892 when the second Bow Road railway station opened along with a passenger foot connection to the NLR station. Subsequent services into Fenchurch Street were operated by the GER and the LTSR, and three years later the viaduct from Stepney to Fenchurch Street was widened to accommodate a fourth track. Despite this, overcrowding of LTSR services
6678-504: The North London Railway gave access to Fenchurch Street and the City of London for residential travel. The company had been working passenger trains into Richmond and Twickenham, reversing at Kew and Barnes to get there. The LSWR disliked the incursion of alien trains entering its territory, although it gave LSWR passengers access ultimately to Fenchurch Street station , in the City of London, by change of trains. As part of
6804-460: The North London Railway passenger trains were transferred to Richmond, where they used a terminal part of the station. The LSWR had its London terminus at Waterloo. The N&SWJR provided a route to London, but it was very roundabout and usually involved a change of trains. The LSWR found an ally in the London, Chatham and Dover Railway , and the LC&;DR had a station at Ludgate Hill. A connection
6930-462: The North, a total area of 16 acres (6.5ha). Two more tracks were added down the main line from Waterloo to Nine Elms between 1886 and 1892; the seventh line was added on the east side on 4 July 1900, and the eighth in 1905. New platforms 1 to 3 were opened to traffic on 24 January 1909, followed by platform 4 on 25 July 1909 and platform 5 on 6 March 1910. New platforms 6 to 11 followed in 1913. In 1911
7056-621: The Pier Head in 1880. It was not operated by the mainland companies, but by the Isle of Wight's own lines, which used it as an extension of their own routes. In 1923, all the Island lines, including this, transferred to the new Southern Railway as part of the Grouping process. An independent Southsea Railway was promoted, from Fratton station, serving Clarence Pier on the south side of Portsea Island. It opened on 1 July 1885, operated jointly by
7182-508: The Shepperton branch. In the years 1930 to 1937 there was a series of through excursions from Kingston to Kent Coast resorts on Sundays. When the high level part of Kingston station was constructed, there was a limited attempt to integrate it with the original terminus, which continued in use. In October 1934 a project to reconstruct the station was approved; it would cost £40,500. All the old street-level buildings were replaced by an imposing red brick entrance and shop block prominently sited at
7308-626: The South West, the West of England, and even the West Midlands, and the LSWR and its allies continually fought the GWR and its allies to be the first to build a line in a new area. The GWR was built on the broad gauge of 7 ft 1 ⁄ 4 in or 2,140 mm while the LSWR gauge was standard gauge ( 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in or 1,435 mm ), and
7434-537: The Twickenham and Waterloo route and nine each way to and from Fenchurch Street, most of them involving a change at Camden Road . About half the trains were composed of LSWR stock, the rest of North London Railway vehicles. LSWR and NLR locomotives were transferred at Kew. After the opening of the link between Kingston and Malden there were eleven trains daily to Ludgate Hill, passengers for Waterloo changing at Wimbledon and those for Victoria at Herne Hill. Demand for
7560-429: The allegiance of any proposed independent railway was made clear by its intended gauge. The gauge was generally specified in the authorising act of Parliament , and bitter and protracted competition took place to secure authorisation for new lines of the preferred gauge, and to bring about parliamentary rejection of proposals from the rival faction. This rivalry between the GWR and the standard gauge companies became called
7686-503: The best that could be managed, one hour before the departure of each train from Nine Elms, and called at several intermediate piers on the way. To take one hour and only get as far as the starting point of the train was clearly not good enough, not even 150 years ago. The "Metropolitan Extension" to a more central location had been discussed as early as 1836, and a four-track extension was authorised from Nine Elms to what became Waterloo station, at first called Waterloo Bridge station. Opening
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#17327721925927812-450: The changes, the station was enlarged to designs by George Berkley incorporating a 32 metres (105 ft) by 91 metres (299 ft) trussed-arch vaulted roof. Two platforms were added at the same time as was a circulating area for L&BR and LTSR traffic. The NLR, wanting its own London terminus instead of co-sharing Fenchurch Street, extended its railway towards the new Broad Street station in 1865. The railway through Stratford
7938-509: The city via Fenchurch Street, while a 2013 report said it was the busiest station on the LTSR route, with 46,000 daily peak-time passengers. There have been proposals to move the station 380 yards to the east to allow the station to expand to 6 platforms, (up from the current 4) and would be built partly on the site of Tower Gateway DLR station , which would likely be permanently closed. The new station could be built with direct interchange with Tower Hill tube station , which could also have
8064-464: The commercial attraction of expanding westwards remained in the company's thoughts. A more immediate opportunity was taken up, of serving Portsmouth by a branch line. Interests friendly to the L&SR promoted a Portsmouth Junction Railway, which would have run from Bishopstoke ( Eastleigh ) via Botley and Fareham to Portsmouth . However antagonism in Portsmouth—which considered Southampton
8190-409: The corner of Richmond Road and Wood Street. Teddington station was also modernised, with £11,700 spent on improvements. At present (2023) there is generally a half-hour frequency of trains Waterloo to Waterloo round the Kingston Loop in each direction. In addition there is a half-hourly service Waterloo to Shepperton via Kingston. Some limited enhancements take place in the peaks. A more limited service
8316-518: The development of a tube railway from Waterloo to a "City" station, later renamed "Bank". The LSWR sponsored a nominally independent company to construct the line, and the Waterloo and City Railway Company was incorporated by an act of Parliament, the Waterloo and City Railway Act 1893 ( 56 & 57 Vict. c. clxxxvii), of 27 July 1893. The line was only the second bored tube railway in the world; it
8442-565: The earlier proposal, but requiring a ferry crossing. Approval had been given in 1838 for the construction of a so-called floating bridge, a chain ferry , which started operation in 1840. The ferry would give an easy transit across Portsmouth Harbour, and the L&SR secured its act of Parliament, the London and South Western Railway (Portsmouth Branch Railway) Act 1839 ( 2 & 3 Vict. c. xxviii) on 4 June. To soothe feelings in Portsmouth,
8568-494: The end of the track terminus at Charing Cross to Fenchurch Street via Aldwych and Ludgate Circus would have seen the line cross the River Thames and continue southeastwards towards Surrey Docks and Lewisham . A revised route, approved in 1980, would have seen the line follow a more northerly route to Woolwich Arsenal and Beckton . Mott, Hay and Anderson and Sir William Halcrow and Partners began constructing
8694-652: The first in the United Kingdom. The line closed in 1914. The market town of Midhurst wished to secure a railway and the Petersfield Railway was formed to build a line. The LSWR absorbed the local company before construction was complete, and it opened as a simple branch of the LSWR on 1 September 1864. A landowner wished to develop an area on the coast west of Gosport, planning a high class watering place. A railway branch line was, he believed, essential, and he paid for one to be built, connecting with
8820-566: The first part of the Kingston loop line . A single-track Shepperton branch line was laid in 1864, reaching westwards up the Thames Valley. In 1869 the Kingston loop line was completed by the south-eastward extension from Kingston to Wimbledon, with its own dedicated track alongside the main line from Malden to Epsom Junction (Raynes Park), where it joined the former Wimbledon and Dorking Railway lines. The company's first London terminus
8946-497: The first part of the line opened to the public between Nine Elms and Woking Common on 21 May 1838, and it was opened throughout on 11 May 1840. The terminals were at Nine Elms, south of the River Thames and a mile or so southwest of Trafalgar Square , and a terminal station at Southampton close to the docks, which were also directly served by goods trains. The railway was immediately successful, and road coaches from points further west altered their routes so as to connect with
9072-608: The former ECR lines transferred to the Underground's Central line in 1948, the station was served solely by the former LTSR services. Following nationalisation of Britain's railways in 1948, the station transferred under British Railways to the Eastern Region although the old LTSR network west of Gasworks Junction was controlled by the London Midland Region . On 20 February 1949, the whole LTS line
9198-469: The great stations of the world, and the construction of the Waterloo & City line , giving access to the City of London. The main line was quadrupled and several of the junctions on it were given grade-separation. It pioneered the introduction of power signalling. In the Boer War its connections at Aldershot , Portland , and on Salisbury Plain , made it a vital part of the war effort, and later during
9324-560: The grouping of the railways. It was the largest constituent: it operated 862 route miles, and was involved in joint ventures that covered a further 157 miles. In passing its network to the new Southern Railway, it showed the way forward for long-distance travel and outer-suburban passenger operation, and for maritime activity. The network continued without much change through the lifetime of the Southern Railway, and for some years following nationalisation in 1948. In Devon and Cornwall
9450-407: The island developed, the inconvenient transfer through the streets became increasingly prominent. Alternative piers on Portsea Island were built, failing to overcome the problem. A Stokes Bay branch was opened on 6 April 1863, connecting from the Gosport line; it offered direct transfer at its own ferry pier; but it was accessible via Bishopstoke, incurring a roundabout rail journey from London. It
9576-412: The line is still an important residential travel artery; Kingston remains an important shopping centre and attracts off-peak travel. The London and Southampton Railway opened its main line from Nine Elms (London) to Woking Common on 21 May 1838. It had a station called Kingston, but it was some distance from the centre of the town. Considerable residential and commercial development took place around
9702-502: The line shared by the South Eastern Railway and the Great Western Railway gave access for LSWR trains over the remaining few miles from Wokingham to Reading . The Hampton Court branch line was opened on 1 February 1849. South of the main line, the LSWR wished to connect to the important towns of Epsom and Leatherhead . In 1859 the friendly Wimbledon and Dorking Railway opened from Wimbledon, running alongside
9828-714: The line to Charing Cross, but did not finish the project until 1979. Rising costs and high inflation led to London Transport abandoning the eastwards extension via Fenchurch Street in 1981. The line was completed in 1999, using a different route via the Greenwich Peninsula to Stratford , crossing the LTSR line from Fenchurch Street at West Ham . This has altered demand for Fenchurch Street, with passengers from Essex changing there instead. Services from Fenchurch Street run towards East London and south Essex , including Barking , Upminster , Chafford Hundred Lakeside (for Lakeside Shopping Centre ), Tilbury Town (for
9954-469: The line to Loughton was opened, and Fenchurch Street became the usual terminus for its trains, being much more convenient for is City commuters than Bishopsgate. By the 1860s, railways in East Anglia were in financial difficulties, and most lines were leased to the ECR. Although the companies wished to amalgamate they could not obtain government consent until 1862, when the Great Eastern Railway (GER)
10080-458: The main line as far as Epsom Junction, at the site of the later Raynes Park station , then diverging to Epsom, joining there the Epsom and Leatherhead Railway , operated jointly with the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway . Parts of Kingston were three miles (4.8 kilometres) from Surbiton station but in 1863 a line from Twickenham to Kingston railway station (England) was opened, forming
10206-551: The new Kingston station over the years, but the traditional centre of Kingston continued to thrive. The L&SR continued its main line to Southampton, and it changed its title to the London and South Western Railway in 1839. The line was extended eastwards from the Nine Elms terminus, opening a station at Waterloo, and first named Waterloo Bridge, in 1848. The independent Richmond Railway obtained an authorising Act in 1845 to build from Richmond to Falcon Bridge, Wandsworth , at
10332-418: The new four storey frontage block was ready; at last Waterloo had an integrated building for passengers' requirements, staff accommodation and offices. There was a new roof over platforms 1 to 15; platforms 16 to 21 retained their original 1885 roof. Other platforms were rearranged and renewed; beyond the cab road platforms 12 to 15 were allocated to main line arrivals, opening in 1916. The station reconstruction
10458-401: The new railway at convenient interchange points, although goods traffic was slower to develop. The London and Southampton Railway promoters had intended to build a branch from Basingstoke to Bristol , but this proposal was rejected by Parliament in favour of the competing route proposed by the Great Western Railway . The parliamentary fight had been bitter, and a combination of resentment and
10584-523: The new station. Residents of Richmond upon Thames observed the popularity of this facility, and promoted the Richmond Railway from Richmond to Waterloo. The LSWR took over the construction of the extension from Nine Elms to Waterloo itself, and the line from Richmond to Falcon Bridge, at the present-day Clapham Junction, opened in July 1846. The line became part of the LSWR later that year. Already
10710-566: The opening of the London and Blackwall Extension Railway on 2 April 1849, services operated from Fenchurch Street to Bow & Bromley . Some were extended to Victoria Park & Bow where an interchange existed with the Eastern Counties Railway (ECR) from Bishopsgate . On 26 September 1850, the East and West India Docks and Birmingham Junction Railway (renamed the North London Railway (NLR) on 1 January 1853) started operating
10836-525: The peaks. There were by this time only two trains (both in the evening) from Ludgate Hill. At this time there was a daily milk train and six goods workings between Malden and Teddington, serving the intermediate yards. There were two workings from the Midland Railway at Brent ; the chief traffic was house coal, and fuel for the gas works near Hampton Wick When the line was electrified, there were four trains an hour each way, with an additional two for
10962-466: The present day Clapham Junction. It opened its line on 27 July 1846, and soon sold its concern to the LSWR, effective on 31 December 1846. Another independent concern got its Act in 1847; it was called the Windsor, Staines and South Western Railway. Its Act authorised construction from Richmond through Twickenham to Datchet , and a loop line that we now know as the Hounslow Loop . The intention
11088-479: The railway. Reaching Bath and Bristol via Newbury was an early objective. The Great Western Railway (GWR) also planned to reach Bath and Bristol, and it obtained its act of Parliament, the Great Western Railway Act 1835 ( 5 & 6 Will. 4 . c. cvii) on 31 August 1835, which for the time being removed those cities from the LSWR's immediate plans. There remained much attractive territory in
11214-428: The rival London, Brighton and South Coast Railway , which sponsored the construction of a route from Brighton to Portsmouth via Chichester. This opened on 14 June 1847. Portsmouth could now be reached from London via Brighton The LSWR had realised how unsatisfactory its approach to Portsmouth was, and made a connecting line from Fareham. Initially intending to build its own line to Portsmouth, it compromised and joined
11340-490: The river into their town, and a deputation to the LSWR petitioned for that; the LSWR agreed. The contract went to Thomas Brassey for £48,193, and he constructed the three and a half-mile (6 km) line. The line opened on 1 July 1863 with stations at Teddington for Bushey Park , Hampton Wick, and the terminus of (New) Kingston. The Kingston station on the main Southampton line was renamed Surbiton & Kingston on
11466-519: The same day. The North and South Western Junction Railway had opened on 1 August 1853, connecting Willesden Junction on the London and North Western Railway with Kew . The company was sponsored by the LNWR, the Midland Railway and the North London Railway , and was planned to give access from all those companies to the LSWR lines. Much of the traffic was inter-company goods movements, but
11592-474: The service from Fenchurch Street "wholly unacceptable", while Teresa Gorman , Member of Parliament for Billericay , subsequently called it "one of the disgraces of our public railway service for many years". Between 1982 and 1992, the station was operated by Network SouthEast , one of British Rail 's three passenger business sectors, before being handed over to a business unit in preparation for privatisation. In July 1994, shortly before rail privatisation ,
11718-403: The station closed for seven weeks for an £83 million project to replace signals, track and electrification works. It was the first significant closure of a London terminal station, albeit planned and temporary. The development of Lakeside Shopping Centre , near Chafford Hundred and Thurrock, increased demand for services from the station. In 2013, Network Rail announced a £3.4m upgrade creating
11844-595: The station on day-trips to Southend, and described it as a "delightful hidden old terminus". The first documented murder on the British rail network occurred on 9 July 1864, when Franz Muller murdered Thomas Briggs shortly after a train left the station en route to Chalk Farm . Fenchurch Street is one of four railway stations on the standard UK Monopoly board, alongside Liverpool Street , Marylebone and King's Cross . All are former LNER terminal stations. The 2005 football hooliganism film Green Street used
11970-428: The station with the LTSR until 1912, when the latter was bought by the Midland Railway . The station came under ownership of the London & North Eastern Railway (LNER) following the Railways Act 1921 , and was shared by LNER and London Midland & Scottish Railway (LMS) services until nationalisation in 1948. The line from the station was electrified in 1961, and closed for seven weeks in 1994. Fenchurch Street
12096-401: The station, the locomotive was detached and the carriages were allowed to roll into one of the platforms while the guard controlled the brake. The Nine Elms site became dedicated to goods traffic and was much extended to fill the triangle of land eastwards to Wandsworth Road. Over the rest of the LSWR's existence Waterloo station was gradually extended and improved. Expanding its footprint in
12222-517: The tender price for Bishopstoke. However, there was a tunnel at Fareham, and on 15 July 1841 there was a disastrous earth slip at the north end. Opening of the line had been advertised for 11 days later, but the setback forced a delay until 29 November; the ground slipped again four days later, and passenger services were suspended until 7 February 1842. With train services to Gosport operating, Isle of Wight ferry operators altered some sailings to leave from Gosport instead of Portsmouth. Queen Victoria
12348-468: The town: the terrain prevented a closer approach to the steamer berth. As leisure traffic developed this became increasingly, objectionable, and the mitigation provided by the horse drawn street running trams of the Ryde Pier Company from 1871, requiring two transfers for onward travel, was hardly sufficient. The LSWR and the LBSCR together built an extension line to the pier, and it opened to
12474-454: The works for the Kingston line, the LSWR constructed new curves at Kew and Barnes to enable the N&;SWJR trains to run directly, without reversal. Those curves were opened for traffic in readiness, on 1 February 1862, and by running powers already granted, the N&SWJR trains ran through to and to Kingston. In 1869 a more direct line for the trains from Willesden was opened to Richmond, and
12600-470: Was absorbed by the LSWR in 1871 and struggled on until 1915 when part of it ws requisitioned by the Admiralty. This issue of access to steamers was finally resolved in 1876, when the existing joint line at Portsmouth was extended to a Portsmouth Harbour station, where direct transfer was at last possible. In 1864 the Isle of Wight Railway was opened, starting out from a Ryde station on the south-east of
12726-580: Was absorbed with the LSWR on by agreement of 21 December 1864. It joined the Kingston branch at Thames Valley Junction, where Strawberry Hill station was later built. As the Malden and Wimbledon connection had not yet been built, the junction led towards Twickenham, and the Shepperton to London passenger train service naturally ran via Richmond. The Shepperton line became heavily involved with Kempton Park Racecourse , which generated huge volumes of passenger and equine traffic on and around race days, although there
12852-471: Was adopted. The system was commissioned on Sunday 30 January 1916, and a new timetable was brought in, with acceleration of journey times but above all a very frequent train service. This radically improved the popularity of the LSWR's suburban trains. Up until this time there had still been a limited service from Kingston to Ludgate Hill, LCDR, for the city. In fact the LCDR had shifted its City service to use Holborn Viaduct station from 1871, and eventually
12978-459: Was at Nine Elms on the southwestern edge of the built-up area. The wharf frontage on the Thames was advantageous to the railway's objective of competing with coastal shipping transits, but the site was inconvenient for passengers, who had to travel to or from London either by road or by steamer. Passenger steamboats left from Old Swan Pier, Upper Thames Street, not very close to the City centre but
13104-630: Was brought into use on 16 December 1878; it had two new tracks and a double sided platform; the original station now became known as the Central station, while in November 1885 the North Station was opened by extending from the Windsor station towards York Road. It had six new platform faces, so that the total was now 18 platforms, two in the South, six in the Central, four in the Windsor, and six in
13230-554: Was built in 1871. Now that the Kingston lines were being opened alongside the main line, the Epsom line was altered to make a junction with the Kingston lines instead of the main line. East of Wimbledon, there was a connection into the main line in addition to the Tooting route. The LSWR opened a branch line to Shepperton on 1 November 1864. The branch had been planned and constructed by the Thames Valley Railway, which
13356-530: Was constructed to serve large areas of military encampment around Bordon and Longmoor, and in the speculative hope of civilian residential development. It opened on 11 December 1905. The reduction in army manpower after 1945 led to a serious decline in use and the line was closed to passenger traffic from 16 September 1957, and completely in April 1966. Fenchurch Street railway station Fenchurch Street railway station , also known as London Fenchurch Street ,
13482-438: Was dismantled and high-rise office blocks were built above the station leaving the 1854 facade intact. Fenchurch Street station suffered a negative reputation under public ownership. By the end of the 1980s, the former LTSR line was carrying over 50,000 passengers a day on a 50-year old infrastructure. The persistent overcrowding and uncleanliness on trains led to it being dubbed "the misery line". In 1989 Sir Robert Reid called
13608-553: Was electrified, and was 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (3 km) in length; it opened to the public on 8 August 1898. The LSWR absorbed it in 1907. The LSWR's dominant route to Portsmouth was what became the Portsmouth Direct Line, its importance enhanced by the development of leisure travel to the Isle of Wight. Alton followed, later encouraging a local network for the Aldershot military depots, and itself forming
13734-495: Was eventually finished in 1922; the cost of the reconstruction had been £2,269,354. It was officially opened by Queen Mary on 21 March 1922. Following the cholera outbreak of 1848–1849 in London, it was clear that there was a scarcity of burial plots in suburban London. The London Necropolis Company was established in 1852; it set up a cemetery in Brookwood served by a short branch line off the LSWR main line. At Waterloo it built
13860-567: Was fond of travelling to Osborne House on the island, and on 13 September 1845 a 605 yd (553 m) branch to the Royal Clarence Victualling Establishment , where she could transfer from train to ship privately, was opened for her convenience. Between the first proposal for a railway from London to Southampton and the construction, interested parties were considering rail connections to other, more distant, towns that might be served by extensions of
13986-406: Was formed. In common with most railways, signalling was fairly basic and trains were separated by time interval. As traffic levels increased there was a need to improve signalling and, in 1869, the GER introduced absolute block working between Fenchurch Street, Gas Factory Junction and Bow Junction, opening signal boxes at all locations. In the 1870s the flat awning over the station main's entrance
14112-400: Was integrated into the main Wimbledon station during 1869. The platforms used by those trains were also to be connected to the Tooting, Merton and Wimbledon Railway which was under construction. The Tooting line connected into the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway at Streatham Junction, and the LCDR was building a connection from its Herne Hill station to Knights Hill Junction, on
14238-420: Was little activity outside those times. Over time the north facing connection at Strawberry Hill became a nuisance, and the LSWR built a southward curve at the junction, from Fulwell Junction (on the branch) to Shacklegate Junction (towards Kingston). At first this was used for goods trains and race day specials only, but in time, and at the present day, it is the dominant route for London trains. At first there
14364-419: Was made from the Windsor and Richmond lines at Clapham Junction (where the station opened on 2 March 1863). The line crossed under the LSWR and London, Brighton and South Coast Railway main lines, making an end-on connection with the LCDR line, which continued past the location of the later Stewarts Lane, and climbed to Factory Junction, where it joined the main line from Victoria . Further east that line served
14490-407: Was no connection whatever between the Kingston lines and the main lines alongside, but in April 1880 an interconnection was made at the west end of Coombe and Malden station. In 1881 Wimbledon station was developed into a unified station by the LSWR. The main line was quadrupled from Malden to Surbiton in 1882: a third track was commissioned on 11 September and the fourth on 1 December. East of Malden
14616-529: Was on offer. Trains from the direct Richmond line via Barnes could access the Longhedge line at Clapham Junction, running through to Ludgate Hill by way of Loughborough Junction . This route became available on 3 April 1866. On 1 January 1869, the Kensington and Richmond line of the LSWR was ready: this ran from Richmond by way of Gunnersbury and Hammersmith to Kensington . Trains ran from there via
14742-856: Was planned for 30 June 1848, but the Board of Trade inspector Captain Simmonds was concerned about the structural stability of Westminster Bridge Road Bridge, and required a load test. This was carried out on 6 July 1848, and was satisfactory. The line opened on 11 July 1848, together with the four tracks from Nine Elms in to Waterloo. Waterloo station occupied three-quarters of an acre (0.3ha); there were two centre lines, and four other lines serving roofed platforms 300 ft (91m) long, soon after extended to 600 ft (182m). They were located approximately where platforms 9 to 12 are today. Only temporary buildings were provided at first, but permanent structures opened in 1853. At first incoming trains stopped outside
14868-422: Was promoted to connect Southampton to the capital; the company envisaged a considerable reduction in the price of coal and agricultural necessities to places served, as well as imported produce through Southampton Docks , and passenger traffic. Construction probably started on 6 October 1834 under Francis Giles, but progress was slow. Joseph Locke was brought in as engineer, and the rate of construction improved;
14994-479: Was replaced with the current zig-zag canopy. The station's track layout was rearranged in 1883 with platform extensions, a fifth platform for use by the Blackwall services and a new gantry signal box (which lasted until the 1935 re-modelling). The GER used the station as an alternative to Liverpool Street station during the late-19th and early-20th centuries for former ECR routes. The GER took over operation of
15120-519: Was still occurring and this persisted until 1902 when the opening of the Whitechapel and Bow Railway offered an alternative route. In 1903, the GER built the Fairlop Loop , a short connecting line between Ilford and Woodford from where services ran to Liverpool Street and around 36 trains a day ran to Fenchurch Street. In 1912, the Midland Railway (MR) bought and took over operation of
15246-474: Was the first to be granted permission by the Corporation of London to be constructed inside the City of London, following several refusals against other railway companies. The original building, designed by William Tite opened on 20 July 1841, serving the London and Blackwall Railway (L&BR), replacing a nearby terminus at Minories that had opened in July 1840. It had two platforms connected via
15372-462: Was the second British railway company to begin running a commuter service, after the London and Greenwich Railway , which opened in 1836. When the LSWR opened its first main line, the company built a station called Kingston, somewhat to the east of the present-day Surbiton station , and this quickly attracted business travel from residents of Kingston upon Thames . The availability of fast travel into London encouraged new housing development close to
15498-399: Was to be jointly owned between the LSWR and the LBSCR, and to run as far as Streatham Junction. From there the LSWR got running powers over the LBSCR as far as a planned Knights Hill Junction, near the present Tulse Hill station . The LCDR was building a short connecting line from Knights Hill Junction to Herne Hill , which gave access over the LCDR to Ludgate Hill. The running powers also got
15624-585: Was to extend from Datchet to Windsor . The line opened from Richmond to Twickenham and Datchet on 22 August 1848. The WS&WR company was merged with the LSWR on 30 June 1850. Powers were sought for a branch from Twickenham to near the Middlesex foot of Kingston Bridge in Hampton Wick , avoiding the expense of a bridge across the River Thames. Residents of Kingston wanted the line to extend over
15750-406: Was transferred to the Eastern Region , yet despite the organisational changes, the old LTSR still was a distinctive system operated by former LTS and LMS locomotives until electrification. British Railways electrified the former LTSR line in 1959. Electric services began on 6 November 1961 and a full electric timetable was introduced on 18 June the following year. In the 1980s, the station roof
15876-495: Was unable to cope with the extra services, so the LTSR planned to build a more direct line from Barking to Gas Factory Junction. The third track from Stepney to Fenchurch Street opened in 1856, followed by the direct line from Barking in 1858. LTSR services were diverted from Stratford and a spur was opened at Abbey Mills Junction (east of Bromley) which allowed services to and from North Woolwich to operate directly from Fenchurch Street instead of via Stratford. On 22 August 1856,
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