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115-400: The Portsmouth line is a secondary main line originally built by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway and the London and South Western Railway between 1847 and 1868. It leaves the South London Line (Atlantic Lines) at Peckham Rye , with connections to the Victoria branch of the Brighton Main Line at Streatham , and continues via Sutton , Epsom and Dorking to join

230-607: A clear technological advance, marked particularly by the Stockton and Darlington Railway (1825) and the Liverpool and Manchester Railway (1830), and promoters put forward a scheme to link Croydon , then an industrial town, with London. The Croydon Canal of 1809 was moribund, and it was proposed to purchase it and to utilise its course. It was to extend northwards from the Croydon Canal terminal at New Cross, so as to make

345-528: A committee, and agreement was reached with the L&;GR to exchange their stations at London Bridge in 1843 in order to avoid their trains crossing over at Corbetts Junction. By 1843, the L&CR and the SER were becoming concerned about the tolls charged by the L&GR for the use of its line between Corbetts Junction and London Bridge. As a result, they jointly constructed a branch from the L&CR at New Cross to

460-459: A decade these remained the only lines into Portsmouth. The people of Portsmouth and particularly the Admiralty thought such roundabout routes were unsatisfactory for a major naval base, especially when the rival port of Southampton, and Brighton, a mere seaside resort, were served by fast direct lines from London. Various schemes were proposed for shorter lines, including routes via Horsham and via

575-604: A junction at Corbetts Lane (then spelt Corbets Lane), in Bermondsey with the London and Greenwich Railway ; its trains were to run over that line to its London Bridge station . The engineer Joseph Gibbs surveyed the route; this involved complex judgments, and is described below. The company obtained an authorising act of Parliament, the London and Croydon Railway Act 1835 ( 5 & 6 Will. 4 . c. x) on 12 June 1835. The line

690-623: A line between West Horsham and the L&SWR near Guildford. It constructed a line from Leatherhead to Dorking in March 1867, continued to Horsham two months later. This enabled alternative LB&SCR routes from London to Brighton and the West Sussex coast and further reduced the distance of its route from London to Portsmouth. The LB&SCR supported the independent Surrey and Sussex Junction Railway , which obtained powers in July 1865 to build

805-476: A line from Croydon to Tunbridge Wells via Oxted , to be worked by the LB&;SCR. The involvement of LB&SCR directors in this scheme was interpreted by the SER as a breach of the 1849 agreement, and in retaliation the SER and LC&DR obtained an act of Parliament approval to build a rival 'London, Lewes and Brighton Railway', which would undermine the profitable LB&SCR monopoly to that town. Neither scheme

920-399: A major incursion into its territory. However, the LB&SCR had one important playing card not available to the L&BR—control of the SER main line between New Cross and Croydon. In 1849 the LB&SCR appointed a new and capable chairman, Samuel Laing , who negotiated a formal agreement with the SER that would resolve their difficulties for the time being and would define the territories of

1035-445: A means for preventing competition from neighbouring railways. The committee recommended the abandonment of several projects, and that the LB&SCR should enter into a working agreement with the SER. The new board of directors accepted many of these recommendations, and they managed to persuade Samuel Laing to return as chairman. It was through his business acumen and that of the new secretary and general manager J. P. Knight that

1150-480: A modest degree of expansion elsewhere, most notably the acquisition of a branch line from the main line at Three Bridges to the market town of East Grinstead in July 1855. Some of the directors of the LB&SCR were closely involved with the company that purchased The Crystal Palace after the completion of The Great Exhibition in October 1851 and arranged for its removal to a site on Sydenham Hill , close to

1265-461: A nearby hostelry that is still extant in 2013), Sydenham, Penge, Annerley (later Anerley; the Scottish owner of the land said that his was the "annerley hoose" in the area), Jolly Sailor (also named after a public house just north of the current Norwood Junction ). and the terminus at Croydon (now West Croydon). Freight traffic was considered to be impracticable for handling at London Bridge, and

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1380-447: A new terminus designed by Lewis Cubitt at Bricklayers Arms , thereby avoiding use of the L&GR. From 1844 the SER transferred all of its services to the new terminus, and the L&CR operated services from both termini. This arrangement lasted until 1852. In April 1844 the L&CR directors approved an extension to Epsom , not completed until after the railway became a part of the LB&SCR. In July 1846 an act of Parliament ,

1495-668: A number of brick-arch viaducts over the River Mole, not as elaborate as the Dulwich viaduct but still notable: River Mole viaducts, images 3-5 . Mickleham Tunnel exits directly onto one of them. The Portsmouth Line is most of the Line of Route (LOR) SO680, Bermondsey Junction to Horsham, although that also includes part of what was historically known as the South London Line, from South Bermondsey to Peckham Rye. Because of

1610-501: A number of technical problems, the LB&SCR abandoned atmospheric operation in May 1847. This enabled it to build its own lines into London Bridge, and have its own independent station there, by 1849. The history of the LB&SCR can be studied in five distinct periods. The LB&SCR was formed at the same time as the bursting of the railway mania investment bubble, and so it found raising capital for expansion extremely difficult during

1725-460: A report for its shareholders outlining a long list of the difficulties between the two companies, and the reasons why they considered that the LB&SCR had broken the 1848 agreement. The main areas of disagreement listed were at Hastings , allowing the LC&;DR to use its lines to Victoria , a proposed LB&SCR branch to Bromley , the new LB&SCR line to Dorking , LB&SCR opposition to

1840-477: A result of the crisis. Several country lines were losing money – most notably between Horsham and Guildford, East Grinstead and Tunbridge Wells, and Banstead and Epsom – and the LB&SCR was committed to building or acquiring others with equally poor prospects. The report was extremely critical of the policies of Schuster and the company secretary, Frederick Slight, both of whom resigned. It did however point out that these lines had been built or acquired as

1955-440: A result of the railway, the rural area between New Cross and Croydon rapidly became built up, and the population of Croydon increased 14-fold, from 16,700 to 233,000, during the LB&SCR's existence. During the 1860s the LB&SCR began to develop new traffic from the growing number of middle-class commuters who were beginning to live in the south London suburbs and working in central London. As part of its suburban expansion,

2070-747: A reversal (or change) at Brighton. In 1848 the LSWR opened a branch from Fareham on the Gosport line to join the LBSCR at Portcreek Junction, and negotiated with the LBSCR for joint ownership of the line to the Portsmouth terminus. Surprisingly over such a distance the two routes from London were almost identical in length, the Brighton route being shorter by just 51 chains (94m 43ch from London Bridge via Brighton, vs. 95m 14ch from Waterloo via Eastleigh). For

2185-425: A slit sealed by a leather valve. The piston, and hence the train, was propelled towards the pumping station by atmospheric pressure. The pumping stations were built in a Gothic style, with a very tall ornate tower, which served both as a chimney and as an exhaust vent for air pumped from the propulsion pipe. As part of the construction works for the atmospheric system, the world's first railway flyover (overpass)

2300-526: A through (albeit roundabout) route from its main line near Croydon to a terminus in the West End of London. Following the acquisition of the WEL&;CPR, a new 'cut-off' line between Windmill Bridge Junction (Norwood) and Balham was constructed during 1861 and 1862, which had the effect of reducing the distance from East Croydon to Victoria. The VS&PR line was also connected with another joint venture

2415-663: A through station, and enabled a "Guildford via Epsom" service which continues to this day. After the Grouping, in 1927 the Southern Railway diverted the Bookham line to join the HDLR to the west of the LBSCR station, which then became the only Leatherhead station. A stump of the original ELR/LSWR line was retained for carriage sidings. Also in 1927 the Southern Railway completely rebuilt Epsom LSWR station and layout to give

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2530-419: A viable existence providing a Portsmouth and South Coast service for intermediate stations and the many branch connections. It was also used for services from London to Littlehampton and Bognor, including dividing trains and slip-coaches. After the Grouping the Southern Railway concluded that there was no longer a need for competing routes to Portsmouth and in 1924 withdrew the fast service from Victoria. There

2645-667: A view to conversion to 7 ft ( 2,134 mm ) broad gauge , which never happened. The line used " Vignoles " flat bottomed rail, broader in the base and lower than modern rail. These were mounted on longitudinal timbers with cross sleepers . A new station was built at London Bridge for Croydon trains, on the north side of the L&GR one, with track shared as far as Corbetts Lane. The line opened on 5 June 1839 There were six intermediate stations, at New Cross (now New Cross Gate), Dartmouth Arms (now Forest Hill), Sydenham , Penge , Anerley Bridge (now Anerley), and Jolly Sailor (replaced by Norwood Junction in 1859). The terminus

2760-428: A white disc was installed, to be operated by the pointsman . If the disc was face on, or a red light at night, the route was set for Croydon; edge on or a white light, the junction was set for Greenwich. It is believed that this was first fixed signal used to control a junction. Greenwich trains ran every 15 minutes, Croydon trains were hourly. The first railway semaphore signal was erected by Charles Hutton Gregory on

2875-564: Is 385 yards (352 m) long with a maximum gradient of 1 in 80 (1.25 per cent). It runs through the upper greensand of the Deepdene Ridge to the east of the town. Construction difficulties delayed the opening south of Dorking. It collapsed on 27 July 1887, remaining closed for over six months. The viaduct across the grounds of Dulwich College already mentioned includes some decorated cast-iron underbridges: West Dulwich, Croxted Road Bridge (image 5) . Between Leatherhead and Dorking are

2990-487: Is 524 yards (479 m) long and runs through the lower chalk of Norbury Park, entering the hillside immediately north of one of the three viaducts over the River Mole . Restrictions imposed by the landowner, Thomas Grissell , meant that vertical ventilation shafts could not be constructed. The tunnel portals were given lavish architectural treatment. Betchworth Tunnel is 0.25 miles (0.40 km) south of Dorking. It

3105-573: The London and Croydon Railway Act 1846 ( 9 & 10 Vict. c. ccxxxiv), was passed granting authority for a branch from New Cross to Deptford Dockyard . This was commenced after the railway became a part of the LB&SCR. The railway owned seven 2-2-2 locomotives and one 0-4-2 . The first five 2-2-2s and one 0-4-2 were built by Sharp, Roberts and Company , and were delivered between July 1838 and July 1839. The remaining two were built by G. and J. Rennie , in August 1838 and May 1839. From 1842

3220-558: The Portsmouth Direct Line (originally called the "Direct Portsmouth Railway"). The Portsmouth Direct, before the Grouping part of the LSWR system, has been the primary route from London to Portsmouth since it opened. It leaves the South West Main Line at Woking and runs via Guildford to Havant . From Havant to Portsmouth Harbour it shares the LBSCR route. From Portcreek Junction to Portsmouth

3335-569: The Croydon and Epsom Railway (C&ER), and was originally proposed to be an atmospheric railway . In 1846 the C&;ER merged with the L&CR, the London & Brighton Railway and others to form the LBSCR, and in 1847 the Croydon and Epsom route was completed as a conventional locomotive-hauled line under LBSCR auspices. It ran via Wallington, Sutton, Cheam and Ewell to an Epsom station on

3450-686: The Hayling Railway , but it was leased to the LB&SCR in 1874. Following the 1862 agreement with the L&SWR, a line was built from near Pulborough to a junction with the West Sussex coast line near Ford in 1863. This provided a shorter LB&SCR route from London to Portsmouth via Three Bridges and Horsham. The Epsom and Leatherhead Railway was an independent line from the L&SW main line at Wimbledon through Epsom and Leatherhead towards Guildford . The LB&SCR entered into an agreement to share its station at Epsom and to use

3565-642: The Mid-Sussex Line at Horsham . As of 2022, the line is predominantly a commuter line and there are no scheduled services running along the entire route. The current service pattern can be divided into three sections. The first of these runs from Peckham Rye to Streatham ( Southern ), with trains then switching on to the Brighton Main Line towards Selhurst and Caterham ; the second is the Streatham to Sutton section ( Thameslink ), part of

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3680-476: The South Eastern Main Line to Dover following the opening of the 'Sevenoaks cut off' line between St Johns and Tonbridge railway station . A ten-year agreement between the SER and the LB&SCR over the use of the station and lines to Coulsdon was signed 1 February 1869 and renewed ten years later. The collapse of the bankers Overend, Gurney and Company in 1866 and the financial crisis

3795-627: The South Eastern Railway (SER). There were two branch lines under construction at the time of the amalgamation: the Sutton & Mole Valley Lines from Croydon to Epsom (opened 10 May 1847), and the Arun Valley Line from Three Bridges to Horsham (opened 14 February 1848). The West Sussex coast line originated with a branch line from Brighton to Shoreham , opened 12 May 1840. This had been extended to Chichester by

3910-742: The South Eastern and Chatham Railway to form the Southern Railway . (Dates of opening from F. Burtt The Locomotives of the London Brighton and South Coast Railway 1839–1903 . ) At the time of its creation the LB&SCR had around 170 route miles (274 km) in existence or under construction, consisting of three main routes and a number of branches. The main line to Brighton from London Bridge opened in 1841. The sections between Corbett's Lane ( New Cross ) and London Bridge and between Croydon and Redhill were shared with

4025-549: The Sutton Loop Line , and the third runs from Sutton to Horsham (Southern), with trains originating from London Victoria and joining the Portsmouth line south of Streatham. The Portsmouth line refers to the preferred route from London to Portsmouth on the former LB&SCR system, and particularly the cutoff from Peckham Rye to Horsham. It is not generally applied north of Peckham Rye or south of Horsham because those lines have well-known identities established before

4140-472: The West End of London and Crystal Palace Railway (WEL&CPR), to construct a new line extending in a wide arc round south London from the LB&SCR Crystal Palace branch to Wandsworth in 1856 and to Battersea in 1858 with a temporary terminus at Battersea Pier. Shortly after this line was completed, the LB&SCR leased it from the WEL&CPR and incorporated it into its system. Between 1858 and 1860

4255-564: The West London Extension Joint Railway , jointly financed by the LB&SCR, L&SWR, GWR and the L&NWR, to permit goods transfers between the companies and cross-London passenger trains. This line was opened in 1863, and in the same year the LB&SCR and L&SWR jointly opened a large interchange station named Clapham Junction . The LB&SCR also operated passenger trains between Clapham Junction and Addison Road . The West Croydon to Wimbledon Line

4370-600: The "South London & Sutton Junction Railway" suggesting that, as with other sections of the Portsmouth Line, this part may initially have been vested in an independent company to insulate the LBSCR from financial problems; although there is no evidence that they used such a vehicle for either construction or operation of the line. On opening in 1868 the Sutton line had many links, all but one to other LBSCR lines: The section from Peckham Rye to Streatham passes through

4485-528: The Brighton Main Line to Three Bridges then the Mid-Sussex Line, reverting to the service that operated between 1863 and 1867. The Portsmouth Line is now used only for suburban services and occasional diversionary routing. A representative (but not exhaustive) selection of services as of 2020 (weekday off-peak): Epsom Downs services usually run via Wallington and only interchange with the Portsmouth Line at Sutton. Thameslink Sutton Loop services join

4600-456: The Brighton main line at Keymer Junction near Haywards Heath to the Brighton–Lewes line was under construction at the time of amalgamation, opening in October 1847. A short line from New Cross to Deptford Wharf , proposed by the L&CR, was approved in July 1846, shortly before amalgamation, but was not opened until 2 July 1849. The use of this line for passengers would have contravened

4715-425: The Brighton mainline at the LB&SCR Godstone Road station (later renamed Caterham Junction). Both companies objected to the other operating the branch line, which resulted in a delay of a year between the completion of the work and the opening of the line in 1856. Their failure to agree on such matters as through ticketing quickly drove the independent company into bankruptcy. Even after the SER took over running of

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4830-496: The Crystal Palace Line between Streatham Hill and Leigham Junction . Streatham Tunnel , 220 yards (200 m) long, between Leigham Tunnel and Streatham station. It is on a curve and most unusual in that the southern portal is a skewed arch, with decorative details including massive stone capping, dentils and panelled brickwork. Mickleham Tunnel is midway between Leatherhead and Box Hill & Westhumble . It

4945-575: The ELR. Within a year the ELR was jointly acquired by the LSWR and LBSCR. A single-line branch from the Brighton Main Line at Three Bridges to Horsham, later known as the Mid-Sussex Line, had opened in 1848. It was extended down the Arun Valley to Petworth via Pulborough in 1859 (eventually reaching Midhurst in 1866). In 1862 it was doubled throughout, and the following year it was extended from Hardham Junction, south of Pulborough, to Arundel Junction on

5060-585: The HDLR opened in 1867 it created an LBSCR route to Portsmouth that avoided much of the busy Brighton Main Line, although it was actually longer than the Mid-Sussex/Arun Valley route, and still used the congested lines through Norwood Junction and Selhurst . So far the LBSCR route to Epsom and beyond had been via the Wallington (West Croydon to Sutton) line but in 1868 , only a year after

5175-470: The Horsham to Leatherhead connection, they opened a line from Peckham Rye to Sutton via Tulse Hill and Mitcham Junction . Although it primarily filled gaps in the LBSCR suburban network it also improved the route to Portsmouth, being slightly shorter than via Wallington, and bypassed the bottlenecks at Norwood Junction and Selhurst; so it was promoted as a new "Portsmouth Line". Contemporary maps label it

5290-476: The L&CR pooled its locomotive stock with the SER, to form the Croydon and Dover Joint Committee. From March 1844 the L&BR joined the scheme and the locomotives were thereafter operated by the Brighton, Croydon and Dover Joint Committee, which also ordered further locomotives. These arrangements caused great operating problems for the L&CR and the L&BR and in April 1845 they gave notice of withdrawal from

5405-472: The L&CR.) The amalgamation was brought about, against the wishes of the boards of directors of the companies, by shareholders in the L&CR and L&BR who were dissatisfied with the early returns from their investments. The LB&SCR existed for 76 years until 31 December 1922, when it was wound up as a result of the Railways Act 1921 and merged with the London and South Western Railway and

5520-486: The L&SWR from Fareham in October 1848. In 1853 the Direct Portsmouth Railway gained parliamentary authority to build a line from Godalming to Havant with the intention of the company selling itself either to the L&SWR or the LB&SCR. This scheme would provide a far more direct route to Portsmouth but involved sharing the LB&SCR tracks for the five miles (8 km) between Havant and

5635-413: The LB&SCR built a line from Peckham Rye roughly parallel to the main line, through East Dulwich , Tulse Hill , Streatham and Mitcham to Sutton and Epsom Downs , which opened in October 1868. Relations between the LB&SCR and the SER and the interpretation of the 1848 agreement continued to be difficult throughout the 1850s and 1860s. They reached a low point in 1863 when the SER produced

5750-533: The LB&SCR gradually recovered its financial health during the early 1870s. As a result, all construction of lines was suspended. Three important projects then under construction were abandoned: the Ouse Valley Railway , its extension to St Leonards, and the Surrey and Sussex Junction Railway . The line between Tunbridge Wells and Eastbourne was shelved until the financial situation improved. For

5865-821: The LB&SCR was a major shareholder in the Victoria Station and Pimlico Railway (VS&PR), together with the East Kent Railway (later the London Chatham and Dover Railway (LC&DR)), the Great Western Railway (GWR) and the London & North Western Railway (LNWR). This enterprise constructed the Grosvenor Bridge over the River Thames at Battersea and the line to the Victoria Station , thereby creating

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5980-427: The LB&SCR was anxious in case the SER should venture into this territory. As a result, in 1864 it sought powers to build a line between these two towns. It also obtained powers for the Ouse Valley Railway , from the south of Balcombe and north of Haywards Heath on the Brighton main line to Uckfield and Hailsham ; an extension to St Leonards was also approved in May 1865. However, some work had been carried out by

6095-446: The LB&SCR, others by independent local companies set up with the intention of connecting a town to the railway network with the intention of sale or lease to the LB&SCR. Schuster accelerated the rate of mileage increase after appointing Frederick Banister as Chief Engineer in 1860. As a result, a further 177 miles (285 km) were constructed or authorised between 1857 and 1865. Schuster also encouraged an independent concern,

6210-607: The LBSCR (Sutton) line access to the platforms. Epsom Town was closed to passengers in 1929, and became the main goods station for the area, relieving the cramped yard at Epsom (LSWR). One of the last new lines to be built in Britain before the HS1 era was the Wimbledon and Sutton Railway (W&SR), from Wimbledon through Merton and Morden, to join the Portsmouth Line in the up direction south of Sutton. Construction began in 1927 and

6325-477: The London and Croydon from Norwood. Over the following two years the point of convergence with the L&CR was varied, but all the lines converged at or before Corbett's Lane Junction. Capacity at London Bridge was clearly going to be an issue, and the L&CR took further powers (11 June 1838) to enlarge its station then under construction at London Bridge. A parliamentary select committee also became concerned about

6440-535: The London end was a complicated suburban and outer-suburban network of lines emanating from London Bridge and Victoria , and shared interests in two cross-London lines. The LB&SCR was formed by a merger of five companies in 1846, and merged with the L&SWR, the SE&;CR and several minor railway companies in southern England under the Railways Act 1921 to form the Southern Railway from 1 January 1923. The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR)

6555-504: The London freight terminal point was built at New Cross; the adjacent Surrey Canal was considered to give sufficient onward connectivity. There was also an engine shed at New Cross; coal was brought in by the canal, there being at the time no rail connection to coal mines. The consultant engineer was William Cubitt . The line proved to be expensive to build, costing £615,000 rather than the estimated £180,000, due to large cuttings at New Cross and Forest Hill . The only severe gradient

6670-617: The London to Brighton main line, which they purchased from Leo Schuster . The Crystal Palace became a major tourist attraction and the LB&SCR built a branch line from Sydenham to the new site, which was opened in June 1854, and enlarged London Bridge station to handle the additional traffic. The attraction proved to be an enormous success with 10,000 passengers conveyed daily to and from the new branch. On one day in 1859, 112,000 people were conveyed to Crystal Place by train, 70,000 of which from London Bridge. Samuel Laing retired as chairman at

6785-498: The Mole Valley between Dorking and Leatherhead. The line connected to the ELR just east of the existing Leatherhead station, which became a terminus used by LSWR services only. The HDLR provided a new through station just across the road, the one still in use today. At Dorking there was a south-to-west spur to the South Eastern Railway 's Reading, Guildford and Reigate Railway , but this was never used for regular services. When

6900-569: The Portsmouth Line at Tulse Hill. The Thameslink Peterborough to Horsham service runs via Three Bridges. London, Brighton and South Coast Railway The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway ( LB&SCR (known also as the Brighton line , the Brighton Railway or the Brighton )) was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1846 to 1922. Its territory formed a rough triangle, with London at its apex, practically

7015-544: The Portsmouth Line through 90-degrees to join the alignment of the Wimbledon-Croydon line (running NW-SE), then back to resume its broadly SW alignment. In 1885 the LSWR opened the New Guildford Line from Surbiton to Guildford via Cobham. This included a branch from Effingham Junction via Bookham to the Portsmouth Line at Leatherhead. This turned the old LSWR terminal at Leatherhead into

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7130-580: The Portsmouth connection was completed: the South London Line, the Mid-Sussex Line and the West Coastway Line . For a time passenger services on the Portsmouth line and some associated branches were timetabled and marketed as the Sutton & Mole Valley Lines . Since 2007 that name no longer appears in Southern or National Rail publications. The Portsmouth Line should not be confused with

7245-490: The SER attempts at building a line to the west end , the LB&SCR agreement to let the LC&DR use its goods facilities at Bricklayers Arms , and the perennial problem of the shared main line between Redhill and Croydon . The most flagrant example of the lack of cooperation between the two companies, however, was with respect to the independent Caterham Railway , which ran in South Eastern territory, but joined

7360-401: The SER never took effect but remained under active consideration by both parties, and later involved the LC&DR. It was not until 1875 that the idea was dropped, after the SER pulled out of negotiations due to the conditions imposed by Parliament on the proposed merger. The LB&SCR continued as an independent railway but the SER and LCDR eventually formed a working relationship in 1899 with

7475-598: The West Coastway Line. This, in 1863, gave the LBSCR a more direct path from London to Chichester and Portsmouth than the long detour via Brighton, although it followed two-thirds of the Brighton Main Line before turning cross-country. In 1862 the Horsham, Dorking and Leatherhead Railway (HDLR) was authorised to provide a link from the Mid-Sussex Line at Horsham to Leatherhead, crossing the North Downs via

7590-682: The Wey Valley. The eventual winner was the Direct Portsmouth Railway, authorised in 1853 and opened in 1858 . This extended the LSWR Godalming branch to meet the LBSCR West Coastway at Havant. It was operated and later acquired by the LSWR, and quickly became the most popular route to Portsmouth, despite initial obstructive tactics by the LBSCR at Havant. This put the LBSCR at a disadvantage, but over

7705-461: The arms of Alleyn's College , the local landowners. The southern portal is framed by pilasters on each of which are two ball finials (stone spheres); it can be seen from Tulse Hill station. The northern portal, which is hidden in a cutting, is quite plain. Leigham Tunnel , 302 yards (276 m) long, is between Tulse Hill and Streatham Tunnel. It is also called Higher Leigham or Leigham Vale Tunnel to distinguish it from Leigham Court Tunnel on

7820-493: The arrangement in January 1846, when the locomotives were divided between the three companies. The L&CR received eight locomotives back in April 1845, seven of which had been owned by other railways. The railway opened an early example of a roundhouse motive power depot at New Cross 1 June 1839, but this brick-built building was burned down 14 October 1844. It was replaced by a nearby traditional straight shed in 1845, and

7935-425: The atmospheric experiment was abandoned. The engine house at Dartmouth Arms was largely demolished in 1851 and an electricity sub-station was built on the site in 1928. Stone from the Croydon pumping station was reused in construction of the Surrey Street waterworks building, which still exists. According to one historian the use of the atmospheric system cost the railway £500,000 and was 'a sad fiasco'. The railway

8050-400: The branch in 1859, the squabbling and bloody mindedness continued to the great detriment of the passengers. Eventually the matters reached the leader columns of The Times newspaper in 1862 before the companies would negotiate with one another. The chronic congestion over the shared line between East Croydon railway station and Redhill eased after 1 May 1868 when the route ceased to be on

8165-448: The complete routes from London Bridge and Victoria to Portsmouth Harbour, with the Portsmouth Line itself highlighted in blue From the 1870s the LBSCR operated Portsmouth services over this line (as well as the Mid-Sussex route) in competition with the LSWR Portsmouth Direct Line. At over 11 miles longer (85m 72ch from Victoria vs. 74m 24ch from Waterloo) it could not compete for the principal London to Portsmouth traffic, but it maintained

8280-599: The dredging of the channel and other improvements to the harbour between 1850 and 1878, to enable it to be used by larger cross-channel ferries, and in 1863 the LB&SCR and the Chemins de Fer de l'Ouest introduced the Newhaven–Dieppe passenger service. In 1878 the railway formed and underwrote the Newhaven Harbour Company and thereafter delegated responsibility for its operation to it. Largely as

8395-498: The east side of town. Twelve years later the independent Epsom and Leatherhead Railway (ELR) built a line from a new station on the west side of Epsom to Leatherhead, opening in February 1859 as a single line with just one intermediate station, at Ashtead. The LSWR-promoted Wimbledon and Dorking Railway connected end-on at Epsom, opening in April 1859. On 8 Aug 1859 the LBSCR opened an extension from its existing Epsom station to

8510-404: The end of 1855 to pursue a political career, and was replaced by the merchant banker Leo Schuster , who had previously sold his 300-acre (120 ha) estate on Sydenham Hill to the new Crystal Palace Company. Schuster instituted a policy of rapidly expanding the route mileage of the railway with new routes throughout south London, Sussex, and east Surrey. Some of these were financed and built by

8625-463: The end of 1866, but not completed. In West Sussex the Horsham branch was extended to Pulborough and Petworth in 1859. In 1861 a line was built from near Horsham to Shoreham , providing a direct link to Brighton. Branches were built from the West Sussex coast line to Littlehampton in 1863, to connect with a new cross-channel ferry service, to Bognor Regis in 1864, and to Hayling Island in 1867. The line from Havant to Hayling had been built by

8740-534: The financial recovery lay in the exploitation of London suburban traffic. By the late 1880s the LB&SCR had developed the largest suburban network of any British railway, with 68 route miles (109 km) in the suburbs in addition to its main lines, in three routes between London Bridge and Victoria: the South London line , the outer South London Line and the Crystal Palace lines , and the LB&SCR

8855-411: The first years of its operation, other than to complete those projects that were already in hand. The L&BR had experienced difficult relations with the SER where the companies shared facilities, notably at Redhill and Hastings and on the approaches to London Bridge ). In October 1849 the SER acquired the new Reading, Guildford and Reigate Railway (RG&RR) line , which the LB&SCR regarded as

8970-702: The following September from Heathfield to Eridge , and later known as the Cuckoo Line . London and Croydon Railway The Surrey Iron Railway had been opened in 1806 between Wandsworth and Croydon; it was a plateway operating on the toll principle, in which carriers could move wagons with their own horses. However, the Surrey Iron Railway's terminal on the Thames was rather far west and sea-going vessels were discouraged from connecting with it. Edge railways using locomotive traction represented

9085-475: The following decade they developed a number of lines in Surrey and West Sussex that substantially improved their Portsmouth service. Thus the route that eventually became the Portsmouth Line was built in stages over an extended period: Sutton and Epsom were first reached by an extension of the London and Croydon Railway (L&CR) from West Croydon . This was promoted by the L&CR as an independent company,

9200-424: The following year brought the LB&SCR to the brink of bankruptcy. A special meeting of shareholders was adjourned, and the powers of the board of directors were suspended pending receipt of a report into the financial affairs of the company and its prospects. The report made clear that the LB&SCR had overextended itself with large capital projects sustained by profits from passengers, which suddenly declined as

9315-765: The formation of the South Eastern and Chatham Railway . One new line to which the LB&SCR was committed was the East London Railway , a consortium of six railway companies: the Great Eastern Railway (GER); the LB&SCR; the LC&DR; the SER; the Metropolitan Railway; and the District Railway. It sought to reuse the Thames Tunnel , built by Marc and Isambard Kingdom Brunel between 1825 and 1843. A line

9430-490: The fragmentary origins of the Portsmouth Line, for engineering purposes it comprises several distinct sections with different mileage origins. Corresponding to LOR SO680 is the Engineer's Line Reference (ELR) BTH ("Bermondsey to Horsham"), which is divided into 3 sections with mileage breaks at Sutton and Epsom. The route from the two LBSCR London termini to Portsmouth uses various other ELRs. The following table describes

9545-413: The grounds of Dulwich College and relatively hilly terrain, which required some costly engineering works: The arches of the viaduct and the south portal of Knight's Hill Tunnel are adorned with the monogram "AC", in tribute to the landowner Alleyn's College , as Dulwich College was known at the time the line was built. Mitcham Junction station is approached from both directions by severe curves that turn

9660-525: The joint line to Portsea. The LB&SCR objected to the scheme but the L&SWR negotiated with the new company and in December 1858 sought to operate a train over the new route. The LB&SCR attempted to prevent the use of its tracks and the so-called 'battle of Havant' ensued. The matter was eventually resolved in the courts in August 1859, and relations between the railways were formalized in agreements of 1860 and 1862. Samuel Laing had also approved

9775-501: The line as far as Leatherhead. The line opened in August 1859 and in 1860 this portion was transferred to the joint ownership of the LB&SCR and the L&SWR. The LB&SCR then bought the Banstead and Epsom Downs Railway, which was building a branch line from Sutton to Epsom Downs for Epsom Downs Racecourse , opened in May 1865. The LB&SCR wished to connect Horsham with significant towns in Surrey, and in 1865 it opened

9890-485: The most direct routes from London to the south coast seaside resorts of Brighton , Eastbourne , Worthing , Littlehampton and Bognor Regis , and to the ports of Newhaven and Shoreham-by-Sea . It served the inland towns and cities of Chichester , Horsham , East Grinstead and Lewes , and jointly served Croydon , Tunbridge Wells (preserved as the Spa Valley Railway ), Dorking and Guildford . At

10005-444: The next decade, projects were limited to additional spurs or junctions in London and Brighton to enhance the operation of the network, or small-scale ventures in conjunction with other railway companies. The latter included a short line from Streatham through Tooting to Wimbledon in 1868, and a connection from Portsmouth Town to Portsmouth Harbour in 1876, both jointly with the L&SWR. The proposed 'working cooperation' with

10120-405: The original L&CR station in 1842. For the first few years of its existence, LB&SCR trains used the L&GR lines from Corbett's Lane into London, but by 1849 the viaducts had been widened sufficiently for its own tracks. The LB&SCR inherited from the L&CR running powers to the smaller SER passenger terminus at Bricklayers Arms . Poorly sited for passengers, it closed in 1852 and

10235-457: The original turntable and associated lines were incorporated into a locomotive repair depot in the same year. There was also a small depot at Croydon There were first and second-class four-wheeled carriages, both of the three-compartment type usual for the period, the main difference seeming to be that the first-class coaches carried 18 passengers, the second-class 24. The line into London Bridge became increasingly congested so at Corbetts Lane

10350-558: The purpose; at this time however it had inadequate funds to carry out the actual construction, and the Croydon company was obliged to do the work itself, taking some of the London and Greenwich Railway Company's land on the north side for the purpose, obtaining the necessary powers in the London and Croydon Railway (Southwark Station) Act 1836 on 14 July 1836. At this stage the Greenwich line had not yet been opened into London Bridge: this

10465-406: The railway at New Cross, about 1842. In 1844, the L&CR was given parliamentary authority to lay an additional line next to the existing track and test an atmospheric railway system. Pumping stations were built at Portland Road , Croydon and Dartmouth Arms , which created a vacuum in a pipe laid between the running rails. A free-running piston in the pipe was attached to the train through

10580-475: The recently negotiated agreement with the SER that the LB&SCR would not operate lines to the east of its main line, and it was restricted to goods. A short branch from this line to the nearby Surrey Commercial Docks in Rotherhithe opened in July 1855. The main London terminus was the L&CR station at London Bridge , built by the London and Greenwich Railway (L&GR) in 1836, and exchanged for

10695-620: The route was owned and operated jointly by the LBSCR and LSWR, and that section is known as the Portsmouth Joint Line . Early railways to Portsmouth were far from direct. In 1841 the LSWR opened a branch from Eastleigh (on the London-Southampton main line) to Gosport , with a ferry across the harbour to Portsmouth. By 1847 the LBSCR had extended its West Coastway Line from Chichester to Portsmouth Town , with trains from Brighton , and from London Bridge with

10810-434: The safety of the arrangements, and in response the London and Greenwich Railway Company was given powers to widen its viaduct on the southern side so as to make a four-track viaduct from Corbett's Lane to London Bridge. In its first conception, the line was to follow the bed of the Croydon Canal for much of the route. A jury determined the value of the canal as £40,250 as if it was a going concern. When detailed route design

10925-484: The time of the amalgamation, and a further extension to Havant was under construction (opened 15 March 1847), with the ultimate aim of extending the line to Portsmouth. The East Sussex coast line from Brighton to Lewes and St Leonards-on-Sea , with running powers over the SER to Hastings , opened 27 June 1846, one month before the amalgamation, with branches to Newhaven (opened 8 December 1847), Eastbourne and Hailsham (opened 14 May 1849). A connecting spur from

11040-467: The two railways. Under this agreement the LB&SCR would have free access to London Bridge, Bricklayers Arms station and goods yard, and Hastings. The SER would have free use of the New Cross to Croydon line, and receive revenues from passengers at intermediate stations, but would not make or work competing lines to Brighton, Horsham, Chichester or Portsmouth. In 1847 the naval dockyard of Portsmouth

11155-488: The whole coastline of Sussex as its base, covering a large part of Surrey . It was bounded on its western side by the London and South Western Railway (L&SWR), which provided an alternative route to Portsmouth . On its eastern side the LB&SCR was bounded by the South Eastern Railway (SER)—later one component of the South Eastern and Chatham Railway (SE&CR)—which provided an alternative route to Bexhill , St Leonards-on-Sea , and Hastings . The LB&SCR had

11270-471: Was 8 + 3 ⁄ 4 miles (14.1 km) long and at the southern end followed the alignment of the Croydon Canal from Anerley to a terminus at Croydon, with a locomotive depot, on the site of the canal basin. This was later to be developed to the present-day West Croydon station . The London and Greenwich Railway Company intended that its proposed London Bridge terminus would accommodate trains of several other companies and had acquired land sufficient for

11385-471: Was 1:100 (1%) for 2 + 3 ⁄ 4 miles (4.4 km) from New Cross to Forest Hill. In addition to the viaduct where it joined the L&GR, there were 18 bridges, and three level road crossings , each attended by a "policeman". The track was laid to standard 4 ft  8 + 1 ⁄ 2  in ( 1,435 mm ) gauge , although during the construction the directors were undecided and ordered extra-long 9 ft (2,743 mm) sleepers with

11500-548: Was a public outcry, prompting wider criticism of SR services and leading to the appointment for the first time of a "Public Relations" manager. Within a year the SR reinstated the Victoria to Portsmouth expresses. The Portsmouth Line was still used by fast & semi-fast trains from Victoria and London Bridge to Portsmouth after nationalisation. Then in 1978 to meet growing demand at Gatwick Airport those services were re-routed via

11615-453: Was able to embark upon new railway building and improvements to infrastructure. Some new lines passed through sparsely populated areas and merely provided shorter connections to towns that were already on the railway network, and so were unlikely to be profitable, but the LB&SCR found itself under pressure from local communities wanting a rail connection, and was frightened that they would otherwise be developed by rivals. The main reason for

11730-420: Was at London Road in Croydon . Because of the planned additional traffic following the opening of the L&BR and the SER, the L&CR sought powers to widen the viaduct from Corbetts Lane to London Bridge in 1840. Parliament decided that the widening should be undertaken by the owners, the L&GR. This work was completed by 1842. By this time the L&CR had joined the newly opened SER and L&BR to form

11845-526: Was being approached by two equally indirect routes from London, both under construction: a L&SWR route via Fareham and the former Brighton and Chichester Railway route from Havant . The two companies entered into an agreement in that year to share a line from Cosham on the mainland to Portsea Island , ending at the centre of Portsmouth town . Further progress towards the dockyard was prevented by Admiralty objections. The LB&SCR began its services between Chichester and Portsmouth, on 14 June 1847, and

11960-445: Was built as an independent railway joining the LB&SCR and the L&SWR main lines and opened in October 1855. For a few months it was operated under contract by its engineer George Parker Bidder but in 1856 it was leased to the LB&SCR who purchased it in 1858. At the same time, the LB&SCR was cooperating with the LC&DR to create the South London line between its terminuses at London Bridge and Victoria. The LC&DR

12075-542: Was completed in 1930 . The Wimbledon & Sutton line is now part of a circular route from Streatham, via the Portsmouth Line to Sutton, the W&;SR to Wimbledon, then the Wimbledon Loop (northern branch) back to Streatham. There are five tunnels, built between 1860 and 1867: Knight's Hill Tunnel , 331 yards (303 m) long, between North Dulwich and Tulse Hill has a very ornate southern portal, surmounted by

12190-515: Was completed on 1 December 1836. The South Eastern Railway got its authorising act of Parliament, the South Eastern Railway Act 1836 ( 6 & 7 Will. 4 . c. lxxv), on 21 June 1836 for a line from Dover, joining the London and Croydon line end-on at Croydon, and the London and Brighton Railway obtained its London and Brighton Railway Act 1837 ( 7 Will. 4 & 1 Vict. c. cxix) on 15 June 1837, also relying on running over

12305-403: Was constructed south of Jolly Sailor, to carry the atmospheric line over the conventional steam line. The railway experienced many problems with the pumping engines and the valves during 1846, creating dissatisfaction among the shareholders with the directors. The added directors from the L&BR, after the amalgamation in August, were even less interested in continuing the experiment. In 1847,

12420-399: Was converted into a goods station. The LB&SCR owned three stations at Croydon, later East Croydon (former L&BR) Central Croydon and West Croydon (former L&CR). The L&CR had been partially operated by the atmospheric principle between Croydon and Forest Hill , as the first phase of a scheme to use this mode of operation between London and Epsom . However, following

12535-474: Was earning more from season tickets than any other British railway. Thus an official return showed that the railway had operated more than 100,000 passenger trains from April to June 1889, more than any other company operating only in southern England. The scheme to link Eastbourne with Tunbridge Wells was revived in April 1879 with the opening of a line connecting the Hailsham branch to Heathfield , completed

12650-404: Was formed by an act of Parliament , the London and Brighton Railway Act 1846 ( 9 & 10 Vict. c. cclxxxii), on 27 July, through the amalgamation of a number of railway companies: Only the first two were independent operating railways: the Brighton and Chichester and the Brighton, Lewes and Hastings had been purchased by the L&BR in 1845, and the Croydon and Epsom was largely owned by

12765-405: Was proceeded with. Following the opening of the branch from Lewes to Newhaven , the LB&SCR sought to develop a shorter Continental route from London to Paris via Dieppe , in competition with the SER routes from Dover to Calais and Folkestone to Boulogne . The LB&SCR built its wharf and warehousing facilities on the east side of the river, with Newhaven Harbour station . It funded

12880-681: Was therefore built between the LB&SCR at New Cross and Wapping with a link to the GER main line, in March 1869. It was primarily intended for goods transfer between these railways, but the LB&SCR introduced a passenger service between Liverpool Street Station and Croydon. By the mid-1870s the LB&SCR had recovered its financial stability through a policy of encouraging the more intensive use of lines and reducing operating costs. Between 1870 and 1889 annual revenue rose from £1.3 million to £2.4 million, whilst its operating costs rose from £650,000 to just over £1 million. The LB&SCR

12995-580: Was unavoidable. When the SER's line became authorised, the London and Croydon Railway Company reconsidered the matter, as its line would now be part of a trunk route, and it was decided to ease the gradient from New Cross to 1 in 100; this involved a deeper, and longer, cutting, and the line would only reach surface level at the present-day Forest Hill station. The deeper cuttings required more surface area of land; and some curvature improvements further south also required unanticipated land acquisition. Stations were to be at New Cross, Dartmouth Arms (named after

13110-423: Was undertaken (before handover of the canal), it was clear that the meanderings and zigzags made by the canal were unsuitable, and that the line needed to be built alongside the general course. The levels around New Cross were also difficult, and to find the best compromise a 1 in 80 gradient was selected, involving at that time the use of assistant engines due to the steepness. Even so, a cutting of considerable depth

13225-653: Was used from Victoria to Brixton , followed by new construction by the LB&SCR through Denmark Hill , and Peckham to the main line to London Bridge at South Bermondsey . During 1858, a branch line was built from Lewes to Uckfield , extended to Groombridge and Tunbridge Wells in 1868. In 1864 the Newhaven branch was extended to Seaford . The East Grinstead line was extended in 1866 to Groombridge and Tunbridge Wells . A large area in East Sussex between Tunbridge Wells and Eastbourne remained without railways, and

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