Mid-Kent Railway

The Mid Kent Railway was formed on 23 July 1855 to construct a 4.75-mile line between the South Eastern Railway (SER) at Lewisham and the Farnborough Extension of the West End of London and Crystal Palace Railway (WEL&CPR) at Beckenham.[1] The intention then was to extend this line to Croydon at a later date.[2] The line opened 1 January 1857 and was operated by the SER under a ten-year agreement.

This project was drawn up in 1856 to construct a four-mile line between Shortlands and St Mary Cray. This line was of strategic importance in providing a link between the East Kent Railway and the WEL&CPR, thereby providing a potential alternative route between London and Dover to the roundabout route used by the South Eastern Railway and so enabling the creation of the London Chatham and Dover Railway (LC&DR) in 1859. This line was leased to the LC&DR in 1862.[3]

Although the company later abandoned its intention of building a line to Croydon, an extension to Addiscombe Road through Elmers End was completed in 1862 which was also leased to the SER on completion.

The remaining interests of the company were taken over by the SER in August 1866.[4]

The Lewisham – Elmers End and the Shortlands – St Mary Cray sections now form parts of the Hayes line and the Chatham main line, respectively.