Chatham railway station

Chatham
Chatham railway station
Location
Place	Chatham
Local authority	Borough of Medway
Coordinates	51°22′50″N 0°31′14″E / 51.3805°N 0.5205°E / 51.3805; 0.5205Coordinates: 51°22′50″N 0°31′14″E / 51.3805°N 0.5205°E / 51.3805; 0.5205
Grid reference	TQ755676
Operations
Station code	CTM
Managed by	Southeastern
Number of platforms	2
DfT category	C1
Live arrivals/departures, station information and onward connections from National Rail Enquiries
Annual rail passenger usage*
2012/13	2.743 million
– Interchange	741
2013/14	2.699 million
– Interchange	917
2014/15	2.697 million
– Interchange	1,135
2015/16	2.768 million
– Interchange	6,366
2016/17	2.743 million
– Interchange	78
History
Key dates	Opened 25 January 1858 (1858-01-25) (25 January 1858 (1858-01-25))
National Rail – UK railway stations
* Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Chatham from Office of Rail and Road statistics. Methodology may vary year on year.
UK Railways portal

Chatham railway station is on the Chatham Main Line in England, serving the town of Chatham, Kent. It is 34 miles 25 chains (55.2 km) down the line from London Victoria and is situated between Rochester and Gillingham.

The station and all trains that call are operated by Southeastern.

There are two platforms, one for each direction and both capable of accommodating 12-coach trains.

There are tunnels at either end of the station: Fort Pitt Tunnel (428 yards) at the London end, and Chatham Tunnel (297 yards) at the country end.

History

The station in 1983

This 2007 photo, facing east and showing the Chatham Tunnel and Maidstone Road bridge, clearly illustrates the effect of the Kent Coast Electrification Scheme. Loop platforms existed either side of the mainline platforms, with the London bound loop being situated in the foreground where one of the car parks is currently.

British Railways Southern Region totem sign for Chatham station.

The station was opened on 25 January 1858, when the London, Chatham and Dover Railway (LCDR) (then known as the East Kent Railway) opened a single line eastwards to Faversham. Two months later (29 March 1858) the link with the North Kent Line at Strood was opened; and the new railway reached Dover Priory in 1861. The Chatham Dockyard branch connection is made near Gillingham.

As built the station had two platforms with the station buildings being on the Down side. A note on the working drawings states that the station had to be visible from Fort Pitt. About 1881 it was rebuilt with two island platforms, and the station buildings were moved onto the road bridge, then known as Rome Place. In 1958 the station was converted back to two platforms as part of the Kent Coast Electrification Scheme, Stage 1. The station had been electrified in 1939 but the 1958 scheme lengthened the platforms to 12 car EMUs, which due to the geography of the station - between two tunnels - necessitated the abandoning of the other platforms.

A modern entrance and booking hall replaced the originals in 1981. Further remodelling in the 1990s and 2000s has seen the ticket office moved twice, accompanied by the opening, closing and re-opening of retail areas. A small shop selling eateries and general corner shop stock was also opened. The building is located at one side of the road bridge (now Railway Street) over the track, with a taxi rank located between the road and the building. Stairs lead down to the platforms: a buffet is located on the London-bound platform.

Services

Medway Towns
North Kent Line (& High Speed) to London Bridge & St Pancras Chatham Main Line to Victoria & Blackfriars Medway Valley Line to Maidstone Halling Cuxton Strood Rochester Bridge | Strood (1st) Rochester Bridge Goods station Rochester Common Rochester(2015–) Rochester(1892–2015) Chatham Central River Medway Chatham Gillingham Rainham Chatham Main Line to Faversham, Dover and Ramsgate

Typical off-peak services are:

• 2 tph to London St Pancras via Gravesend and Ebbsfleet International (High Speed)
• 1 tph to London St Pancras via Ramsgate, Deal, Dover Priory, Ashford International and Ebbsfleet International (High Speed)
• 1 tph to Faversham (High Speed)
• 3 tph to London Victoria via Bromley South (Main Line)
• 2 tph to Dover Priory via Canterbury East (Main Line)
• 1 tph to Ramsgate via Faversham and Margate (Main Line)
• 2tph to Luton Town via Dartford, Greenwich, London Bridge, St Pancras International, St Albans City and Luton Airport. (Thameslink)
• 2 tph to Rainham (Kent)

References

External links

• Train times and station information for Chatham railway station from National Rail
• Chatham station's page on the KentRail website

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Rochester		Southeastern High Speed 1 Chatham Main Line		Gillingham
		Thameslink Chatham Main Line