Fawkham Junction

Gravesend West Line /
Fawkham Junction Line
 Gravesend West(1886-1953)
 Rosherville Halt(1886-1933)
North Kent Line
to Dartford & Gravesend
High Speed 1
to London St Pancras International & Channel Tunnel
Southfleet(1886-1953)
Southfleet Junction
 Longfield Halt(1913-1953)
Chatham Main Line
to Swanley & Rochester
Fawkham Junction, shown with other railway lines in Kent.
The High Speed 1 spur as it curves away from the junction and the Chatham Main Line.
The third rail (750 V DC) and overhead (25 kV AC) systems of electrification crossover point.

Coordinates: 51°23′58″N 0°17′08″E / 51.39944°N 0.28556°E / 51.39944; 0.28556

Fawkham Junction is a railway junction that currently connects High Speed 1 with the Kent Rail Network.

Originally the Junction was part of the London, Chatham and Dover Railway's line to Gravesend West (Gravesend which was already served by the South Eastern Railway's North Kent Line). The intermediate stations were: Longfield Halt, Southfleet, Rosherville Halt and Gravesend West. With the amalgamation of the two competing rail companies into the South Eastern and Chatham Railway in 1899, the line's future was doomed. Passenger services were curtailed and the line was not electrified, it eventually closed to passengers in 1953 and freight services eventually ceased in 1976. Preservation attempts failed.

The Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL) gave part of the line a new lease of life with the rebuilding of the rural section near Southfleet as a spur linking the CTRL and the Chatham Main Line. Much of the original route was followed but the initial Fawkham Junction was repositioned slightly to allow for higher speeds. Several bridges were also rebuilt alongside or in place of their originals. No stations were reopened. The CTRL was built in two stages and the initial stage (phase 1) was connected to the rail network via this rebuilt line. The completion of phase 2 means this section is no longer used by Eurostar trains. It initially remained in use for engineering, non commercial trains and driver training purposes but is currently used to store old Eurostar units awaiting disposal and Fawkham Junction itself is considered out of use.

In a document created by Network Rail [1], discussing rail transportation in the coming years for Kent and South-East London, it suggests creating a southern link line from Ebbsfleet International. The scheme would use this line and Fawkham Junction, making travelling directly to Bromley South and Victoria a possibility and increasing passenger capacity.

The line is the changeover between the third rail (750 V DC) and overhead (25 kV AC) systems of electrification.

References

  1. ↑ "More housing and more train passengers – Network Rail sets out 30-year plan to cater for growth in south east London and Kent – Network Rail". www.networkrail.co.uk. Retrieved 2017-11-08.
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