South Eastern Main Line
Southeastern electric multiple units at Charing Cross in 2009
Overview
Status	Operational
Owner	Network Rail
Locale	Greater London South East England
Termini	London Charing Cross London Cannon Street Dover Priory
Stations	29
Service
Type	Commuter rail,Regional Rail
System	National Rail
Operator(s)	SE Trains
Depot(s)	Grove Park Sidings Ramsgate EMUD Tonbridge Jubilee Sidings
Rolling stock	Class 375 "Electrostar" Class 376 "Electrostar" Class 377 "Electrostar" Class 395 "Javelin" Class 465 "Networker" Class 466 "Networker" Class 707 "Citybeam"
History
Opened	1842–44 in stages
Technical
Line length	77mi 23ch (124.38 km)
Number of tracks	5 (across Hungerford Bridge) 4 (Charing Cross–Borough Market) 2 (Borough Market–London Bridge) 12 (London Bridge–Bermondsey split including Brighton lines) 5 to 6 (Bermondsey split–New Cross) 4 (New Cross–Orpington) 2 (Orpington–Dover)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)standard gauge
Electrification	750VDCthird rail
Operating speed	100 mph (161 km/h) maximum
Route map (Click to expand)

v t e South Eastern Main Line
Legend
London Charing Cross South West Main Line Hungerford Bridge overRiver Thames London Waterloo London Waterloo East Thameslink London Blackfriars London Cannon Street London Bridge River Thames South London line Bermondsey dive-under toSouth London line East London line Greenwich line New Cross Gate New Cross Brighton Main Line Tanners Hill Flydown St Johns Greenwich Park branch line toNunhead   Docklands Light Railway Lewisham   Mid-Kent line   North Kent Line Hither Green Dartford Loop Line Grove Park Bromley North Line Elmstead Woods Chislehurst Chatham Main Line Chislehurst Junction Petts Wood Orpington Chelsfield Knockholt Dunton Green toSwanley Sevenoaks Hildenborough Redhill–Tonbridge line Tonbridge Hastings line Paddock Wood Medway Valley line Marden Staplehurst Headcorn Pluckley High Speed 1 Maidstone line Ashford International Marshlink line Ashford to Ramsgate line Westenhanger High Speed 1 Sandling Dollands Moor Freight Yard Folkestone West toChannel Tunnel Folkestone Central Dover Priory Kent Coast line Chatham Main Line A detailed diagram of the line can be found atSouth Eastern Main Line diagram

TheSouth Eastern Main Line is a major long-distance railway route inSouth East England,UK, one of the three main routes crossing the county ofKent, going viaSevenoaks,Tonbridge,Ashford andFolkestone toDover. The other routes are theChatham Main Line which runs along the north Kent coast toRamsgate orDover viaChatham andHigh Speed 1 which runs through the centre of Kent to the coast atFolkestone where it joins theChannel Tunnel.

The line was built by theSouth Eastern Railway (SER), which was in competition with theLondon, Chatham and Dover Railway (LCDR), hence the duplication of routes in Kent.

The original main line was given sanction byact of Parliament, theSouth Eastern Railway Act 1836 (6 & 7 Will. 4. c. lxxv). The route first authorised was fromLondon Bridge viaOxted,Tunbridge,^[a]Maidstone,Ashford andFolkestone.^[2] The route was to make use of the existingLondon and Croydon Railway andLondon and Greenwich Railway companies' tracks.^[3] TheSER did not have much spare capital. As a cost-cutting measure, authorisation was secured in 1837 to make the junction with the London and Croydon Railway atNorwood, Surrey.^[b] instead of atCorbett's Lane.^[4] However, theLondon and Brighton Railway was authorised to build from Norwood southwards in 1847.Parliament suggested that further savings could be made by avoiding having lines running in parallel valleys for 12 miles (19 km) if theSER were to make its junction further south. The London and Brighton were to construct the line, and theSER were to purchase it at cost on completion. Both companies would operate trains over the route. The London and Brighton took advantage of this to ensure that gradients would be kept as shallow as possible, even at the expense of substantial earthworks and a mile-long tunnel atMerstham. TheSER main line diverged from the London and Brighton's line atReigate Junction, which the London and Brighton opened to traffic on 12 July 1841.^[2]

Leaving the Brighton line, the railway took a direct route toFolkestone; plans to serve Maidstone were abandoned.^[5] Abranch line was to be built fromMaidstone Road instead.^[6] The line was almost direct between Redhill and Ashford, not deviating by more than 0.5 miles (800 m) in either direction.^[5] The engineer was SirWilliam Cubitt. To facilitate fast running,Tunbridge, Maidstone Road andAshford stations were built with through roads.^[6]Headcorn station was to be rebuilt on a similar plan in 1924.^[7] Construction began in November 1837 from Reigate Junction eastwards, and in both directions from Tunbridge. The line from London Bridge to Tunbridge opened on 26 May 1842. The line between Tonbridge and Ashford opened on 1 December 1842.^[8]

No major engineering works were needed until Folkestone was reached, where a 100 ft (30 m) highviaduct was needed to cross the Foord Gap.^[9] A temporary station was provided at Folkestone, which opened on 28 June 1843. With the completion of the viaduct,Folkestone station opened on 18 December 1843.^[8] East of Folkestone, a hardgault ridge was bored through by the Martello Tunnel, which took its name from a nearbyMartello Tower.^[9] Between Folkestone and Dover, there were three headlands, Abbott's Cliff, Round Down Cliff and Shakespeare's Cliff. The first and last were of sound chalk, but Round Down Cliff's chalk was of a different character, and was found to be unstable. Cubitt sought the advice of Lieutenant Hutchinson,Royal Engineers, who had experience in usingdynamite in the clearing of the wreck ofHMS Royal George in 1840.^[10] It was decided to blow the cliff away over a distance of 500 ft (150 m).^[11] On 18 January 1843, a total of 18,500 lb (8,400 kg) ofgunpowder was used in three charges to blow away the cliff face. An estimated 1,000,000tons of chalk was dislodged.^[12] As the chalk in Shakespeare's Cliff was not as strong as that of Abbot's Cliff, two single line tunnels were bored.^[13] East ofShakespeare Tunnel, a low trestle bridge was built across the beach to gain access to Dover.^[14] The line between Folkestone and Dover opened on 7 February 1844.^[8]

In 1843, permission was obtained to build the branch line from Paddock Wood toMaidstone. It opened on 25 September 1844.^[15] In May 1844, permission was gained to build a railway from Ashford to theIsle of Thanet, serving bothMargate and Ramsgate. The line opened as far asCanterbury on 6 February 1846.^[16] In 1845, permission was obtained to build a branch line toTunbridge Wells.^[17] This line opened on 19 September 1845,^[18] and wasextended toHastings,East Sussex in 1852.^[19] Also in that year, permission was obtained to build a railway from Ashford to Hastings, which opened on 13 February 1851.^[20] Tunbridge station was renamed Tunbridge Junction on 1 February 1852.^[21]

Both Dover and Folkestone provided access to theEnglish Channel, and thus to the French ports ofCalais andBoulogne.^[22] At Folkestone, the Pent Brook stream that ran through the Foord Gap had built up a spit of shingle, which acted as a breakwater and provided an anchorage.^[23] TheSER built a steeply-graded branch line to the harbour, with a reversal required to reach it. It opened to freight in 1843.[24] Passengers were transferred fromFolkestone station to the harbour by bus, with mail and freight going by rail. Aswing bridge was constructed in 1847, andFolkestone Harbour station opened in 1850. Ships could berth at any state of the tide.^[25] TheSER started a cross-channelsteamship service to Boulogne. At Dover, theRiver Dour had formed a shingle spit and thus a small harbour which required constantdredging to keep open. Cross-Channel traffic was operated byAdmiralty ships to Calais.^{[citation needed]} Neither French port was connected by railway at the time. TheSER partly financed the construction of theBoulogne & Amiens Railway, which opened in 1848. Calais was reached by rail in that year.^[26] Larger and larger ships were built for the cross-Channel service; these could useFolkestone Harbour only at high tide in the 1860s whilst the pier was extended. Trains connecting with cross-Channel ships thus ran according to the state of the tide, not to a fixed timetable. This was a factor in aserious accident atStaplehurst on 9 June 1865.^[26][27]

The development ofDover Harbour was largely out ofSER's hands. The harbour itself was under the control of the Harbour Commissioners, who were deputies of theLord Warden of the Cinque Ports. Other land that might be developed was in the hands of the Admiralty.Dover Corporation had no influence over either body. They were forced to watch the development of Folkestone as a port whilst little was done to improve things in what was the premier of theCinque Ports. As far back as the reign ofElizabeth I, there had been plans to build a breakwater at Dover. In 1836, a parliamentary inquiry was set up, and eventually construction of a breakwater was begun in 1847. The Admiralty Pier was to be wide enough for two railway lines to be accommodated.^[28] In use by 1864, the pier was completed in 1871.^[29] Another problem was a lack of decent hotel accommodation in Dover. The Harbour Commissioners had sold theSER a parcel of land on which the station was built. TheSER wanted to build the hotel at a position where it would serve both cross-channel and local traffic. They approached the Harbour Commissioners for permission to buy the desired site, but were refused on the grounds that they had not built on land they had previously purchased. Thus theLord Warden Hotel was built, opening in 1851.^[30] Through the 1850s, Folkestone saw more traffic than Dover, although the latter port was growing at a faster rate.^[31][26]

In 1857, a new direct connection was put in at Tunbridge Junction, enabling trains to reach Hastings without reversing. The station at Tonbridge was rebuilt on a new site just west of the original.^[21] TheLCDR built theirline to Dover, which opened in 1861,^[32] providing a route to London that was 16 miles (26 km) shorter that theSER line viaRedhill.^[33] In May 1862, authorisation was obtained to construct a new railway fromSt Johns, London to Tonbridge, which reduced the distance from London to Tonbridge and points east by about 13 miles (21 km). Construction of the tunnels was well supervised by theSER, for it had been discovered by then that the contractors who had built the tunnels on theHastings line had skimped on the construction by using an insufficient number of rings of bricks to line the tunnels. Rectification resulted in a restrictedloading gauge on that line,^[34] a situation that was to last until 1986.^[35] This "cut-off" line, 24 miles (39 km) in length, reachedChislehurst & Bickley Park on 1 July 1865. This station was replaced witha new one 600 yards (550 m) further south, which opened on 2 March 1868 when the line was extended toOrpington andSevenoaks.^[36][37] The line between Sevenoaks and Tonbridge opened to freight in February 1868, and to passengers on 1 May 1868.^[21] Sevenoaks Tunnel took five years to build, from 1863 to 1868, It is 3,493 yards (3,194 m) long. On opening, it was the fifth longest railway tunnel in the United Kingdom.^[38] This new line meant that the old main line from Redhill was relegated to branch line status.^[21]

In 1872, construction began ona branch line fromSandling toSandgate, near Folkestone. Proposals to extend this, or to build a line fromShorncliffe which would have passed under the Foord Gap Viaduct, to Folkestone Harbour, were defeated by local opposition.^[39] Much of the land required was owned by theEarl of Radnor, who was opposed to the schemes.^[40] In 1881, powers were obtained to build theElham Valley Railway. It opened betweenCanterbury and Shorncliffe in 1889, stopping theLCDR from building its rival scheme, to which there was much opposition amongst the residents of Folkestone.[41] The line opened in 1889.^[42] On the main line, two stations were built west of Folkestone:Cheriton Arch andShorncliffe Camp, which replaced the earlierShorncliffe & Sandgate station. Cheriton Arch opened on 1 September 1884.^[43][44][45] The new Shorncliffe Camp opened a month later, on 1 October.^[45]

TheLCDR reached Ashford in 1884 fromSwanley Junction viaMaidstone.^[46] They built their own station,Ashford West. It was not until 1 November 1891 that a connection was made between the two lines.^[47] On 1 October 1892, theCranbrook and Paddock Wood Railway opened their branch from Paddock Wood toHope Mill, for Goudhurst and Lamberhurst. It was extended toHawkhurst on 4 September 1893.^[48] In 1905, theKent and East Sussex Railway extended their line fromTenterden Town to Headcorn. A junction was built just east of the station.^[49] In 1910, work began on the construction ofDover Marine station, groundwork for which was to take three years to complete.^[50] The station opened on 2 January 1915 forambulance trains.^[51]

From the outset, the line was worked bysteam locomotives. Early locomotive classes that worked the line include the "Little Mail", and "Mail" class2-2-2s.^[52] By the 1860s the speed limit on the line was 60 miles per hour (97 km/h). In those days, shingle was used for ballast. This was fine for the speeds and train weights then in use, but became less satisfactory as train speeds and weights increased. The use of shingle ballast was a factor ina serious accident at Sevenoaks in 1927.^[53] In the 1870s,James Stirling introduced a number of new classes: theB andF class4-4-0s for express passenger work; theO class0-6-0s for freight; and theA class 4-4-0s andQ class0-4-4Ts for local passenger work. TheR class0-6-0Ts were built to performbanking duties on the branch from Folkestone Harbour to Folkestone Junction. Classes F, O and Q accounted for the majority of the 459 locomotives in the six classes.^[54] The SER and LCDR agreed in 1898 to form a working arrangement.^[55] TheSouth Eastern and Chatham Railway (SECR) came into being on 1 January 1899.^[47] The new company was short of locomotives and was glad to acquire five 4-4-0s that theGreat North of Scotland Railway had ordered fromHurst, Nelson & Co Ltd,Glasgow but which subsequently had become surplus to their requirements. These locomotives became theG class.^[56] In 1900,Harry Wainwright introduced theC class 0-6-0s for freight, andD andE class 4-4-0s for express passenger work. The latter two classes were capable of 75 miles per hour (121 km/h).^[57] The track having been upgraded to enable running at such speed.^[50]Richard Maunsell introduced theRiver class2-6-4Ts in 1917 for express passenger trains.^[58]Post-war, the D and E classes were rebuilt withsuperheaters. The rebuilt locomotives were designated as classes D1 and E1.^[59]

With the introduction of electric trains in the late 1920s, a large number of three-car electric multiple units and two-car trailer sets were built. Some were built new by theMetropolitan Carriage, Wagon and Finance Company with trailers by theBirmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company, but the majority were converted from ex-SECR, London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR) orLondon and South Western Railway (LSWR) carriages. The formerLB&SCR 6.7kV AC electric multiple units were also converted.[60] AfterWorld War II, many of the three-coach units were reformed as four-car units by the addition of an ex-LSWR 10-compartment carriage. Some units gained a brand new carriage. Other units were formed from various carriages that were part of units that had been damaged by accidents or enemy action. From 1946 to 1950, a number of units were built atEastleigh Works.^[61] The units collectively were designated4SUB.

In 1903, theSECR obtained powers toelectrify their lines. At a meeting in 1913,SECR chairmanH. Cosmo Bonsor said that the time was not right for the company to incur the heavy expenditure of electrification. The outbreak of war meant the postponement of any plans to electrify suburban lines. With the passing of theTrades Facilities Act 1922, theSECR proposed to electrify a number of lines in three stages. TheSEML was to be partly electrified as follows: Charing Cross andCannon Street to Orpington as part of Stage 1; Orpington to Tonbridge as part of Stage 2, which also included the electrification of the formerSEML between Redhill and Tonbridge. Both stages only covered the working of local passenger trains on the lines that were electrified. Stage 3 was to extend the working to through passenger trains and freight. Permission was sought in 1922 to build an electricity generating station atCharlton, London. This was refused by the Electricity Commissioners, who insisted that the company bought electricity from an existing supply company. Objections to this by theSECRwere not entertained.

On 1 January 1923, theSECR became part of theSouthern Railway (SR).^[62]

TheSR decided that the electrification system was to be 660 V DCthird rail.^[63] The first station on theSEML to see electric trains was Orpington, which was the terminus for electric trains fromVictoria viaHerne Hill andShortlands. Public services commenced on 12 July 1925.^[64] In preparation for Stage 2 of the electrification, the lines between Charing Cross and Metropolitan Junction were remodelled.Semaphore signals were replaced bycolour light signals, with a new temporary manualsignal box provided at Charing Cross. The lines serving Cannon Street were electrified. Electric trains were due to start on 1 December 1925, but power supply problems meant that the introduction of electric trains from Charing Cross and Cannon Street to Orpington was postponed until 28 February 1926.^[65] Cannon Street was closed from 5–28 June 1926 for alterations to the track layout and platforms. On 27 June, new four aspect colour light signals were brought into use between Cannon Street, Charing Cross and Borough Market Junction. New power signal boxes came into service at the two termini, but Metropolitan Junction remained a manually-worked box, although it was provided with a new 60-lever frame.^[66] With the introduction of the new service on 28 June, a new station was opened atPetts Wood.^[67] On 30 June 1929, four-aspect colour light signals were introduced betweenNew Cross andHither Green. New power signal boxes were provided atSt Johns and Parks Bridge Junction, enabling seven manual boxes to be abolished.^[62] On 1 December 1929, four-aspect colour light signals were introduced betweenSpa Road and New Cross. A new power box at North Kent East Junction allowed the abolition of seven more manual boxes.^[68] The increased services provided by electric trains meant that there were fewer paths available for freight trains to reach the marshalling yard at Hither Green. Therefore, theGreenwich Park Branch Line, which had closed on 1 January 1917 and thereafter was only used by freight trains as far asBrockley Lane, was brought back into use on 30 June 1929 as far as the point at which it crossed theSEML, a new spur being provided to give access to Hither Green. The reopened section of line was also electrified and provided with four aspect colour light signalling.[67]

In 1934, it was announced that the electrification of theSEML would be extended to Sevenoaks, including the loops at Chislehurst Junction. Electric services from Sevenoaks began on 6 January 1935.[69] In February 1936, it was announced that theSR intended to extend electrification of theSEML to Tonbridge, as part of a scheme to electrify the Hastings line. In February 1937, it was announced that this part of a wider electrification scheme would be completed in January 1939. However, in February 1938, it was announced that the Hastings electrification had been abandoned due to the cost of having to either build dedicated rolling stock or rebore the tunnels to allow ordinary stock to work through them.[70]

In 1954, Charing Cross, and to a lesser extent London Bridge, were remodelled to enable them to handle 10-coach trains on the suburban network.^[71] Cannon Street station was remodelled in 1955. On 5 April 1957, a fire destroyed the signal box at Cannon Street and severely affected the operation of trains. Following the construction of a temporary signal box, a reduced service was operated from 5 May, a skeleton service having operated in the interim.^[72] A new signal box was built, coming into service on 16 December.^[73]

British Railways started to implement its1955 Modernisation Plan. This extended electrification to the Kent Coast in two stages, with the South Eastern Main Line being subject of "Kent Coast Electrification - Stage 2".^[74] As part of Stage 1, Chislehurst Junction was rebuilt to allow an increase of speed on the connecting lines from 30 miles per hour (48 km/h) to 50 miles per hour (80 km/h).^[75] Stage 2 extended electrification along the remainder of theSEML to Dover. Ashford, Shorncliffe andFolkestone Central stations were rebuilt.^[74] Colour light signalling was installed throughout, with new signal boxes being built at Hither Green, Chislehurst Junction, Orpington, Sevenoaks, Tonbridge, Ashford and Folkestone Junction. This allowed the abolition of 32 signal boxes, with eleven more reduced to occasional use and one being manned during morning peak hours only.^[76] Electric services on the full length of theSEML began on 12 June 1961.[77] This was accompanied by a voltage upgrade to 750 V DC across the whole the Southern Region.^{[citation needed]} Completion of the scheme would allow the phasing out of steam from the Eastern area of theSouthern Region of British Railways.^[78]Folkestone East closed to passengers on 6 September 1965.^[79] In December 1969, it was announced that all electric multiple units built before 1939 were to be withdrawn by 1972.^[80] In 1972, work began on rebuilding and resignalling London Bridge, with a new power signal box built atLondon Bridge. The scheme cost £23.5 million and was completed in December 1978.^[81]

The line was largely left untouched, until the arrival of theChannel Tunnel at Cheriton, near Folkestone. Prior to construction ofHigh Speed 1, also known as the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL), services ran over the South Eastern Main Line to Petts Wood, leaving at Chislehurst junction onto theChatham Main Line. Freight services for the Channel Tunnel were routed via theMaidstone East Line. TheCTRL was built alongside the line to Ashford where is joined in to gain access to the existing station. TheCTRL diverges west of Ashford to pursue a separate route to its new London terminus (St Pancras). Thus a short section of the line through Ashford is also electrified at25 kV AC.

Over the years, a number of accidents have occurred at various locations on the South Eastern Main Line.

• On 28 July 1845, a passenger train was run into by a steam locomotive atPenshurst, injuring about 30 people.^[82]
• On 21 January 1846, a bridge over theRiver Medway collapsed in a flood. The driver of a freight train was killed when he tried to jump clear of the train.^[83]

• 9 June 1865 - theStaplehurst rail crash. An error by track workers resulted in the deaths of ten people when a train crossed a bridge from which the rails had been removed. A further 40 people were injured, includingCharles Dickens.
• On 30 September 1866, theslip portion of a train, which was to be worked forwards to Hastings, failed to stop at Tunbridge due to an error by the slip guard. It crashed into a rake of empty carriages 262 yards (240 m) east of the station. Eleven of the 40 passengers were injured.^[84]
• January 1877 - alandslip at the eastern end of Martello Tunnel brought down some 60,000 cubic yards (46,000 m³) of chalk, killing three men. The line was closed for two months.^[85]
• 7 June 1884 - A double-headed freight train ran into the rear of another freight train at Tub's Hill station,Sevenoaks. Both crew of the first train were killed. theHildenborough signalman was charged with causing their deaths. The trains were being worked under the time interval system.^[86]
• 5 December 1905 - theCharing Cross roof collapse. Structural failure of the overall roof at Charing Cross station led to the death of six people.
• 5 March 1909 - A train forRedhilloverran signals and collided with aboat train atTonbridge. Two people were killed and eleven were injured.^[87]
• 19 December 1915 - a landslip between Martello Tunnel and Abbotscliff Tunnel derailed a passenger train hauled by aD class locomotive. Nearly 2 miles (3.22 km) of line was affected. AtFolkestone Warren Halt the line had been pushed 53 yards (48 m) towards the sea.^[88]
• 5 May 1919 - a goods train overran signals and ran into the back of another goods train atPaddock Wood. One person was killed.^[89]

• 24 August 1927 - theSevenoaks railway accident.River classtank locomotive No. 800River Cray derailed on passing under the Shoreham Lane bridge between Dunton Green and Sevenoaks.^[90] Thirteen people were killed and 20 were injured. The locomotives were withdrawn and rebuilt astender locomotives.
• 4 December 1957 - theLewisham rail crash. A train hauled byBattle of Britain class steam locomotive 34066Spitfire ran into the rear of a train comprising two four-coach electric multiple units and one two-coach electric multiple unit, having passed a signal at danger. The accident happened under a bridge carrying theGreenwich Park branch line. The bridge collapsed onto the wreckage of the two trains, killing 90 people and injuring 173.
• 12 August 1958 - the 06:52Sanderstead toCannon Street train derailed at Borough Market Junction, completely blocking all lines into Charing Cross. The cause was worn trackwork at Borough Market Junction.^[91]
• 28 January 1960 - the 13:22Hayes to Charing Cross overran signals at Borough Market Junction and was in a sidelong collision with the 12:20Hastings to Charing Cross. The 14:53 Charing Cross toTattenham Corner then ran into the derailed Hayes train. Seven people were injured.^[92]
• 8 December 1961 - at 02:02, a goods train was setting back atPaddock Wood when the 00:20 goods fromHoo Junction toTonbridge overran signals and collided with it. The wreckage from the accident piled up under the bridge carrying the B2160 Maidstone Road. The line was blocked for 12 hours.^[93]
• 5 November 1967 - theHither Green rail crash. A train formed of two6Sdiesel-electric multiple units derailed on a broken rail atHither Green, killing 49 people and injuring 78.
• 4 January 1969 - theMarden rail crash. A train formed of two4CEPelectric multiple units ran into the back of a parcels train just west ofMarden after passing a signal at danger. Four people were killed and eleven were injured.
• 17 February 1970 - an electric multiple unit was derailed at Borough Market Junction, causing suspension of services betweenWaterloo East and Charing Cross.^[94]
• 6 May 1975 - an electric multiple unit was derailed at Borough Market Junction. No trains were able to run directly between Charing Cross and Waterloo East until the next day.^[95]
• 4 March 1976 - abomb exploded on an empty stock train at Cannon Street. Eight people in an adjacent train were injured.^[96]
• 14 September 1996 - a wagon in a freight train hauled by47 360 and 47 033 derailed nearStaplehurst due to the train being driven at a speed in excess of the wagon's speed limit and the wagon probably being loaded unevenly.^[97]
• 8 January 1999 - theSpa Road Junction rail crash. An eight-coach train comprising a4CEP and a4VEP electric multiple unit collided with an eight-coach train comprising twoClass 319 electric multiple units after the former train passed a signal at danger. Four people were injured.

• 24 December 2015 - damage to the sea wall betweenDover Priory andFolkestone Central led to closure of the line "until further notice",^[98] later reported to be until the end of February.^[99] In mid-February 2016, it was revealed that the original wooden viaduct which carried the line, and had been subsequently infilled, had rotted. The section of line affected would need to be completely rebuilt, a process which would take much longer than originally envisaged.^[100]Network Rail Chief ExecutiveMark Carne stated that repairs could take "six to twelve months",^[101] although works were completed ahead of schedule with the line reopening on 5 September.

Stopping services run fromCharing Cross orCannon Street toOrpington orSevenoaks, with other services on the route running fast over this section. Beyond Sevenoaks, stopping services originating fromTunbridge Wells, just off the main line, cover the stations with other services on the route running fast over this section

AtTonbridge services from the original main route – now the ruralRedhill–Tonbridge line – join fromRedhill, while the main line toHastingsvia Tunbridge Wells diverges.

AtPaddock Wood theMedway Valley line diverges.

AtAshford theMaidstone East Line (from Swanley) andHigh Speed 1 joins, while several lines diverge: theCanterbury West line (to Ramsgate and beyond), High Speed 1 andMarshlink (to Hastings).

As of December 2022 there are four off-peak "Kent Coast" services between London and Tonbridge:

• 1 train per hour (tph) from Charing Cross to Ashford International and Dover Priory
• 1 tph from Charing Cross to Ashford International, Canterbury West and Ramsgate
• 1 tph from Charing Cross to Hastings, all stops from Tunbridge Wells
• 1 tph from Charing Cross to Hastings, semifast

From Ashford International to Dover Priory there is a further 1tph formed by a HS1 service from St Pancras.

There are a further four "Metro" services on the suburban part of the line:

• 2 tph from Charing Cross to Orpington and Sevenoaks
• 2 tph from Cannon Street to Orpington
• Additional Metro services diverge off the line at Lewisham or Hither Green.

Services are formed usingSE Trains’s fleet ofClass 375 andClass 376Electrostars and olderClass 465 andClass 466Networker units. PreviouslyClass 377 orClass 455s operated bySouthern ran on the line between the London terminus and London Bridge.

The major rail depots, visible nearHither Green, are theHither Green Traction Maintenance Depot (TMD) and the nearbyGrove Park Depot and Sidings.

Picturesque and unfamiliar sights (to visitors) on the line areoast houses, traditional farm buildings used for dryinghops, whose conical roofs are tipped by distinctivecowls.

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• Chapman, Frank (1995).Tales of Old Tonbridge. Brasted Chart: Froglets Publications Ltd.ISBN 1-872337-55-4.OCLC 41348297.
• Earnshaw, Alan (1993).Trains in Trouble, Volume Eight. Penryn: Atlantic.ISBN 0-906899-52-4.
• Glover, John (2001).Southern Electric. Ian Allan.ISBN 0-7110-2807-9.
• Harding, Peter A. (1982).The Hawkhurst Branch Line. Woking: Peter A. Harding.ISBN 0-9523458-3-8.
• Harding, Peter A. (1998) [1982].The Hawkhurst Branch Line. Woking: Peter A. Harding.ISBN 0-9523458-3-8.OCLC 42005158.
• Jewell, Brian (1984).Down the line to Hastings. Southborough: The Baton Press.ISBN 0-85936-223-X.
• Dendy Marshall, C. F. (1968). R.W. Kidner (ed.).History of the Southern Railway. Ian Allan.ISBN 0-7110-0059-X.
• Mitchell, Vic; Smith, Keith (1985).Branch Line to Tenterden. Midhurst: Middleton Press.ISBN 0-906520-21-5.
• Moody, G. T. (1979) [1957].Southern Electric 1909-1979 (Fifth ed.). Shepperton: Ian Allan Ltd.ISBN 0-7110-0924-4.
• Mitchell, Vic; Smith, Keith (1994).Swanley to Ashford. Midhurst: Middleton Press.ISBN 1-873793-45-6.
• Nock, O.S. (1961).The South Eastern and Chatham Railway. London: Ian Allan.ISBN 0-7110-0268-1.{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
• Rich, F. H. (1865).Accident Report(PDF). Railway Department, Board of Trade. Retrieved19 May 2015.

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