Ashford via Maidstone East Line

Ashford via Maidstone East Line

stations Diverges from the Chatham Main Line at Swanley Junction Eynsford Shoreham Otford The line diverges to Sevenoaks (via Bat and Ball) Kemsing Borough Green & Wrotham West Malling East Malling Barming Maidstone East Bearsted Hollingbourne Harrietsham Lenham Charing Ashford Ashford to Ramsgate (via Canterbury West) line Kent Coast Line in parallel to Dover Channel Tunnel Rail Link joins Marshlink Line London to Ashford to Dover Line

The Ashford via Maidstone East Line diverges from the Chatham Main Line at Swanley Junction (after Swanley), proceeds down the Darenth valley (via a Tunnel to Eynsford) where the line diverges off the Sevenoaks line (via Bat and Ball) at Otford. It continues via Borough Green & Wrotham to Maidstone East, which leads onto Ashford and on to east Kent.

The line is two track and electrified to 750v DC.

Services

Services on the Line are run by Southeastern. Services run to primarily London Victoria, with some peak services to London Blackfriars. Hourly fast off-peak services run to Cannon Street, with a few terminating at Charing Cross instead. During the daytime off-peak, the slowest trains from London Victoria terminate at Maidstone East, in the bay platform (Platform 3). All other services continue at least as far as Ashford International, with some (mainly in the mornings) running beyond Ashford to Canterbury West, Margate or Ramsgate.

History

The line was built by the London, Chatham and Dover Railway from their first line (the Chatham Main Line). Upon the creation of the South Eastern and Chatham Railway the original Ashford terminus was demolished and the line extended to the South Eastern Railway's Ashford station. The line was electrified (750v DC third rail) to Maidstone East by Southern prior to World War Two. Electrification was completed under the 1955 BR Modernisation Plan.

Railway lines in South-East England:
Main lines:		Arun Valley Line   Ashford via Maidstone East Line   Ashford-Ramsgate via Canterbury Line   Brighton Main Line   Chatham Main Line   East Coastway   Hastings Line   Channel Tunnel Rail Link   Kent Coast Line   London–Ashford–Dover Line   North Downs Line   Portsmouth Direct Line   South Western Main Line   Thameslink   West Coastway   West of England Main Line
Commuter lines:		Alton Line   Ascot-Guildford Line   Bexleyheath Line   Caterham Line   Catford Loop   Chessington Branch   Dartford Loop   Eastleigh-Fareham Line   Eastleigh-Romsey Line   Greenwich Line   Hayes Line   Hounslow Loop   Mid-Kent Line   New Guildford Line   North Kent Line   Oxted Line   Sheerness Line   Slough-Windsor & Eton Line   South London Line   Staines-Windsor & Eton Line   Staines to Weybridge Line   Sutton Mole Valley Line   Tattenham Corner Line   Waterloo-Reading Line   West London Line
Rural lines:		Brockenhurst-Lymington Line   Henley Branch Line   Island Line   Marlow Branch Line   Marshlink Line   Medway Valley Line   Redhill-Tonbridge Line