Mid-Kent Railway

The Mid-Kent Line is the successor to railways built by the Mid Kent Railway between 1857 and 1882. The railway was originally planned to carry traffic through mid Kent, but because other railways were being built at the time (notably the line constructed by the London, Chatham and Dover Railway via Penge East), the scheme did not materialise. The South Eastern Railway worked the line.

Despite its name none of its stations lie within the current county of Kent. For this reason the name is nowadays considered misleading and is not used. It is generally referred to as the Hayes Line. The line was electrified (750v DC Third Rail) by Southern during the interwar years.

The line was opened on 1 January 1857 between Lewisham, now in the London borough of that name, and Beckenham Junction. Stations on that section are:

• Ladywell
• Catford Bridge
• Lower Sydenham - rebuilt on a new site in 1907
• New Beckenham - this became a junction when the West End of London and Crystal Palace Railway opened its line between Norwood Junction and St Mary Cray

In 1864 the line was extended to Addiscombe, near Croydon, and in 1882 the Hayes branch was opened. Today trains run only to Hayes: Tramlink now occupies the track of the former line south of Elmers End.

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