Editing Dartford Loop Line

{{Short description|Railway line in the UK}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2018}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2018}}
{{Infobox rail line
| box_width                       = auto
| name                            = Dartford Loop Line
| color                           = 
| logo                            = 
| logo_width                      = 
| image                           = 
| image_width                     = 321px
| caption                         = 
| type                            = [[Commuter rail]], [[Suburban rail]]
| system                          = [[National Rail]]
| status                          = Operational
| locale                          = [[Greater London]]
| start                           = [[Charing Cross railway station|Charing Cross]]<br>[[Dartford railway station|Dartford]]
| end                             = 
| stations                        = 
| routes                          = 
| daily_ridership                 = 
| open                            = 
| close                           = 
| owner                           = [[Network Rail]]
| operator                        = [[Southeastern (train operating company)|Southeastern]]
| character                       = 
| depot                           = 
| stock                           = [[British Rail Class 376]]<br>[[British Rail Class 465]]<br>[[British Rail Class 466]]<br>[[British Rail Class 707]]
| linelength                      = 
| tracklength                     = 
| tracks                          = 2
| gauge                           = {{track gauge|uksg|allk=on}}
| electrification                 = 750 V [[Direct Current|DC]] [[third rail]]
| speed                           = 
| elevation                       = 
| map                             = [[File:Dartford Loop Line.png|300px]]<br>([[:commons:File:Dartford Loop Line.png|Click to expand]])
| map_state                       = uncollapsed
}}
{{Dartford Loop Line|collapse=y}}
The '''Dartford Loop Line''' is one of three lines linking [[London]] with [[Dartford railway station|Dartford]] in [[Kent]], England. It lies to the south of the other two: the [[North Kent Line]]  (or Woolwich Line) and the [[Bexleyheath Line]].

Informally, the line is known as the '''Sidcup Line''' in the context of Southeastern Metro services.

==History==

In June 1862 the [[South Eastern Railway, UK|South Eastern Railway]] obtained powers for a second {{convert|10|mi|km|adj=on}} line between London and Dartford from a junction with the main line at [[Hither Green]] to its existing [[North Kent line]] to reduce congestion on the existing line and to give a more direct route between London and Dartford. This was to be routed via the town of [[Sidcup]].

The Dartford Loop Line opened on 1 September 1866. A loop line in railway terminology is a line which leaves the main line at one location, and then rejoins in another place. The line initially had only five new stations: [[Lee railway station|Lee]], [[Mottingham railway station|Eltham]] (now Mottingham), [[Sidcup railway station|Sidcup]], [[Bexley railway station|Bexley]] and [[Crayford railway station|Crayford]].  The station at [[Hither Green railway station|Hither Green]], near [[Lewisham]], where the line deviates from the main line, was built after the opening of the third North Kent route, the [[Bexleyheath Line]] in 1895.

Pope Street, now [[New Eltham railway station|New Eltham]] station, opened in 1878 between Eltham and Sidcup stations. Hither Green finally opened in 1895 serving both the Dartford Loop Line and the main line via [[Tonbridge railway station|Tonbridge]]. The final station to open was [[Albany Park railway station|Albany Park]] in 1935. The Loop Line originally passed through mainly open country and farm land but it stimulated development around the new stations.

In 1899 the Lee Spur, a double track link between the up line of the Dartford Loop Line and the [[Hither Green marshalling yard]], was built. The spur is occasionally used by freight and engineering [[work train]]s.

The Loop Line was electrified by the [[Southern Railway (UK)|Southern Railway]] in 1926 along with the two other lines to Dartford.

In 1942 a double-track loop (the ‘Crayford Spur’) came into operation between the North Kent and Dartford Loop Lines, creating a triangular junction. This allowed direct running between the two routes, avoiding the need for a reversing manoeuvre at Dartford.

In 1955 the platforms on all Loop Line stations were extended to accommodate ten-coach trains, whilst continuing standard operation of eight-car trains. Most stations had goods yards which closed during the 1960s and were converted into car parks.

In the late 1960s the Dartford Loop Line along with the two other North Kent routes were re-signalled which saw the replacement of semaphores with colour light signals.  In November 1970 most of the mechanical signal boxes on the line closed. In the mid-late 2000s the Dartford Area Resignalling Scheme saw the line resignalled.<ref>{{cite book| title=A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain - Volume 3 Greater London| first=H.P.| last=White| edition=3rd| publisher=David & Charles| year=1987}}</ref>{{page needed|date=September 2017}}<ref name=LondonSuburban>{{cite book| title=London Suburban Railways - Lewisham to Dartford| first1=Vic| last1=Mitchell| first2=Keith| last2=Smith| publisher=Middleton Press| year=1991}}</ref>{{page needed|date=September 2017}}<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.bexley.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=10699| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425130025/https://www.bexley.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=10699| archive-date=25 April 2012| title=The Dartford Loop Railway| website=London Borough of Bexley}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.kentrail.org.uk/Hither%20Green.htm| title=Hither Green| website=Kent Rail| first=David| last=Glasspool}}</ref>

==Infrastructure==
The line is [[double track]] throughout and electrified at 750&nbsp;V DC third rail.

==Stations==
The line is a little over {{convert|8.7|mi|km}} in length. The following are the stations served:
* [[Hither Green railway station|Hither Green]] - the station lies on the main line from London to Kent: there are separate platforms for the Loop Line
** here there is a triangular junction - the Lee Spur - for freight traffic going to the extensive Hither Green freight sidings
* [[Lee railway station|Lee]] - opened in 1866
* [[Mottingham railway station|Mottingham]] - opened in 1866 as ''Eltham'', renamed Eltham & Mottingham in 1892 and then Mottingham in 1927
* [[New Eltham railway station|New Eltham]] - opened in 1878 as ''Pope Street'' renamed New Eltham in 1886
* [[Sidcup railway station|Sidcup]] - opened in 1866
* [[Albany Park railway station|Albany Park]] - opened 7 July 1935 to serve a new housing development
* [[Bexley railway station|Bexley]] (the scene of the [[Bexley derailment]])
* [[Crayford railway station|Crayford]]
** here there is a triangular junction with the [[North Kent Line]] providing access to the [[Slade Green railway station|Slade Green]] carriage sidings and to Dartford.

==Future plans==
The line was due to be served by Thameslink trains following the completion of the first phase of the [[Thameslink Programme]]. The 2008 Network Rail Route Utilisation Strategy, however, made clear that consideration of running Thameslink trains to Dartford by any route had been abandoned due to timetabling and pathing difficulties.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.networkrail.co.uk/browse%20documents/rus%20documents/route%20utilisation%20strategies/south%20london/south%20london%20rus.pdf| title=South London Route Utilisation Strategy| date=March 2008| author=Network Rail| access-date=9 October 2015| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119025209/http://www.networkrail.co.uk/browse%20documents/rus%20documents/route%20utilisation%20strategies/south%20london/south%20london%20rus.pdf| archive-date=19 January 2012| url-status=dead}}</ref>
Subsequently, however, Thameslink services between Luton and Rainham (Kent) were introduced running on the North Kent line between London Bridge and Dartford replacing the Charing Cross to Gillingham (Kent) services operated by Southeastern.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.mynewsdesk.com/uk/govia-thameslink-railway/pressreleases/gtr-announces-biggest-ever-timetable-shake-up-in-major-advance-for-rail-expansion-2486429| title=GTR announces biggest ever timetable shake-up in major advance for rail expansion| date=April 2018| author=Nmynewsdesk.com| access-date=2 July 2022}}</ref>

==Service patterns==
Train services on the Dartford Loop Line are operated by [[Southeastern (train operating company)|Southeastern]] using {{brc|376}}, {{brc|465|n}}, {{brc|466|n}} and {{brc|707|n}} [[Electric multiple unit|EMUs]].

As of December 2022, the off-peak, Saturday and Sunday service is:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://timetables.southeasternrailway.co.uk/#/timetables/1698/Table%205c|title=Timetable 5c: London to Dartford and Gravesend via Sidcup|work=Southeastern|access-date=19 December 2022}}</ref><ref>{{NRtimes|December 2022|200}}</ref>
* 2 trains per hour between [[Charing Cross railway station|London Charing Cross]] and {{stnlnk|Dartford}} via {{stn|Lewisham}} calling at all stations except {{stnlnk|New Cross}}, {{stnlnk|St Johns}} and {{stnlnk|Albany Park}}
* 2 trains per hour between London Charing Cross and {{stnlnk|Gravesend}} running non-stop from {{stn|London Bridge}} to {{stnlnk|Hither Green}}, then calling at all stations

During the peak hours, the line is served by an additional 2 trains per hour circular service to and from [[Cannon Street station|London Cannon Street]] which runs both clockwise and anticlockwise using the Dartford Loop Line as far as {{stnlnk|Crayford}}, before using the [[North Kent Line]] to travel back to London Cannon Street via {{stn|Woolwich Arsenal}} and {{stn|Greenwich}}.

In addition, there is a single peak hour return service between Dartford and [[Blackfriars station|London Blackfriars]] and a number of services are extended beyond Gravesend to and from {{stnlnk|Strood}} and {{stnlnk|Gillingham|Kent}} During the peak hours.

The Sidcup Line is a freight route for trains to Kent. Most services use the Lewisham flyover via {{stnlnk|Nunhead}}.

==Rolling stock==

Rolling stock used on the line is [[British Rail Class 465|Class 465]] and [[British Rail Class 466|Class 466]] 'Networkers', [[British Rail Class 376|Class 376]] Suburban Electrostars and [[British Rail Class 707|Class 707]] Desiro Cities.

==Accidents==

On 11 October 1977, the derailed wagons of an eastbound coal train were struck by a Northfleet to Dunstable cement train between Lee and Mottingham. The locomotive ended up at the bottom of a garden of a house in Mottingham. There were no serious human injuries but several caged budgerigars in the garden were killed.<ref name=LondonSuburban />{{page needed|date=September 2017}}

On 4 February 1997, an [[DB Cargo UK|EWS]] freight train derailed near Bexley station (the [[Bexley derailment]]).

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.kentrail.org.uk/kent_infrastructure_index.htm Kent & South Eastern Division Infrastructure] ''Kent Rail''

{{Railway lines in London}}
{{Railway lines in South East England}}

[[Category:Transport in the London Borough of Bexley]]
[[Category:Transport in the Borough of Dartford]]
[[Category:Transport in the Royal Borough of Greenwich]]
[[Category:Rail transport in Kent]]
[[Category:Transport in the London Borough of Lewisham]]
[[Category:Railway lines in London]]
[[Category:Railway lines opened in 1866]]
[[Category:Railway branch lines]]
[[Category:Standard gauge railways in Kent]]
[[Category:Standard gauge railways in London]]
[[Category:1866 establishments in England]]