"Neal Ball" wrote in message
...
What is more fascinating is the LCDR (London, Chatham, Dover railway) line
into Greenwich Park. This line was built purely as a spoiler to the SER
line
into Greenwich.

Unfortunately following the two companies merger, Greenwich Park closed in
the late 1920's.

It closed on 1 January 1917, but in 1929 the section from Nunhead to
Lewisham Road was reopened and connected to the North Kent Line at Lewisham,
to provide a freight route from Hither Green to the City Widened Lines
avoiding London Bridge. In 1935 Nunhead to Lewisham was electrified and a
peak-hour service started from the Bexleyheath and Dartford Loop lines to
Blackfriars. It currently has an all-day service from the Bexleyheath line
to Victoria.

The bridge linking this line to Lewisham was demolished in the 1957
accident, and the temporary replacement is still in use, having already
lasted nearly twice as long as the 1929 original.

The DLR has used an alignment along the river Ravensbourne to get from
Lewisham to Greenwich, rather than the alignment of the LCDR Greenwich Park
branch.

Strictly, the LCDR and the SER never merged, though joinly set up the 'SECR'
Managing Committee, which operated all services on behalf of the two
railways. The LCDR, SER, and SECR Managing Committee maintained separate
legal existence until all three were amalgamated into the Southern Railway
at the Grouping.

Peter

Peter