Chessington branch line | |||
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Class 455 at Chessington South | |||
Overview | |||
Status | Operational | ||
Owner | Network Rail | ||
Locale | Greater London | ||
Termini |
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Stations | 4 | ||
Service | |||
Type | Suburban rail | ||
System | National Rail | ||
Operator(s) | South Western Railway | ||
Depot(s) | Wimbledon | ||
Rolling stock | |||
History | |||
Opened | 1938–1939 | ||
Technical | |||
Number of tracks | 2 | ||
Character | Suburban branch | ||
Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge | ||
Electrification | 750 V DC third rail | ||
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Chessington branch line | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Chessington branch line is a short National Rail railway line in England, mostly in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, from Motspur Park to Chessington South.
The branch was intended as a secondary main line to relieve congestion from Leatherhead to Motspur Park, and was thus built as electrified double track from the start. However, the line only got to Chessington before green belt legislation put a stop to completing the line.
The line was the last line built by the Southern Railway. It was to serve the housing, industrial, engineering and storage developments south of Surbiton.
It was opened on 29 May 1938 from Motspur Park to Tolworth, with an intermediate station at Malden Manor, and extended on 28 May 1939 to Chessington North and Chessington South.
All the stations on the line were of concrete in an Art Deco style, typical of the period.
Work to extend beyond Chessington was halted by the outbreak of World War II, with track laid beyond Chessington South as far as Chalky Lane, and preparatory works continuing further south. This included an embankment built by the Royal Engineers as a military exercise from Chalky Lane as far south as Chessington Wood, close to where the next station at Malden Rushett would have been built. A second station to serve Ashtead, namely at its northern extreme, was also planned. [1] After the war green belt legislation put a stop to any resumption because Ashtead Common was given protective status. A goods yard south of Chessington South was used as a coal concentration depot from the mid-1960s to the end of the 1980s. The goods yard and the 0.5 miles (0.80 km) of trackbed towards Malden Rushett are overgrown by trees. Two platforms were built at Chessington South but since the extension south was never built only one platform has ever been in public use.
It was originally intended to name Chessington North station Chessington Court and Chessington South station Chessington Grange. [2]
The line was mainly constructed on embankment with short distances in cuttings and several bridges. A 140-foot (43 m) viaduct crosses the Hogsmill River near Malden Manor.
Demand and population in the area increased after the railway's relatively late introduction. Malden Manor station is the line's busiest with 0.60 million journeys made in the 2014-2015 financial year. Its recorded use was 0.58 million ten years before. The total of journeys per year of the four stations on the line has reached 2.219 million recorded journeys. Malden Manor station has formally been assigned E (small staffed) status as its station category. [3]
New Malden is an area in South West London, England. It is located within the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames and the London Borough of Merton, and is 9.4 miles (15.1 km) from Charing Cross. Neighbouring localities include Kingston, Norbiton, Raynes Park, Surbiton, Tolworth, Wimbledon, Old Malden, and Worcester Park. Prior to the creation of Greater London in 1965, New Malden was in the administrative county of Surrey.
Chessington is an area in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames within Greater London. Historically part of Surrey, today it is the largest salient of Greater London into that county. At the 2011 census it had a population of 18,973. The Bonesgate Stream, a tributary of the Hogsmill River, runs through it. The popular theme park resort Chessington World of Adventures, which incorporates Chessington Zoo, is located in the south-west of the area.
The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames is a borough in southwest London. The main town is Kingston upon Thames and it includes Chessington, Malden Rushett, New Malden, Surbiton and Tolworth. It is the oldest of the four royal boroughs in England. The others are the London boroughs of Greenwich and Kensington and Chelsea and Windsor and Maidenhead, the site of Windsor Castle. The local authority is Kingston upon Thames London Borough Council.
The Hogsmill River in Surrey and Greater London, England is a small chalk stream tributary of the River Thames. It rises in Ewell and flows into the Thames at Kingston upon Thames on the lowest non-tidal reach, that above Teddington Lock.
Motspur Park, also known locally as West Barnes, is a residential suburb in south-west London, in the New Malden district. It straddles the boroughs of Kingston upon Thames and Merton.
Motspur Park railway station is a suburban station in the London Borough of Merton in south London. The station is served by South Western Railway, and is in Travelcard Zone 4. It is 9 miles 57 chains (15.6 km) down the line from London Waterloo.
Raynes Park railway station serves the district of Raynes Park in the London Borough of Merton. It is 8 miles 51 chains (13.9 km) south-west of London Waterloo and is situated between Wimbledon and New Malden on the South West Main Line. The next station along on the Mole Valley branch line is Motspur Park.
Malden Manor railway station, in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in south London is one of the stations on the Chessington Branch Line, part of the London suburban network of South Western Railway, and is in Travelcard Zone 4. It is 11 miles 5 chains (17.8 km) down the line from London Waterloo.
Chessington North railway station, in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in South West London, is on the Chessington branch line and is served by South Western Railway. The station serves Hook as well as the northern part of Chessington. It is 13 miles 25 chains (21.4 km) down the line from London Waterloo; it is in Travelcard Zone 6.
Chessington South railway station is in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in Greater London, England, and is the terminus of the Chessington Branch Line. It is served by South Western Railway, and is 13 miles 73 chains (22.4 km) down the line from London Waterloo, in Travelcard Zone 6. It is the nearest railway station to Chessington World of Adventures and Chessington School.
Forest Gate railway station is on the Great Eastern Main Line serving Forest Gate in the London Borough of Newham, east London. It is 5 miles 21 chains (8.5 km) down the line from London Liverpool Street and is situated between Maryland and Manor Park. Its three-letter station code is FOG and it is in fare zone 3.
The Sutton and Mole Valley lines were constructed between 1847 and 1868 by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway, the London and South Western Railway and the LBSCR-sponsored Horsham, Dorking and Leatherhead Railway.
Worcester Park is a suburban town in South West London, England. It lies in the London boroughs of Sutton and Kingston, and partly in the Surrey borough of Epsom and Ewell. The area is 10 miles (16 km) southwest of Charing Cross. The suburb's population was 16,031 at the time of the 2001 census. The suburb comprises the Worcester Park ward, an electoral area of the London Borough of Sutton with a population in 2011 of 11,655, as well as the Cuddington ward, an electoral area of Epsom and Ewell, which had a population of 5,791 at the time of the 2001 census.
North Berwick railway station is a railway station serving the seaside town of North Berwick in East Lothian, Scotland. It is the terminus of the Edinburgh to North Berwick Line, 22+1⁄4 miles (35.8 km) east of Edinburgh Waverley.
Leatherhead railway station is in Leatherhead, Surrey, England. It is managed by Southern, with services provided by them and South Western Railway. It is 18 miles 2 chains (29 km) from London Waterloo.
Holmwood railway station serves the villages of Beare Green and South Holmwood in Surrey, England, on the Sutton and Mole Valley Lines between Dorking and Horsham, 27 miles 5 chains (43.6 km) from London Waterloo.
The A243 road in England is a partially primary status A-road that runs from Leatherhead in Surrey to Surbiton in the Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames, Greater London. It is primary for most of its length, from Leatherhead to Hook Junction with the A3 before running as a non-primary A-road through Surbiton to its terminus at the A307. Although comparatively short it is a busy road connecting a number of other A roads with the M25 motorway.
Malden Rushett is a small village in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, London. It is located at the southernmost tip of the Royal Borough, surrounded by woodland and farmland, and between the larger suburban villages and towns of Claygate, Chessington, Epsom, Ashtead, Leatherhead and Oxshott.
London Buses route K5 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England. Running between Morden station and Ham, it is operated by London United.
The Wimbledon and Dorking Railway (W&DR) was an early railway company in southern England. It was independently promoted with the intention of penetrating into West Sussex, but it only succeeded in getting authorisation as far as Epsom. It joined the Epsom and Leatherhead Railway there, and opened in 1859.
Illustrated article on Malden Manor station at this illustrated article on Malden Manor station