Mid-Kent Railway

Origins The Mid Kent Railway was formed by the '''''' (18 & 19 Vict. c. clxix) on 23 July 1855 to construct a 4.75-mile line between the South Eastern Railway (SER) at Lewisham and the Farnborough Extension of the West End of London and Crystal Palace Railway (WEL&CPR) at Beckenham, later renamed Beckenham Junction. The intention then was to extend this line to Croydon at a later date. The line opened 1 January 1857 and was operated by the SER under a ten-year agreement. Addiscombe Line Although the company later abandoned its intention of building a line to Croydon, an extension to "Croydon (Addiscombe Road)" from through and Woodside was completed in 1862 which was also leased to the SER on completion. Dissolution The remaining interests of the company were taken over by the SER in August 1866 under the ' (27 & 28 Vict. c. cccxi) and the ' (29 & 30 Vict. c. ccxxxv). After the MK&NKJR The Elmers End – Hayes section of the current Mid-Kent line was built by the West Wickham & Hayes Railway, but was sold to the SER in 1881, opening on 29 May 1882. On 1 June 1997, Woodside and Addiscombe station were closed, with the final train running the day before. ==The Crays Company==

' (19 & 20 Vict. c. cxxv) was passed authorising the Mid-Kent (Bromley and St Mary Cray) Railway' to construct a 4 mile line between the WEL&CPR terminus at Bromley (now Shortlands station) and . The MK(B&SMC)R was commonly called The Crays Company. It was assumed that the Crays line would be operated by the SER in conjunction with the Lewisham to Beckenham line, and eventually acquired by them. But the shareholders heard that the SER was planning a competing line and transferred their allegiance to the East Kent Railway (EKR). After negotiation with the EKR, the Crays Company only built the line from the WEL&CPR at Bromley to Southborough Road (now Bickley station), completing it in 1858. St Mary Cray to Southborough Road was built by the EKR as part of their Western Extension from Strood. The Crays line was leased to the London, Chatham and Dover Railway (LC&DR, successor to the EKR) in 1862. Despite the similarity of name, the Mid Kent and North Kent Junction Railway and the Mid-Kent (Bromley and St Mary Cray) Railway remained separate and independent until absorbed by the SER and LC&DR respectively. ==Legacy==

The Lewisham – Elmers End and the Shortlands – St Mary Cray sections now form parts of the Hayes line and the Chatham Main Line, respectively. ==Notes==