The Bexleyheath Railway
The genesis of the Bexley Heath Railway lay with a small group of local gentlemen who organised the first petition to the South Eastern Railway Company in 1881, for a line to Bexleyheath. The S.E.R., after some delay, urged the petitioners to form their own company. With this decision the leader of the local party and probable instigator of the project, Squire Jones of East Wickham House, Welling, acted as Chairman to the committee of subscribers at their first formal meeting. At this meeting, Mr Alfred W. Bean of Danson Park, was elected Chairman, no doubt because of his past experience in railway construction. In association with his partner, Thomas Jackson of Eltham Park, he had been responsible for the building of many lines in Yorkshire and also the line from Welwyn to Hertford, nearer London.
Capital for the venture was provided by local tradespeople, about one third of the initial capital being raised locally. Those involved were Colonel Barne, Mr Charles Beadle, a coal and corn merchant, who was elected Vice Chairman; Mr Albert Hide, founder of Hide's Department Store; Mr. George Mence Smith, later became founder of a chain of hardware stores; and Mr G. E. Arnold, pastor of a chapel in Plumstead. Large sums were provided by local landowners, such as Morgan Yeatman and Robert Kersey.
The Company's solicitors were Messrs. Dolman and Pritchard (the former being a local man of repute) of 3, Lawrence Pountney Hill E.C. at which the Company transacted its business.
Mr Bean continued as Chairman until July 1890, in which month he died. After a short period, in which Squire Jones held this position, A. W. T. Bean, the late Mr Bean's son took over his father's place.
Among the railwaymen associated with the Company perhaps the most important was Mr Francis Brady, then engineer of the S.E. R.; and the contractor for the line, a Mr Rigby of Calverton near Nottingham. In the early days of the Company, the famous Sir Edward Watkin was still firmly entrenched as Chairman of the S. E. R. By the late 1880's, however, the General Manager, Sir Myles Fenton, appears to have taken the largest proportion of the Company's decisions. In the June of 1891 he became a Bexley Heath Director, whilst three other S. E. R. men - Mr Shaw and Mr Sheath - became, at different times, Secretaries. A Mr Skelton was an Auditor. Thus the S. E. R. dominated the local Company in the second half of its existence.
'The Bexleyheath Railway-Realinement at Elham'.
In 1881 Bexleyheath, with its large detached houses and a respectable society, showed every sign of becoming a second Blackheath, indeed, this is what was hoped by its inhabitants. The local council, with this in mind, ordained in 1894 that, henceforth, Bexley Heath should be written as one word to follow their ideal. The railway company was informed as to this effect but when the station was opened its name appeared as two words. Even as late as 1954, whilst the platform name boards were correct, the canopy over the entrance had not been changed. With the formation of the Company a long period of estrangement followed with the S. E. R. This trouble arose after the S. E. R. had persuaded the Company to make their western junction at Lee, on the Dartford Loop Line, instead of at Blackheath. Thus a Bill for the incorporation of the Company to build a line from Crayford to Lee via Bexleyheath was submitted for the 1883 session. On August 20th, 1883 this was given Royal Assent. Another period of differences arose, with the result that the western junction reverted to Blackheath. The amended Bill was given Royal Assent on July 5th, 1887, despite Sir Myles Fenton's misgivings. The map above shows three Lines - that to Lee, the original plan in 1883; that to Blackheath, considered the best by the S. E. R. General Manager in 1884; and that to Blackheath as actually constructed.
Apart from the internal battles the main external trouble was over the way the railway would cross Mr Cator's land at Blackheath Park. Eventually a tunnel was constructed. The contract for the construction of the line was finally awarded to Mr Rigby in the Summer of 1890, work beginning in August 1891. The line was to be opened in 1894 but owing to an embankment slip at Blackheath it was postponed until May 1st, 1895. The Bexley Heath Railway Company was an independent entity in name only as it was sponsored and worked by the S. E. R. and so it was that in 1900 the Company was dissolved and transferred to the S. E. R., although more correctly the South Eastern and Chatham Railway Co. This Company being formed on 1st, January 1899 with the amalgamation of the S. E. R. and L. C. and D. R. Companies. So it continued until the groupings of the Railway Companies in 1923 and the S. E. and C. R. became part of Southern Railway.
At this time electrification became a priority, hitherto services had been entirely operated by steam traction. Electric services commenced at Charing Cross and Cannon St. to Dartford (via Greenwich, Blackheath, Bexleyheath and Sidcup) routes on July 19th, 1926 although being advertised to start on 12th. A restricted service was operated for a short while from June 6th. Services from Dartford to Gravesend commenced on July 6th, 1930. Steam did not entirely disappear from these lines until 1961.
In 1935 passenger traffic was able to use a connection which had been made from Lewisham to the Greenwich Park branch (this had been unused since 1917) thus enabling trains to run to Blackfriars and Holborn Viaduct. This made it unnecessary to pass through London Bridge and the Union St Spur.
By 1955 all the platforms had been extended to accommodate ten car trains and in 1949 in order to try to solve the increasing passenger problem, two four-car double-deck electric units were introduced. They did not prove to be a great success and up until their withdrawal in 1971 were limited to a few rush hour services.
Serious accidents had fortunately not marred the record of the Bexleyheath line until June 11th, 1972 when an excursion, returning from Margate, was derailed on the sharp curve outside Eltham, (formerly Well Hall) killing 6 people and injuring 126. The driver had entered the curve at about 65 mph instead of the restricted 20 mph.
Over recent years the problem of conveying passengers to and from London has increased and services have almost reached saturation point. Suggestions are constantly being made to try to alleviate this situation. The Bexleyheath Line today is only a small part of a highly integrated and important system, a far cry from 1895.
R.M. Lyne.
