{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2018}} {{Use British English|date=January 2018}} The '''Mid Kent and North Kent Junction Railway''' (usually referred to as the '''MK&NKJR''' or '''Mid Kent Railway'''{{efn|The name is given both with and without the hyphen in different sources.}}) was an early railway in Kent England. Mid Kent Railway also refers to separate railway built nearby in Bromley.
==History== ===Origins=== {{Infobox UK legislation | short_title = Mid Kent Railway Act 1855 | type = Act | parliament = Parliament of the United Kingdom | long_title = An Act for making Railways from the Farnborough Extension of the West London and Crystal Palace Railway to the North Kent Line of the South-eastern Railway, and to the London, Brighton, and South Coast Railway, with Branches therefrom; and for other Purposes. | year = 1855 | citation = 18 & 19 Vict. c. clxix | introduced_commons = | introduced_lords = | territorial_extent = | royal_assent = 23 July 1855 | commencement = | expiry_date = | repeal_date = | amends = | replaces = | amendments = | repealing_legislation = | related_legislation = | status = | legislation_history = | theyworkforyou = | millbankhansard = | original_text = https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/Vict/18-19/169/pdfs/ukla_18550169_en.pdf | revised_text = | use_new_UK-LEG = | UK-LEG_title = | collapsed = yes }} {{Hayes Line|collapse=y}} The Mid Kent Railway was formed by the '''{{visible anchor|Mid Kent Railway Act 1855}}''' (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.<ref>{{cite web | title = Kent Rail: Addiscombe | url = http://www.kentrail.org.uk/addiscombe.htm | accessdate = 6 October 2019}}</ref> The intention then was to extend this line to Croydon at a later date.<ref>{{cite news | title = Railway Intelligence. Mid-Kent. | newspaper = The Times | location =London | pages =7| date = 1 Mar 1858}}</ref> The line opened 1 January 1857 and was operated by the SER under a ten-year agreement. <!-- ==Mid Kent (Bromley & St Mary Cray) Railway == This project was drawn up in 1856 to construct a four-mile line between Shortlands and St Mary Cray. This line was of strategic importance in providing a link between the East Kent Railway and the WEL&CPR, thereby providing a potential alternative route between London and Dover to the roundabout route used by the South Eastern Railway and so enabling the creation of the London Chatham and Dover Railway (LC&DR) in 1859. This line was leased to the LC&DR in 1862.<ref>{{cite news | title = Railway Intelligence. South-Eastern. | newspaper = The Times | location =London | pages =11| date = 6 Jun 1862}}</ref> -->
===Addiscombe Line=== Although the company later abandoned its intention of building a line to Croydon, an extension to "Croydon (Addiscombe Road)" from {{rws|New Beckenham}} through {{rws|Elmers End}} and Woodside was completed in 1862 which was also leased to the SER on completion.
===Dissolution=== {{Infobox UK legislation | short_title = South-eastern Railway (Mid-Kent) Act 1864 | type = Act | parliament = Parliament of the United Kingdom | long_title = An Act for the Amalgamation of the Mid-Kent Railway Company, and their Undertaking, Railway, and Property, with the South-eastern Railway Company, and their Undertaking, Railway, and Property; and for other Purposes. | year = 1864 | citation = 27 & 28 Vict. c. cccxi | introduced_commons = | introduced_lords = | territorial_extent = | royal_assent = 29 July 1864 | commencement = | expiry_date = | repeal_date = | amends = | replaces = | amendments = {{ubli|South-eastern Railway (Mid Kent Amalgamation Completion) Act 1866}} | repealing_legislation = | related_legislation = | status = | legislation_history = | theyworkforyou = | millbankhansard = | original_text = https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/Vict/27-28/311/pdfs/ukla_18640311_en.pdf | revised_text = | use_new_UK-LEG = | UK-LEG_title = | collapsed = yes }} {{Infobox UK legislation | short_title = South-eastern Railway (Mid Kent Amalgamation Completion) Act 1866 | type = Act | parliament = Parliament of the United Kingdom | long_title = An Act for facilitating the carrying into effect of the Act for the Amalgamation of the Undertaking of the Mid-Kent Railway Company with the Undertaking of the Southeastern Railway Company. | year = 1866 | citation = 29 & 30 Vict. c. ccxxxv | introduced_commons = | introduced_lords = | territorial_extent = | royal_assent = 16 July 1866 | commencement = | expiry_date = | repeal_date = | amends = {{ubli|South-eastern Railway (Mid-Kent) Act 1864}} | replaces = | amendments = | repealing_legislation = | related_legislation = | status = | legislation_history = | theyworkforyou = | millbankhansard = | original_text = https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/Vict/29-30/235/pdfs/ukla_18660235_en.pdf | revised_text = | use_new_UK-LEG = | UK-LEG_title = | collapsed = yes }} The remaining interests of the company were taken over by the SER in August 1866 under the '''{{visible anchor|South-eastern Railway (Mid-Kent) Act 1864}}''' (27 & 28 Vict. c. cccxi) and the '''{{visible anchor|South-eastern Railway (Mid Kent Amalgamation Completion) Act 1866}}''' (29 & 30 Vict. c. ccxxxv).<ref>{{cite news | title = Business and Finance: Mid-Kent. | newspaper = The Times | location =London | pages =5| date = 14 Aug 1866}}</ref>
=== 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==
'''{{visible anchor|Mid Kent Railway (Bromley to St. Mary Cray) Act 1856}}''' (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 {{rws|St Mary Cray}}. The MK(B&SMC)R was commonly called '''The Crays Company'''.<ref>{{cite book |last= Gray |first= Adrian |title= The London, Chatham & Dover Railway |year= 1984 |at= p. 33 |publisher= Meresford Books |location= Rainham, Kent }}</ref>
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.<ref>{{cite news | title = Railway Intelligence. South-Eastern. | newspaper = The Times | location =London | pages =11| date = 6 Jun 1862}}</ref>
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== {{notelist}}
==References== {{reflist}}
Category:Early British railway companies Category:Railway companies established in 1855 Category:Railway lines opened in 1857 Category:Railway companies disestablished in 1866 Category:1855 establishments in England Category:British companies established in 1855