Chatham railway station (Kent)

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This article is about the station in Medway, England. For other stations named 'Chatham', see Chatham railway station (disambiguation).

Railway station in Chatham, Kent, England

Chatham

The platforms looking eastbound, 2011

General information
Location| Chatham, Borough of Medway
England
Coordinates| 51°22′50″N 0°31′14″E﻿ / ﻿51.3805°N 0.5205°E﻿ / 51.3805; 0.5205
Grid reference| TQ755676
Managed by| Southeastern
Platforms| 2
Other information
Station code| CTM
Classification| DfT category C1
History
Opened| 25 January 1858; 165 years ago (1858-01-25)
Passengers
2017/18|  2.730 million
2018/19|  2.730 million
2019/20|  2.619 million
2020/21|  0.826 million
2021/22|  1.729 million
Location
Notes

Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Chatham railway station is on the Chatham Main Line in England, serving the town of Chatham, Kent. It is 34 miles 25 chains (55.2 km) down the line from London Victoria and is situated between Rochester and Gillingham.

The station and most trains that call are operated by Southeastern. Following a timetable change on Sunday 20 May 2018, some trains are operated by Govia Thameslink.

There are two platforms, one for each direction and both capable of accommodating 12-coach trains.

There are tunnels at either end of the station: Fort Pitt Tunnel (428 yards) at the London end, and Chatham Tunnel (297 yards) at the country end.

## History[edit]

The station entrance, 2008 The platforms, 1983 This 2007 photo, facing east and showing the Chatham Tunnel and Maidstone Road bridge, clearly illustrates the effect of the Kent Coast Electrification Scheme. Loop platforms existed either side of the mainline platforms, with the London bound loop being situated in the foreground where one of the car parks is currently. British Railways Southern Region totem sign for Chatham station.

The station was opened on 25 January 1858, when the London, Chatham and Dover Railway (LCDR) (then known as the East Kent Railway) opened a single line eastwards to Faversham. Two months later (29 March 1858) the link with the North Kent Line at Strood was opened; and the new railway reached Dover Priory in 1861. The Chatham Dockyard branch connection is made near Gillingham.

As built the station had two platforms with the station buildings being on the Down side. A note on the working drawings states that the station had to be visible from Fort Pitt. About 1881 it was rebuilt with two island platforms, and the station buildings were moved onto the road bridge, then known as Rome Place. In 1958 the station was converted back to two platforms as part of the Kent Coast Electrification Scheme, Stage 1. The station had been electrified in 1939 but the 1958 scheme lengthened the platforms to 12 car EMUs, which due to the geography of the station - between two tunnels - necessitated the abandoning of the other platforms.

A modern entrance and booking hall replaced the originals in 1981. Further remodelling in the 1990s and 2000s has seen the ticket office moved twice, accompanied by the opening, closing and re-opening of retail areas. A small, general corner store also opened. The building is located at one side of the road bridge (now Railway Street) over the track, with a taxi rank located between the road and the building. Stairs lead down to the platforms. A cafe is located on the London bound platform. There is also a coffee shop located at the main entrance of the station.

In May 2021, work began on replacing the footbridge. The new bridge will have lifts enabling step-free access. This work is expected to be completed in spring 2022.[1]

Asquith Xavier plaque

A plaque in the waiting room commemorates Asquith Xavier, a local resident who ended a colour bar at British Railways in London by fighting to become the first non-white train guard at Euston railway station in 1966.[2]

## Services[edit]

* v
* t
* e

Medway Towns

Legend

|  |  |

|  |

| North Kent Line & HS1

to London Bridge & St Pancras

|  |

|  |

| Chatham Main Line

to Victoria & Blackfriars

|  |

|  |

| Medway Valley Line

to Maidstone West

|  |

|  | Halling
|  |

|  | Cuxton
|  |

|  | Strood
|  |

|  | Rochester Bridge | Strood (1st)
|  |

|  |

Rochester Bridge

|  |

|  |

Goods station

|  |

|  |
|  |

|  | Rochester Common
|  |

|  | Rochester

(2015–)

|  |

|  | Rochester

(1892–2015)

|  |

|  | Chatham Central
|  |

|  |

River Medway

|  |

|  | Chatham
|  |

|  |
|  |

|  |
|  |

|  | Gillingham
|  |

|  | Rainham
|  |

|  |

| Chatham Main Line

to Faversham, Dover & Ramsgate

|  |  |  |  |  |

Services at Chatham are operated by Southeastern and Thameslink using Class 375, 395, 465, 466 and 700 EMUs.

The typical off-peak service in trains per hour is:[3]

* 2 tph to London St Pancras International
* 3 tph to London Victoria (2 of these run non-stop from Bromley South and 1 runs via Denmark Hill)
* 2 tph to Luton via Dartford and Greenwich
* 1 tph to Gillingham
* 2 tph to Rainham
* 1 tph to Faversham
* 1 tph to Dover Priory via Canterbury East
* 2 tph to Ramsgate

Additional services, including trains to and from London Charing Cross via Sidcup, and fast trains to and from London Cannon Street call at the station during the peak hours.

Preceding station  |  National Rail | Following station

|
|

Rochester

| | Southeastern

Chatham Main Line

| |

Gillingham

| Southeastern

High Speed 1

| Thameslink

North Kent Line

| Southeastern

North Kent Line

Peak Hours Only

## References[edit]

1. ^ Holden, Alan (17 May 2021). "£5.8m 'Access for All' improvement scheme begins at Chatham railway station". Rail Advent. Archived from the original on 17 May 2021. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
2. ^ "Asquith Xavier: Plaque honours train guard who fought Whites-only policy". BBC News. 24 September 2020. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
3. ^ Table 194, 200, 201, 212 National Rail timetable, December 2023

## External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chatham railway station.

* Train times and station information for Chatham railway station (Kent) from National Rail
* Chatham station's page on the KentRail website

* v
* t
* e

Railway stations in Kent

London Charing Cross to Gillingham|

* Dartford
* Stone Crossing
* Greenhithe
* Swanscombe
* Northfleet
* Gravesend
* Higham
* Strood
* Rochester
* Chatham
* Gillingham

Other alternative routes from London to Dartford via Sidcup and via Bexleyheath.

London Victoria to Ramsgate
via Chatham|

* Swanley
* Farningham Road
* Longfield
* Meopham
* Sole Street
* Rochester
* Chatham
* Gillingham
* Rainham
* Newington
* Sittingbourne
* Teynham
* Faversham
* Whitstable
* Chestfield & Swalecliffe
* Herne Bay
* Birchington-on-Sea
* Westgate-on-Sea
* Margate
* Broadstairs
* Dumpton Park
* Ramsgate

London Victoria to Dover
via Chatham|

* Swanley
* Farningham Road
* Longfield
* Meopham
* Sole Street
* Rochester
* Chatham
* Gillingham
* Rainham
* Newington
* Sittingbourne
* Teynham
* Faversham
* Selling
* Canterbury East
* Bekesbourne
* Adisham
* Aylesham
* Snowdown
* Shepherds Well
* Kearsney
* Dover Priory

London Victoria to Ashford
via Maidstone East|

* Eynsford
* Shoreham
* Otford
* branch line to Sevenoaks via Bat & Ball
* Kemsing
* Borough Green & Wrotham
* West Malling
* East Malling
* Barming
* Maidstone East
* Bearsted
* Hollingbourne
* Harrietsham
* Lenham
* Charing
* Ashford International

London St Pancras to Paris & Brussels
High Speed 1|

* Ebbsfleet International
* Ashford International
* Also London to Faversham via Ebbsfleet & Chatham, and to Dover & Ramsgate via Ashford

London Charing Cross to Dover
via Tonbridge|

* Dunton Green
* Sevenoaks
* Hildenborough
* Tonbridge
* Paddock Wood
* Marden
* Staplehurst
* Headcorn
* Pluckley
* Ashford International
* Westenhanger
* Sandling
* Folkestone West
* Folkestone Central
* Dover Priory

London Charing Cross to Hastings|

* Dunton Green
* Sevenoaks
* Hildenborough
* Tonbridge
* High Brooms
* Tunbridge Wells

London Bridge to Uckfield|

* Edenbridge Town
* Hever
* Cowden
* Ashurst

Ashford to Ramsgate
via Canterbury West|

* Ashford International
* Wye
* Chilham
* Chartham
* Canterbury West
* Sturry
* Minster
* Thanet Parkway
* Ramsgate

Dover to Margate|

* Dover Priory
* Martin Mill
* Walmer
* Deal
* Sandwich
* Thanet Parkway
* Ramsgate
* Dumpton Park
* Broadstairs
* Margate

Redhill–Tonbridge|

* Edenbridge
* Penshurst
* Leigh
* Tonbridge

Sittingbourne to Sheerness-on-Sea|

* Sheerness-on-Sea
* Queenborough
* Swale
* Kemsley
* Sittingbourne

Ashford to St Leonards
Marshlink|

* Ashford International
* Ham Street
* Appledore

Strood to Paddock Wood
Medway Valley Line|

* Strood
* Cuxton
* Halling
* Snodland
* New Hythe
* Aylesford
* Maidstone Barracks
* Maidstone West
* East Farleigh
* Wateringbury
* Yalding
* Beltring
* Paddock Wood

Heritage railways

East Kent Railway|

* Shepherdswell (EKR) (Adjacent to Shepherds Well)
* Eythorne

Kent & East Sussex Railway|

* Tenterden Town
* Rolvenden
* Wittersham Road

Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway|

* Hythe
* Burmarsh Road
* Dymchurch
* St Mary's Bay
* Warren Halt
* New Romney
* Romney Sands
* Dungeness

Spa Valley Railway|

* Tunbridge Wells West

* v
* t
* e

Thameslink, Great Northern, Southern and Southeastern routes

Southeastern routes serving this station

Metro via
Abbey Wood|

* London Charing Cross
* London Waterloo East
* London Bridge
* Deptford
* Greenwich
* Maze Hill
* Westcombe Park
* Lewisham
* Blackheath
* Charlton
* Woolwich Dockyard
* Woolwich Arsenal
* Plumstead
* Abbey Wood
* Belvedere
* Erith
* Slade Green
* Barnehurst
* Crayford
* Dartford
* Greenhithe
* Gravesend
* Higham
* Strood
* Rochester
* Chatham
* Gillingham

Metro via Sidcup|

* London Charing Cross
* London Waterloo East
* London Bridge
* New Cross
* St Johns
* Lewisham
* Hither Green
* Lee
* Mottingham
* New Eltham
* Sidcup
* Albany Park
* Bexley
* Crayford
* Slade Green
* Dartford
* Stone Crossing
* Greenhithe
* Swanscombe
* Northfleet
* Gravesend
* Higham
* Strood
* Rochester
* Chatham
* Gillingham

Mainline via
Chatham|

* London Victoria
* Denmark Hill
* Bromley South
* London Cannon Street
* London Bridge
* St Mary Cray
* Swanley
* Farningham Road
* Longfield
* Meopham
* Sole Street
* Rochester
* Chatham
* Gillingham
* Rainham
* Newington
* Sittingbourne
* Teynham
* Faversham
* Selling
* Canterbury East
* Bekesbourne
* Adisham
* Aylesham
* Snowdown
* Shepherds Well
* Kearsney
* Dover Priory
* Whitstable
* Chestfield & Swalecliffe
* Herne Bay
* Birchington-on-Sea
* Westgate-on-Sea
* Margate
* Broadstairs
* Dumpton Park
* Ramsgate

Highspeed|

* St Pancras International
* Stratford International
* Ebbsfleet International
* Gravesend
* Strood
* Snodland
* Maidstone West
* Rochester
* Chatham
* Gillingham
* Rainham
* Sittingbourne
* Faversham
* Whitstable
* Herne Bay
* Birchington-on-Sea
* Margate
* Broadstairs
* Ramsgate
* Canterbury West
* Ashford International
* Folkestone West
* Folkestone Central
* Dover Priory
* Martin Mill
* Walmer
* Deal
* Sandwich

Stations in italics are served on limited occasions, at peak hours or on Sundays only.

* Govia
* National Rail
* Thameslink
* Great Northern
* Southeastern
* Southern
* Gatwick Express
* South Western Railway

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