Kingston loop line

Kingston loop line
Class 455 crossing Kingston Bridge
Overview
Status	Operational
Owner	Network Rail
Locale	Greater London
Service
Type	Commuter rail
System	National Rail
Operator(s)	South Western Railway
Rolling stock	Class 450 Class 455 Class 458]
History
Opened	1 July 1863/1 Jan 1869
Technical
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Route map (Click to expand)

v t e Kingston loop line
Legend
Waterloo–Reading line to Waterloo Twickenham Waterloo–Reading line to Reading Strawberry Hill Wellesley Road / Tower Road Strawberry Hill depot Shepperton branch line Teddington Hampton Wick Kingston Railway Bridge over River Thames Kingston Norbiton Gloucester Road Dickerage Lane Elm Road South West Main Line New Malden South West Main Line to Waterloo

The Kingston loop line is a railway line built by the London and South Western Railway (L&SWR) in South West London. It was built in two stages, the first of which was opened in 1863 and ran from Twickenham to Kingston. Travel from Kingston to London by that route was a rather circuitous trip. Later, the line was extended from Kingston to Wimbledon in 1869. The line ran independently alongside the Southampton main line from Malden to Wimbledon - where the line connected to other railway lines, which gave access to Ludgate Hill in the City of London, as well as to Waterloo.

When the main line was widened to four tracks in 1884, a direct junction between the Kingston line and the main line was made at New Malden. A grade-separated junction was made to avoid conflicts with main line trains, and after that time the Kingston loop is considered to extend from Twickenham to New Malden only. The Shepperton branch line, opened in 1864, was connected into the Kingston Loop at Strawberry Hill and a triangular junction was later formed there.

The line was electrified in 1916 and a very frequent and attractive train service was put on, encouraging a considerable increase in passenger volume. Usage and train frequency have declined somewhat in recent years, but the line is still an important residential travel artery; Kingston remains an important shopping centre and attracts off-peak travel.