South Eastern Railway (UK) facts for kids

The South Eastern Railway (SER) was a big railway company in south-eastern England. It operated trains from 1836 until 1922. The company was first created to build a railway line from London all the way to Dover. Later, they added more lines to places like Tunbridge Wells, Hastings, and Canterbury in Kent.

The SER also took over or rented other railway lines, including the London and Greenwich Railway and the Canterbury and Whitstable Railway. Most of the company's train lines were in Kent, eastern Sussex, and the areas around London. They also had a long line that went across the country from Redhill, Surrey to Reading, Berkshire.

Building the Railway

When the South Eastern Railway first started, it tried hard to grow and build more lines. This sometimes led to disagreements with its neighbours. The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LBSCR) was to its west. The London, Chatham and Dover Railway (LCDR) was to its north-east. These companies often competed for the best routes and customers.

Working with Others

Even with the competition, the SER and the LCDR decided to work together. In 1899, they agreed to run their railways as one system. This new system was called the South Eastern and Chatham Railway. They shared the money they earned from tickets and cargo. However, they were not fully merged into one company. The SER and LCDR stayed separate companies for a while longer.

The End of an Era

The South Eastern Railway and the London, Chatham and Dover Railway finally became part of a new, much larger company. This happened on January 1, 1923. They joined the Southern Railway because of a new law called the Railways Act 1921. This law changed how railways in Britain were organized.

Images for kids

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  The South Eastern Railway's crest

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  The South Eastern Railway's former headquarters in Tooley Street, London, near London Bridge station.

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  Railways in the South East of England in 1840

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  Charing Cross before it was built over with offices with the later SR initials retained.

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  A sketch map of the SER at the time of the creation of the SE&CR

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  Borough Market Junction signal box, a South Eastern Railway Type design on display outside the station hall at the National Railway Museum, York.