Sheerness line

The Sheerness branch line opened on 19 July 1860,{{sfn|White|1976|p=93}} from Sittingbourne to, at first, a station in the Blue Town area of Sheerness, close to the southern edge of the Royal Navy dockyard. In 1883 a further station was added at Sheerness-on-Sea, accessed by a reversing curve from the original station, which was renamed Sheerness Dockyard. At this time, all trains had to run first to the Dockyard station, then reverse (after the engine had changed ends) to Sheerness-on-Sea, and vice versa for the return journey. The original line was built by the independent Sittingbourne and Sheerness Railway company, and taken over by the London, Chatham & Dover Railway (LC&DR) in 1876. After 1899, it was run by the South Eastern & Chatham Railway, formed by the working union of the LC&DR with the South Eastern Railway.

In 1902 the so-called Navy Tram Road was constructed from the Dockyard station into HM Dockyard for the transfer of good wagons. In 1922 a direct line to Sheerness-on-Sea station was built, bypassing the older station, from which date all passenger trains ran to the newer station, and the Dockyard station was used only by goods trains.

Sheerness-on-Sea station remains open, but the Dockyard station was closed to all traffic in about 1968. Its site is now occupied by sidings serving Sheerness Steel, but the former Navy Tram Road still exists. The Royal Navy dockyard closed in 1961, but the rail link was kept in the belief it would continue to serve the new commercial docks on the former Navy site.{{cite book |title=Branch Lines Around Sheerness |first1=Vic |last1=Mitchell |first2=Keith |last2=Smith |publisher=Middleton Press |date=July 1993 |isbn=1-873-793-16-2 }}{{Fix |link=Wikipedia:Citing sources |title=This citation requires a reference to the specific image caption or range of captions in which the material appears. |text=figure needed |date=October 2016 |cat-date=Category:Wikipedia articles needing page number citations }}{{cite book |title=The London, Chatham & Dover Railway |first=Adrian |last=Gray |publisher=Meresborough Books |year=1984 |isbn=0905270-886 }}{{page needed|date=October 2016}}

The line was electrified by British Railways on 15 June 1959 as part of the "Kent Coast electrification" in the 1955 Modernisation Plan.{{cite magazine|title=Branch to Sheerness |magazine=Railway Magazine|date=March 1982|volume=128|issue=971|page=112|issn=0033-8923}}

• On 29 June 1892 a train from Sheerness-on-Sea collided with the buffer stops at Sheerness Dockyard station, injuring nine passengers and the driver. The Westinghouse brake connection between the engine (no. 81, an 0-4-2WT of the LCDR Scotchmen class) and train was closed off due to the negligence of the driver and fireman, and was not checked by the guard. All three men were penalised.{{cite book |title=The Locomotive History of the London, Chatham & Dover Railway |first=D.L. |last=Bradley |publisher=RCTS |date=March 1979 |isbn=0-901115-47-9 |edition=2nd |orig-year=1960 |location=London |oclc=59838998 |page=55 }}
• On 17 December 1922, the Norwegian cargo ship {{SS|Gyp||2}} collided with the Kingsferry Bridge, rendering it unfit to carry rail traffic.{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=King's Ferry Bridge seriously damaged |date=18 December 1922 |page=9 |issue=43217 |column=A }} The bridge was eventually repaired, and through rail services were restored on 1 November 1923.{{cite book | first = R. W.| last = Kidner| year = 1985| title = Southern Railway Halts. Survey and Gazetteer| publisher = The Oakwood Press| location = Headington, Oxford| isbn = 0-85361-321-4| page =56 }}
• On 26 February 1971, a train formed of five 2HAP electric multiple units overran the buffers and demolished the station building at Sheerness-on-Sea. One person was killed and ten were injured.{{cite book |title=Southern Electric 1909-1979 |first=G. T. |last=Moody |orig-year=1957 |year=1979 |edition=Fifth |publisher=Ian Allan Ltd |location=Shepperton |page=212 |isbn=0-7110-0924-4}}

Train services on the line are operated by Southeastern. From December 2019, three-car Class 375/3 Electrostars have operated on the line, replacing two-car Class 466 units.{{Cite news|url=https://www.kentonline.co.uk/sheerness/news/new-trains-for-branch-line-218317/|title=Santa to ride new Sheppey trains this Saturday|last=Nurden|first=John|date=12 December 2019|work=KentOnline|publisher=KM Group|access-date=5 December 2020}}

{{main|Sheppey Light Railway}}

The Sheppey Light Railway was a branch line from Queenborough to Leysdown, opened in 1901 and closed 1950.

{{Commonscat-inline}}

;Citations

{{reflist}}

;Sources

{{refbegin}}

• {{cite book|title=Forgotten Railways : Vol 6 – South-East England|first=H.P.|last=White|publisher=David & Charles|year=1976|isbn=0-946537-37-2}}{{refend}}

{{Railway lines in South East England}}

Category:Railways on English Islands

Category:Rail transport in Kent

Category:Railway lines in South East England

Category:Railway lines opened in 1860

Category:Standard gauge railways in England

Category:Sheerness

Category:Transport in Swale