Mid-Kent Railway
The Mid Kent and North Kent Junction Railway was an early railway in Kent England.
History
Origins
The Mid Kent Railway was formed by the on 23 July 1855 to construct a 4.75-mile line between the South Eastern Railway at Lewisham and the Farnborough Extension of the West End of London and Crystal Palace Railway at Beckenham, later renamed Beckenham Junction. The intention then was to extend this line to Croydon at a later date. The line opened 1 January 1857 and was operated by the SER under a ten-year agreement.Addiscombe Line
Although the company later abandoned its intention of building a line to Croydon, an extension to "Croydon (Addiscombe Road)" from through was completed in 1862 which was also leased to the SER on completion.Dissolution
The remaining interests of the company were taken over by the SER in August 1866 under the ' and the '.The Crays Company
was passed authorising the Mid-Kent Railway to construct a 4 mile line between the WEL&CPR terminus at "Bromley" and. The MKR was commonly called The Crays Company.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. After negotiation with the EKR, the Crays Company only built the line from the WEL&CPR at Bromley to "Southborough Road". 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 in 1862.
Despite the similarity of name, the Mid Kent and North Kent Junction Railway and the Mid-Kent Railway remained separate and independent until absorbed by the SER and LC&DR respectively.