View source for Catford loop line

{{Short description|Railway line in southeast London}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2017}}
{{Infobox rail line
 | name        = Catford loop line
 | color       =
 | image       = Peckham Rye railway station MMB 04 465011.jpg
 | image_width = 260px
 | caption     = [[Southeastern (train operating company)|Southeastern]] {{brc|465}} at {{stnlink|Peckham Rye}} in 2014
 | type        = [[Suburban rail]], [[Heavy rail]]
 | system      = [[National Rail]] 
 | status      = Operational
 | locale      = [[Greater London]]
 | start       = {{rws|Nunhead}}
 | end         = {{rws|Ravensbourne}}
 | stations    = 8
 | routes      = 1
 | daily_ridership =
 | open        = 1 July 1892
 | close       =
 | owner       = [[Network Rail]]
 | operator    = {{ubl|[[Southeastern (train operating company)|Southeastern]]|[[Thameslink and Great Northern|Thameslink]]}}
 | character   = 
 | depot       = [[Grove Park Traction and Rolling Stock Maintenance Depot|Grove Park]]
 | stock       = [[British Rail Class 700|Class 700]]<br>[[British Rail Class 375|Class 375 "Electrostar"]]<br>[[British Rail Class 465|Class 465 "Networker"]]<br>[[British Rail Class 466|Class 466 "Networker"]]
 | linelength  = 
 | tracklength = 
 | tracks      = 2
 | gauge       = {{track gauge|uksg|allk=on}}
 | minradius   =
 | routenumber =
 | electrification = 750 V [[Direct Current|DC]] [[third rail]]
 | speed       = Maximum {{convert|60|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}
 | elevation   =
 | website     = 
 | map         = [[File:Catford Loop Line.png|300px]]<br>([[:commons:File:Catford Loop Line.png|Click to expand]])
 | map_state   = uncollapsed
}}
{{Catford Loop Line RDT|collapse=y}}
[[File:Streatham & Tulse Hill Hastings & St Leonards RJD 100.jpg|thumb|right|A 1908 [[Railway Clearing House]] map of the western end of the Catford loop line, showing how it connects with the [[South London line]] to rejoin the [[Chatham Main Line]], thus creating the loop. Also note Loughboro Jct to access the City extension (now [[Thameslink]]).]]

The '''Catford loop line''' is a [[railway line]] in southeast [[London]]. It carries a suburban stopping passenger service from central London to [[Sevenoaks railway station|Sevenoaks]], and is also a relief route for the [[Chatham Main Line]] carrying passenger trains from [[London Victoria]] to the Kent coast. There is also much freight activity as this is the main route to Willesden and the north via Latchmere Junction. Freight traffic includes aggregates trains to and from locations along the Thames estuary, and Kent, aviation fuel running between Colnbrook (for Heathrow) and the Isle of Grain, and a small number of international workings from the Channel Tunnel via the yard at [[Dollands Moor Freight Yard|Dollands Moor]]. Until around 2013, a significant quantity of [[Intermodal freight transport|intermodal]] traffic from [[Thamesport]] used the line - however, the opening of [[London Gateway]] meant that the larger container ships stopped serving Thamesport and this traffic then ceased.

The line begins at Brixton Junction,<ref>Quail Map 5 - England South  [page 3] September 2002</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=Network Rail |author-link=Network Rail |title=South Zone Sectional Appendix |volume=Module SO |date=April 2001 |id=SO/SA/001A |page=SO110 1/4}}</ref> where it diverges from the Chatham Main Line, and ends when it rejoins the Chatham Main Line (now extended to pairs of fast and slow lines) at Shortlands Junction,<ref>Quail Map 5 - England South  [page 4] September 2002</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=Network Rail |title=South Zone Sectional Appendix|volume=Module SO |date=April 2001 |id=SO/SA/001A |page=SO110 1/9}}</ref> west of {{rws|Shortlands}} station.

==Stations==
* {{rws|Brixton}} (platforms closed 1916)
* {{rws|Denmark Hill}}
* {{rws|Peckham Rye}}
* {{rws|Nunhead}}
* {{rws|Crofton Park}}
* {{rws|Catford}}
* {{rws|Bellingham}}
* {{rws|Beckenham Hill}}
* {{rws|Ravensbourne}}

==History==
Incorporated as the Shortlands and Nunhead Railway in 1889 it was opened by the [[London, Chatham and Dover Railway]] on 1&nbsp;July 1892. 
The line left the former [[Crystal Palace and South London Junction Railway|Crystal Palace High Level]] branch and the [[Greenwich Park branch|Nunhead to Lewisham link]] (the former Greenwich Park branch) at a junction east of {{rws|Nunhead}}.

The five stations on the original route were:
* {{rws|Crofton Park}}
* {{rws|Catford}}
* {{rws|Bellingham}}
* {{rws|Beckenham Hill}}
* {{rws|Ravensbourne}}

The length of the Catford Loop is nearly eight miles (12.5&nbsp;km).

The line was [[Railway electrification in Great Britain|electrified]] with the other [[South Eastern and Chatham Railway|SECR]] urban routes on 12 July 1925 by the [[Southern Railway (Great Britain)|Southern Railway]] on its 660 DC third-rail system.

As of 12 January 2015, Southeastern operates an hourly service from London Victoria to Dover Priory over the line; Denmark Hill is the only station on the line called at by this service.   All other services originate from London Blackfriars and Thameslink Core and call at all stations.

==Services==
The service in June 2022 is:

Off-peak / weekends:
*2tph London Blackfriars via Elephant and Castle
*2tph Kentish Town via Elephant and Castle (currently suspended)
*1tph London Victoria (calling only at Denmark Hill)
*2tph Sevenoaks via Swanley
*2tph Orpington (currently suspended)
*1tph Gillingham via Chatham (calling only at Denmark Hill)

Peak
*2tph Welwyn Garden City via Elephant and Castle
*2tph Luton via London Blackfriars
*2tph London Victoria (calling only at Denmark Hill)
*2tph Sevenoaks via Swanley
*2tph Orpington
*2tph Gillingham via Chatham (calling only at Denmark Hill + some at Crofton Park and Bellingham)

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Railway lines in London}}

[[Category:Transport in the London Borough of Bromley]]
[[Category:Transport in the London Borough of Lambeth]]
[[Category:Transport in the London Borough of Lewisham]]
[[Category:Transport in the London Borough of Southwark]]
[[Category:Railway loop lines]]
[[Category:Railway lines in London]]
[[Category:Railway lines opened in 1892]]
[[Category:Standard gauge railways in London]]