Kingston Railway Bridge
Kingston Railway Bridge in Kingston upon Thames, London, crosses the River Thames on the reach above Teddington Lock. It carries the Kingston Loop Line train service (for passengers only) from London Waterloo station, where the majority of services begin and end and which line includes a maintenance depot. The loop diverges from main lines at New Malden and Richmond. East and west of the bridge along the line are Kingston and Hampton Wick stations. The loop returns to the south bank of its terminus via Richmond Railway Bridge. The loop feeds a branch line, a further incentive for the 1863 construction of the bridge, Shepperton Branch Line.
History
- First Kingston Railway Bridge and its 1907-built replacement
The present bridge was designed by J W Jacomb Hood and built in 1907, replacing a cast-iron bridge designed by J E Errington,[2] first discussed in 1860 and completed in 1863.[3]
- Design specifications
The bridge has five arches: three span the Thames; two span dry land, which on the Kingston bank includes a road. The bridge has elevated track approaches varying from on viaduct to on embankment, which navigate curves and fly over an urban grid of roads.
- Former industrial surroundings
Twin power stations were close to the bridge on the Kingston bank from 1893 to 1959 as to one and from 1948 to 1980 as to the later. Being close to the Thames, coal came up river by barge, and ash was sent away the same way.[4] The barge dock was constructed at Kingston Railway Bridge close to the present the upstream entrance to Canbury Gardens. Much of these sites has been landscaped for public park use and accommodates high-specification 21st century mid- and high-rise apartments.[5]
Operational use
The bridge carries the South Western compass sector operator's suburban Kingston Loop, with trains starting and ending at its sole London terminus: Waterloo. The loop diverges from main lines at New Malden and Twickenham. Within 400 m along the line from the bridge are Kingston (to the east) and Hampton Wick (to the west). The loop returns to the south bank of the Thames via Richmond Railway Bridge on the combined, major Windsor and Reading (from Waterloo) line. The loop also feeds a branch line, the Shepperton Branch Line.
Complementary uses
When part of the Kingston Loop is unable to operate, the bridge enables continued passenger services, typically using the capacity of bay platform 1 at Kingston railway station, the only example on the loop. The Shepperton Branch Line branches off the loop about halfway between the two Thames bridges, and the capacity of a bay platform means various service patterns have been used since the bridge was built. Both lines are used entirely for stopping services, except when either main line is diverted, more typically the Windsor and Reading lines which must be diverted via Kingston or via Hounslow when the busiest stretches of that line are being repaired. The loop has Strawberry Hill maintenance depot which can accommodate a few regular trains.
See also
- Crossings of the River Thames
- Kingston Loop Line
- London and South Western Railway
- List of bridges in London
References
- ^ River Thames Alliance. Bridge heights on the River Thames.
- ^ Malcolm Tucker (1983). "Thames Crossings" in Bridget Cherry and Nikolaus Pevsner The Buildings of England – London 2: South. London: Penguin Books. p. 716. ISBN 0 14 0710 47 7.
- ^ Fred S Hacker (1968) [1920]. The Thames Highway: Volume II - Locks and Weirs. David & Charles.
- ^ Greater London Industrial Archaeology Society
- ^ Thames Landscape Strategy Archived 1 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine
Next crossing upstream | River Thames | Next crossing downstream |
Kingston Bridge | Kingston Railway Bridge | Teddington Lock Footbridges |
51°24′48.6″N 0°18′30.4″W / 51.413500°N 0.308444°W / 51.413500; -0.308444
- v
- t
- e
- Barnes
- Barnes Bridge
- Fulwell
- Hampton
- Hampton Wick
- Kew Gardens
- Mortlake
- North Sheen
- Richmond
- St Margarets
- Strawberry Hill
- Teddington
- Twickenham
- Whitton
- A307 road
- A308 road
- A309 road
- A316 road
- Barnes High Street
- Castelnau, Barnes
- Church Road, Barnes
- George Street, Richmond
- Kew Green
- Mill Hill, Barnes
- Mortlake High Street
- Old Palace Lane
- Old Palace Yard
- Queen's Road
- Ringway 2
- South Circular Road
- The Green, Richmond
- The Terrace, Barnes
- The Vineyard, Richmond
and river services
- Beverley Brook
- River Crane
- Duke of Northumberland's River
- Longford River
- Sudbrook and Latchmere stream
- River Thames
- Athletic Ground, Richmond
- Barn Elms playing fields
- The Championship Course
- Cricket clubs and grounds
- Golf clubs and courses
- Hampton Pool
- The Lensbury
- Pools on the Park
- Royal Tennis Court, Hampton Court
- Teddington Pools and Fitness Centre
- Thames Young Mariners
- Twickenham Stadium
- Twickenham Stoop
- former Ranelagh Club
- former Richmond Ice Rink
- Britannia, Richmond
- The Bull's Head, Barnes
- The Crown, Twickenham
- Dysart Arms, Petersham
- The Fox, Twickenham
- The George, Twickenham
- Hare and Hounds, East Sheen
- Jolly Coopers, Hampton
- Old Ship, Richmond
- Park Hotel, Teddington
- Richmond Brewery Stores
- Sun Inn, Barnes
- Twickenham Fine Ales
- Watney Combe & Reid
- White Cross, Richmond
- The White Swan, Twickenham
and music venues
- The Bull's Head
- Crawdaddy Club
- The Exchange
- Olympic Studios
- Orange Tree Theatre
- OSO Arts Centre
- Puppet Theatre Barge
- Richmond Theatre
- TwickFolk
- Wathen Hall
- former Eel Pie Island Hotel
- former Richmond Theatre (1765–1884|
- Richmond and Twickenham Times
- former Gaydar Radio
- former Hogarth Press
of interest
- 123 Mortlake High Street
- 14 The Terrace, Barnes
- 18 Station Road, Barnes
- 70 Barnes High Street
- Asgill House
- Barnes power station
- Brinsworth House
- Bushy House
- Cambridge Cottage
- Chapel House
- Chapel in the Wood
- Clarence House
- Doughty House
- Douglas House
- Downe House
- East Sheen Filling Station
- Fulwell bus garage
- Garrick's Temple to Shakespeare
- Garrick's Villa
- Great Pagoda, Kew Gardens
- Grove House, Hampton
- Halford House
- Ham House
- Hampton Water Treatment Works
- Hampton Youth Project
- Harrods Furniture Depository
- Hogarth House
- The Homestead
- Hotham House
- Kew Gardens
- Kew Mortuary
- King's Observatory
- Kneller Hall
- Langham House
- Langham House Close
- Latchmere House
- Lichfield Court
- Marble Hill House
- Montrose House
- National Physical Laboratory
- Normansfield Theatre
- The Old Court House
- Old Town Hall, Richmond
- Ormeley Lodge
- Parkleys
- Park Lane Stables Teddington
- The Pavilion
- Pembroke Lodge
- Pope's Grotto
- Poppy Factory
- Royal Military School of Music
- Royal Star and Garter Home
- St Leonard's Court
- Strawberry Hill House
- Stud House
- Sudbrook House and Park
- Thatched House Lodge
- Trumpeters' House
- University Boat Race Stones
- Victoria Working Men's Club
- West Hall
- White Lodge
- The Wick
- Wick House
- Yelverton Lodge
- York House
- former Admiralty Research Laboratory
- former Alcott House
- former Camp Griffiss
- former Cardigan House
- former Cross Deep House
- former The Karsino
- former Mortlake Tapestry Works
- former Mount Ararat
- former Pope's villa
- former Radnor House
- former Richmond House
- former Richmond Lodge
- former Richmond Theological College
- former Sheen Priory
- former Star and Garter Hotel
- former Twickenham Park
- Adana Printing Machines
- Ashe baronets
- Cook baronets of Doughty House
- Darell baronets, of Richmond Hill
- GHQ Liaison Regiment (Phantom)
- Hampton Court Conference
- Kew Letters
- Petersham Hole
- Pocock baronets
- Richmond Flyers
- Richmond, Petersham and Ham Open Spaces Act 1902
- Treaty of Hampton Court (1562)
- Vandeput baronets
- Warren-Lambert
- Wigan baronets
- Richmond Park
- Twickenham
- former Richmond and Barnes
- former Richmond (Surrey)