Charing Cross Railway

The London Bridge and Charing Cross Railway Company was supported by the South Eastern Railway Company and the London and South Western Railway Company, who subscribed a large part of the required capital.

1859 The Charing Cross Railway was incorporated to provide rail access to the West End of London.

The line would extend from London Bridge Railway Station to take trains into a terminus close to the West End of London.

By 1860 the old Hungerford Bridge had been acquired and demolished. Contractor appointed for both the Charing Cross Railway Bridge and the railway was Mr. George Wythes.

1861 A separate scheme (in legal terms) was agreed for extension into Cannon Street Railway Station; it made use of much of the same viaducts as the West end extension from London Bridge Station.

1863 The railway had been completed under Mr Hawkshaw, the engineer, and was awaiting inspection; some construction delays meant the hotel would not be open immediately. The cost was 4 times the original estimate, partly because of extra expenditure on purchasing properties on the route that had been bought cheap by speculators and resold to the company at higher price.

1863 Amalgamated with the South Eastern Railway

1864 The railway opened to Blackfriars in January without fanfare. Charing Cross Railway Station was opened in stages later in the year.

1866 The Extension into Cannon Street Railway Station was opened.

Also see Charing Cross Railway Station, Charing Cross Railway Bridge, South Eastern Railway

See Also

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Sources of Information

• Southern Railway, by C. F. Dendy Marshall, 1963.