South Eastern and Chatham Railway

The South Eastern and Chatham Railway ( SE & CR) was a British railway company that existed from 1899 to 1922. These were a joint operating company of the South Eastern Railway (SER ) and the London, Chatham and Dover Railway ( LC & DR). The length of the village in south-east England rail network was 1026 km in the last year of operation.

History

During the 19th century, the SER and the LC & DR had delivered a fierce competition. This meant that several parallel and bypass lines were built in Kent and still have numerous cities over two railway stations. The ruinous rivalry ended in 1894 after the resignation of Edward Watkin, the longtime director of the SER. Both companies recognized the potential for rationalization, which could be achieved with a close cooperation.

On January 1, 1899 saw the establishment of the SE & CR, were represented in the directors of both companies. In technical and operational aspects, the SER and the LC & DR were a unit, but remained legally and financially independent in order to avoid the accumulating during a full merger taxes such as capital gains tax or stamp duty. 59 % of the revenue went to the SER, 41 % of the LC & DR

The SE & CR built numerous connections in order to combine the two majority separate rail networks. New offers have been introduced in order to benefit from the advantages of a joint operation. In addition, in the years 1901 and 1902 built the SE & CR three short branch lines, but two of which are now closed.

After the end of World War II, the SE & CR was planning the electrification of suburban lines south-east of London. The plans could not be implemented as intended, because the SE & CR with the entry into force of the Railways Act 1921 came up on 1 January 1923 in the Southern Railway and the successor company opted for a different power system.