Bromley South
Bromley marked an important point of progress for the East Kent Railway during the company's endeavour to reach London. The existence of the East Kent Railway is recounted in the website's London Victoria section, but brief mention will be given here to provide this section with some flavour. The East Kent Railway had been established on 4th August 1853 by an Act of Parliament which originally outlined the linking of Canterbury with the North Kent Line at Strood, via Faversham. The latter was the main instigator for the East Kent Railway, after the South Eastern Railway's failure to extend its North Kent Line eastwards over the Medway, compounded by the fact that the only trunk line between London and Dover took a route through Central Kent, avoiding all north eastern areas. The East Kent Railway's progress was rapid after the opening of its first section of line between Faversham and Chatham on 25th January 1858, and after reaching Strood in March of that year the company sought running powers over the SER's North Kent Line, giving access to the capital. The SER countered this proposal on the grounds that the North Kent Line was already running at full capacity, and whilst this company waited in the hope that the East Kent would fall foul to bankruptcy, the latter instead acquired permission to construct a new line to London via St Mary Cray. At St Mary Cray, the East Kent Railway would connect with the Mid-Kent Railway, the latter joining to the network of yet another company: ''The West End of London & Crystal Palace Railway'', whose lines led to Battersea. From Battersea, access to Victoria station was given over the lines of the ''Victoria Station & Pimlico Railway Company''. The East Kent subsequently absorbed the Mid-Kent Railway in 1856, as it pursued its route to the capital. An eastward extension from Battersea to Shortlands occurred on 3rd May 1858, whilst this was further lengthened to Bickley (then known as ''Southborough Road'') on 5th July 1858. Bromley station opened with the extension. The final stretch of line between Bickley and St Mary Cray was opened on 3rd December 1860, when through running between Canterbury (LCDR) and Victoria inaugurated.
The first station at Bromley consisted of two platforms, the line being double-track from the outset, with an imposing two-storey station building - incorporating a pitched roof - gracing the ''up'' side. A somewhat customary small timber shed served the down side, and goods facilities were also present. The two platforms were linked by a track foot crossing, although a covered footbridge had been provided shortly before the quadrupling (the LC&DR could not afford such basic facilities in its earlier years). Similar to many places which received a railway link, the population and prosperity of Bromley exploded, the town having witnessed a decline in its wealth and popularity since the beginning of the 1830s. The LC&DR remained the only railway company to serve the town for two decades, but then the SER began planning its own attack on the location. The latter instigated a local concern known as the ''Bromley Direct Railway'', established in 1874 to construct a 1½ mile long double-track branch from Grove Park on the Charing Cross to Tonbridge line, to Bromley. This would provide a slightly shorter route from the town to London, compared to the LC&DR equivalent, but the latter still provided the quickest journey time. The SER branch opened to its terminus ''Bromley SER'' on 1st January 1878, the older station becoming ''Bromley LCDR''.
Despite the SER's invasion into its territory, the LC&DR continued to expand and between 1893 and 1894 the company undertook a quadrupling programme of the line between Bromley and Bickley, which saw the the whole of the 1858 Bromley station obliterated. The new station was completely different in its design to the original 1858 arrangement: the main station building was perched across the tracks on a road bridge, with access to the platforms being made via two flights of stairs. The general layout was far more spacious than previously, with two island platforms serving four lines, each provided with an appropriately large canopy. These large canopies protected brick-built waiting rooms and toilet facilities underneath, all in the cream colour synonymous with the LC&DR. The renewed station retained goods facilities, a shed for such traffic being located on the ''up'' side, to the east of the platforms. On 1st January 1899 the recently rebuilt station was named ''Bromley South'', when both the LC&DR and SER amalgamated to form the ''South Eastern & Chatham Railway''; the SER's terminus became ''Bromley North'.
The station received its first electric trains on 12th July 1925 with the electrification of the Holborn Viaduct to Orpington lines, but thereafter it remained little changed for many years. Major works began at the site in 1957 as part of the Kent Coast Electrification Scheme. The signal box on the ''down'' side went out of use on the commissioning of Beckenham Junction ''power box'' on 31st May 1959, whilst a second, modular-looking footbridge incorporating lifts was erected immediately east of the canopies. The canopies themselves saw change, the intricately-patterned triangular structures succumbing to rather plain corrugated metal equivalents - at least the newer ones followed the pattern of SR canopies from the 1930s, being of the ''W'' shape. Furthermore, the platforms were extended at their southern end to reach a total length of 810 feet. Study of the station building at the ''South'' station reveals that modifications to the structure were undertaken at this time also. When first built, the main building demonstrated an appearance - both in shape and colour - to that built upon the bridge at Chatham (which is still in evidence), with its cream brickwork and orange-arched windows. At first look, Bromley would seem to have dispensed with all these features, now appearing in red brick with square window frames - however, there does exist a remnant of that building which first appeared in 1894. If one was to view the eastern elevation (this can be done either from the platforms, or the roads outside the station), it is evident that the section of building over platform 1's line in fact remains in the cream brickwork of the LC&DR, with two orange-arched window frames (see second picture down). This building is indeed a very peculiar hybrid and I do not know of another example with a composition like this. It is worthy noting that the brick-built offices on the platforms remained during the rebuilding work, in the lighter LC&DR brick. Finally, in 1987, more LC&DR content was removed with the rebuilding of the glazed and wood-clad footbridge adjoined to the station building, the former having survived the 1959 modifications.
The station building is seen on 28th August 2004, complete with adjacent ''Travel Centre''. The
building was completed by the LC&DR in about 1895, but the entrance canopy is of 1990s origin.
It is thought, however, that this building was partially modified by the later SE&CR, as the following
picture will try to illustrate. David Glasspool
This is a westward view of the station building's rear, where the brickwork sees an interesting
twist. If one looks at the left-hand side of the building, the brickwork becomes distinctly lighter
and the window surrounds decidedly more ornate. Compare this brickwork and design to that
of Chatham station - they are identical. However, it would appear that the remaining 7/8ths
of the building was rebuilt and this is all that remains of the external LC&DR brickwork! This
was the scene on 31st January 2006. The footbridge here dates from 1987, having replaced
the original glazed and wood-clad LC&DR example. David Glasspool
The footbridge at the eastern end of the canopies was built as part of the station's modernisation in
connection with the 1959 Kent Coast Electrification. The square towers behind the structure on each
platform incorporate lifts. Behind the footbridge in this 31st January 2006 view is the A21 ring road
''Kentish Way'', which replaced a public lattice footbridge in 1990, which formerly afforded clear views
of station movements. David Glasspool
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