Shepperton branch line

The London and South Western Railway opened its Kingston branch line from Twickenham on 1 July 1863. At this stage the Kingston line was a single-ended branch, but on 1 January 1869 an extension railway was constructed to what is now New Malden station on the Surbiton main line, forming a circular loop line.[1][2]

In 1861 a Metropolitan & Thames Valley Railway (M&TVR) had been proposed. Its supporters had agreed on the desirability of constructing a railway to connect the towns of Isleworth, Richmond, Twickenham, Hampton, Sunbury, Shepperton and the valley of the River Thames via the Great Western Railway (GWR) and the LSWR. Such a line would, they said, enable London workers from the overcrowded and unhealthy portion of the City of London to easily reach and live in healthier and more inviting localities.[3][4]

The line would be built on the mixed gauge (with rails for both the broad gauge, and what became the standard gauge, then known as narrow gauge). The promoters wanted to connect to the LSWR at all practicable points, and they said they would negotiate with the with the GWR for the building or leasing of the railway.[5]

The promoters presented a Bill for their line in the 1862 session of Parliament. They sought a line from the Brentford branch line of the GWR, to Richmond Bridge, joining the LSWR at Twickenham. In addition they proposed a line from Chertsey through Twickenham to Isleworth. In total this amounted to about 14 miles.[5]

The GWR offered to help with getting the Bill through Parliament, and to work the line for half its gross receipts. The M&TVR turned this down on 11 March 1862, as they wanted help raising capital for the construction, rather than a commercial deal for the later operation of the railway. They turned now to the LSWR. The difficulty in raising capital must have been starkly clear to them, for in the negotiation they abandoned their intentions for lines north of Twickenham. At the same time the LSWR was anxious to prevent the GWR from achieving such an easy entry onto LSWR territory, and an agreement was reached on 1 May 1862.[5][4]

The agreement was that the LSWR would work the line in perpetuity, and an income-sharing formula was agreed. The company name was changed to the Thames Valley Railway (TVR), and it was authorised by an Act of 17 July 1862; authorised share capital was to be £110,000.[6] The line would run from the LSWR Kingston branch at what was later Strawberry Hill station, via Hampton to the Charlton road at Shepperton. It would be six and a half miles (10.5 km) long. Many of the supporters of the original scheme were appalled at the reduction of the ambitious project to a short branch of the LSWR, and declined to continue any association with the business.[7]

A contractor was appointed, Aird and Son. In October 1864 they offered to finance and build an extension from Shepperton to the LSWR Chertsey line, if TVR directors would give public support. Aird and Son had already substantially financed the original line. The TVR agreed, and so a Thames Valley and London & South Western Junction Railway Bill was prepared, ready for the 1865 Parliamentary session. However the LSWR had no wish to encourage a line that would compete with their own main line, and the LSWR refused permission for the necessary junction. The idea was dropped in December 1864.[4][7]

Hampton station in 1912; the wooden footbridge was replaced by a concrete structure in the 1930s

The line, to Shepperton only, opened on 1 November 1864;[6] it was a single line, operated by train staff, from Thames Valley Junction to Shepperton. Thames Valley Junction was later the site of Strawberry Hill station, from 1 December 1873.[8] Intermediate stations on the line were stations at Fulwell, Hampton and Sunbury to Shepperton. Passing loops were provided at Thames Valley Junction, Hampton, Sunbury and Shepperton itself. In practice the Up platform at Shepperton was little used and soon fell into disuse.[4] There were seven passenger trains and one goods train each way on weekdays, and four passenger trains on Sundays to Twickenham only. This was later increased to ten and five passenger trains respectively.[7]

Amalgamation started to be thought of, and on 21 December 1864 the TVR accepted a LSWR offer of £100,910, in 4+1⁄2 per cent preference stock. In fact, Aird & Son held £100,000 of TVR capital of £110,000: the appeal for share subscriptions from the general public had clearly not gone well. The amalgamation was ratified by an Act of 5 July 1865.[7][6]

The LSWR doubled the line between Thames Valley Junction the Kingston branch and Fulwell, probably in 1867.[7] The doubling was extended from Fulwell to Sunbury on 17 July 1878, and to Shepperton on 9 December 1878. Kempton Park Racecourse opened on 18 July 1878.[7] The north-facing connection at Strawberry Hill was a limitation, and an LSWR Act of 4 July 1890 authorised a 24 chain west-to-south curve from Fulwell Junction (western apex) to Shacklegate Junction (southern apex) for direct running from Shepperton towards Kingston: it came into use on 1 July 1894. This was primarily for goods traffic, but race trains usually worked over the rather longer route to Waterloo via Kingston. The curve was not used by ordinary passenger trains until 1 June 1901 when a single down working (6:07  pm from Waterloo) was routed this way.[7][4]

Inside the triangle formed by the three junctions a locomotive depot known as Strawberry Hill Depot was built to replace the small shed at Twickenham, to service the Shepperton and Kingston lines. It was opened in the 1890s and enlarged in 1908 to accommodate 50 locomotives, mostly tanks; the depot eventually employed over 500 staff, but it was in turn replaced by a new depot at Feltham marshalling yard in 1922. From 1916 part of the site was used as an electric train depot; enlarged in 1936, it could accommodate up to eleven 8-car trains overnight.[4]

In the mid-1870s the Kempton Manor Estate was acquired in order to build a new racecourse, which became Kempton Park Racecourse. In 1877 the developers asked the LSWR to provide a passenger station, but in October the LSWR refused, fearing that the special traffic would necessitate doubling the track. However on reflection, the potential income from racegoers induced the Company to double the line between Fulwell and Hampton, and then on to Sunbury. The racecourse opened for its first race on 18 July 1878. On 5 September 1878 the LSWR allowed a simple platform on the down line, adjacent to the grandstand, for members of the racecourse only. It was not provided with any special facilities, but on 2 April 1879, an up platform was reluctantly approved. The station continued to be for members only.[7][4]

Complete rebuilding of Kempton Park racecourse station was undertaken in 1890, and in its final form it had three platforms sheltered by long canopies and connected by a covered footbridge. The third platform was an up loop and was never electrified. It was removed in 1964.[9][10]

The down platform was built extra-long in order to receive two LSWR first-class only Members' Special trains, composed of American Line saloons. A covered way connected the station to the racecourse. Some further improvements were carried out in 1930. After 1890 the station was opened to the public on race days, when it was served by the branch trains as well as the race specials, but it could not be used other than to gain access to and from the racecourse.[4] For many years therefore the station was only open on race days, but from 6 March 2006 trains called there in the ordinary way, a public access having been created.[11]