IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Kingston Road, NEW MALDEN, KT3 3NT

In 1834 an Act for building a railway between London and Southampton received Royal Assent. Local councillors in Kingston, coupled with the coaching interests and Lord Cottenham, owner of much of the land between Kingston and Wimbledon, objected to the railway running through the town, and so the railway was forced to pass a mile and a half to the south. The inhabitants of Kingston soon started clamouring for a direct railway line to the town. The railway finally came to Kingston in 1863 by the rather roundabout route from Twickenham. Continued grumbling at the lack of a direct route to London led to the continuation of this line in 1869 to join the main line at New Malden. This is the up line of 1869 on the right and the down line on the left, seen here from the level crossing in Elm Road. The next stations in this direction are Norbiton and then Kingston.

The four-track Waterloo main line crosses, with a level crossing over the Kingston Loop a little way beyond the bridge. Posted headroom is 2.9 m (9' 0"), which must refer to the old brick arch, which carries the two centre tracks. The outer tracks each have a modern concrete span of greater headroom.

The Kingston loop crosses. The up and down lines at this crossing are widely separated, diverging and at slightly different levels because there is a flying junction with the main line to the right. The main line crosses the road by bridge just behind the camera.

In 1834 an Act for building a railway between London and Southampton received Royal Assent. Local councillors in Kingston, coupled with the coaching interests and Lord Cottenham, owner of much of the land between Kingston and Wimbledon, objected to the railway running through the town, and so the railway was forced to pass a mile and a half to the south. The inhabitants of Kingston soon started clamouring for a direct railway line to the town. The railway finally came to Kingston in 1863 by the rather roundabout route from Twickenham. Continued grumbling at the lack of a direct route to London led to the continuation of this line in 1869 to join the main line at New Malden. These are the tracks seen here at the level crossing in Elm Road, just before they join the main line to the right. This passes over Elm Road via a bridge just behind. The house on the other side of the tracks could have been for the crossing keeper since it is older than all the other houses around.

The barriers are now remotely controlled. The up and down lines at this crossing are widely separated because the Kingston route here makes a flying junction with the main line to the right.