User:Djm-leighpark/Epsom, Leatherhead and Effingham line

The Epsom, Leatherhead and Effingham line is a railway route in County of Surrey in England running from Raynes Park via Epsom and Leatherhead to Effingham Junction. The sections to Leathead were opened by the Epsom and Leatherhead Rawilway (E&LR) and London and South Western Railway (L&SWR) on 1859. The extenston from Leatherhead via Bookham to Effingham opened in 1885, joining the Guildford New Line at Effingham Junction which opened at the same time.

It is part of the Sutton and Mole Valley lines network.

History
The Epson and Leatherhead Railway opened the section from Epsom to Leatherhead in February 1859, that company being bought by the L&SWR almost immediately. The line to Epsom was opened by the L&SWR on 4 April 1859 as a branch from Wimbledon to the town of Epsom off of their main line to Southampton. The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR) had already opened their line from West Croydon to Epson Town on 10 May 1847; the extension to Leatherhead was jointly worked from 1859, with a joint terminus initially created in north Leatherhead,, Whilst passing through Epsom with no right to stop. Stations at Worcester Park and Ewell West opened with the line.

When the line initially opened there was no station at Raynes Park until 30 October 1871 and a level junction remained in place until 1884 when the up line passed under the main line and merged in on the north side, at the same time as electricifcation through to Leatherhead, Bookham, and Effingham Junction and the New Guildford Line from Surbiton to Guildford.

The Southern Railway (SR) was formed in 1923 bringing the L&SWR and LB&SCR into the same organisation. Electrification of Raynes Park to Epsom completed on 12 July 1925.

A 1930 Act of Parliament by SR allowed for a line from Motspur Park via Chessington to Leatherhead. Work on this line began in 1936 but was destined never to complete its full length. The Chessington branch line opened to Tolworth on 15 May 1938 and to Chessington South on 14 May 1939.