Time to improve Kent rail links to the Elizabeth line: A look at housebuilding
An issue frequency mentioned on this site in recent years is rail cuts on Southeastern serving Abbey Wood station introduced no sooner had the Elizabeth line opened.
There was a reasonable expectation many would switch from Southeastern Metro to the Elizabeth line from areas such as Abbey Wood and Woolwich – though scant thought appeared to be made about how passengers to the south and east such would reach the Elizabeth line to connect for onward travel from outer south east London and north Kent.
And so while housebuilding around many stations in SE London and north Kent hasn’t slowed down, links have got worse for some. Let’s take a look at what’s underway at each station:
Dartford
The first station outside London on the north Kent line is within the borough of Dartford which has witnessed some of the highest levels of housebuilding across the country – and is set to continue under the council’s strategic plans. In the town itself Copperhouse Green is one of the biggest sites.
Located on a site formerly owned by Tesco for an abandoned supermarket plan, it’s now seeing 718 homes across five phases with further completions coming in late 2025.
Hundreds of homes were also built directly north of the station in recent years.
The council’s Dartford Plan adopted in 2024 lays out a path for many more homes.
The town has four trains per hour to Abbey Wood for interchange though timings are not even, yet better than the 27 minute gaps seen immediately after 2022 cuts.
Stone Crossing
A short distance east of Dartford is Stone Crossing station. No longer the sleepy town of old with many homes now underway in the area.
The above image shows Bellway’s Crossway Quarter to the north west of the station which totals 238 homes. Many of the other homes visible in the above image were constructed in the last 5-10 years.
Looking south and a sizable site is now underway. This is Knights Rach from Taylor Wimpey with 763 homes.
It’s a fair bit more advanced now compared to Google’s aerial images seen above.
Greenhithe
Plans have just emerged of 400 homes on a site near the station.
Located a short distance south is the western side of “Ebbsfleet Village”. It should be noted that Greenhithe station is far closer to these homes than Ebbsfleet station on HS1.
A reliable, frequent service to the Elizabeth line would act as a major pull.
Those homes to the west are a short bus/cycle/walk to Greenhithe station.
Swanscombe
The next stop along is Swanscombe, and a decent sized development is underway reasonably close to the station as outlined in red below.
It’s another Bellway development known as Ebbsfleet Cross and these sites total 232 homes.
Northfleet
We’re now getting close the HS1 line at Ebbsfleet but developments mentioned below are closer to Southeastern and Thameslink services to the Elizabeth line.
Commute times via Southeastern and then Elizabeth line from here are still enticing – if enough services operated. It’s 25 minutes to Abbey Wood then a change to the Liz line running every few minutes which will reach Canary Wharf in 10 minutes, the City in less than 20 and the West End in 25 minutes.
The area circled in red is yet another Bellway site named Harbour Village. More than 500 homes are underway here.
There’s a far bigger development proposed around Ebbsfleet’s ground nearby though some way away. In 2024 an 8,000-capacity stadium and 3,500 homes were approved.
Stations east of here are shared with HS1 and whilst links to the Elizabeth line would no doubt appeal to some and aren’t that lengthy, we’re getting someway from London by now.
Poor service levels
What this post hopefully highlights is every station from Dartford to Northfleet is seeing sizeable new construction activity in their vicinity – yet many have just Thameslink two trains per hour to the Elizabeth line. What’s been mentioned above is only sites comprising hundreds of homes. There’s plenty more on a smaller scale dotted all along the line.
Even Dartford has just four with those two Thameslink and two Southeastern services – and with Thameslink’s flaky reliability gaps of 30 minutes aren’t unheard of.
This is a long way from what was once suggested in the run up to Crossrail commencing. There was talk of a turn-up-and-go frequency to north Kent stations and even a service to Maidstone East.
What actually happened was under demand for cuts from government services were reduced (such as the Sidcup loop line) in 2022 linking to Abbey Wood for interchange.
Given how popular the Elizabeth line clearly is, will we finally see a better service from this December’s timetable change? Southeastern have seen no net decrease in carriages since those 2022 cuts which should make enhancing services and reversing cuts very possible.
This government’s MPs opposed those 2022 cuts in opposition. Now they’re in power and directly control Southeastern. This will show intent to improve public transport and support new housing.
Just a note – I could have added sites like Crayford where work on 568 homes is now underway near the station but wanted to keep it focused on north Kent
Yep it’s such a missed opportunity not to improve frequency between north kent and southeast London for lizzie and dlr links. As I write this there’s two trains an hour to Abbey Wood from Greenhithe and even reaching Dartford sees two trains within three minutes then a substantial 27 minute wait. It’s a Saturday afternoon and people do want to travel to the big smoke! The powers that be don’t realise how much more built up the whole area is now with this level of service. It’s almost all a dense, urban environment now along the whole of north Kent until Gravesend.
With the new proposals to bring back international trains to ebbsfleet a fast and frequent train to Abbey wood and central london would indeed be welcome
I suppose that there are plans to extend the Elizabeth Line from Abbey Wood to Dartford, Gravesend and possibly as far as Rochester. Given how many more homes and apartments are to be built in Dartford, Stone Crossing, Northfleet and Gravesend.
And with the Class 345 trains to be upgraded with DC 750v 3rd Rail conductors shoebox. So that they can operate on 3rd Rail. Just like Thameslink’s Class 700.
Pretty much a non starter. The changed layout at Abbeywood imposed by project overrun costs mean a seamless through service is impossible. Added to that the lack of capacity from Slade green to Dartford, insufficient rolling stock or stabling facilities and you are looking at a pipe dream to be funded by KCC as it isn’t London’s problem. Best chance would be for Southeastern suburbans to become part of the London Overground. That would increase capacity inside the M25 back to (and over) what BR and pre 2012 used to provide.
I can see TfL to take over some of the suburban lines in Southeast London, South London and Southwest London and to be part of the London Overground network. But I still think it wouldn’t happen.
Southeastern will continue to provide inner-suburban and outer-suburban services. That they have got the Class 707 City Beam cascaded from South Western Railway and the Class 376 Electrostar that most of the Class 376 are being refurbished.
I live near Northfleet station. While my commute into London is not bad as I can easily check the live trains prior leaving home, it’s not the same on my way back – and trains in the afternoon are noticeably less reliable.
Very often, trains are delayed or even cancelled, and waits of up to 1 hour are unfortunately not rare. If Lizzie line delays to get into Abbey Wood (which is also not uncommon), causing me to miss the connection to Northfleet, and the next train to Northfleet gets cancelled, it’s easily 1 hour wait. This has already happened numerous times this year (and don’t get me started on 2 trains getting cancelled in a row – less common but yet has happened a few times this year).
It’s a far distant dream, but I won’t deny that having Lizzie line extending into north Kent would make my commute way more convenient as no change would be necessary, and the frequency better.
As to the rising number of people in the region using rail service, I can affirm that this year some morning commutes are packed. I don’t have recollection of not finding seats this often in the previous years.
As for the HS1 from Ebbsfleet, prices are prohibitive for the mid class worker to catch on a daily basis.
We do need to see an Improvement to Southeastern train services from Kent in to Central London while also linking with the Elizabeth Line at Abbey Wood Station. We also need to see trains services restored to Charing Cross on the Woolwich and Greenwich Line. These services to Charing Cross were popular with local residents and tourist to the Borough.
We always seem to get a raw deal when it comes to improving public transport services in South East London.
It would be good if They could plan to Expand the Elizabeth Line from Abbey Wood to Ebbsfleet. As loads of people Travel all that way from Kent, Sussex and Essex etc. 1. To Help people get out of their Cars and unto Public Transport. And 2. To Help Reduce overcrowding on London Underground and other Main London Railway Stations as well.
Totally agree with you. At least you’re not talking nonsense.
Perhaps it should be a good idea to extend the Elizabeth Line beyond Abbey Wood to Dartford and Gravesend and maybe extend it as far as Rochester. Despite Thameslink and Southeastern should still continue on operating their services to Rochester, Medway and the rest of Kent.
And maybe link up Northfleet railway station with Ebbsfleet International station with a new pedestrian footbridge. Plus the Class 345 trains to get upgraded so that they can run on DC 750v 3rd Rail.
No Elizabeth line extension is likely for decades given the costs – and new housing is rising now.
With thousands of homes around all stations in NW Kent a far cheaper option is add additional Southeastern services between NW Kent and Abbey Wood. There should certainly be capacity off peak as 4tph have been reduced since 2022 on the three Dartford lines freeing up paths and SE have the same number of trains with 30 City Beams arriving as an equivalent amount of Networkers have gone to scrap.
Totally agree. Such a shame that the Class 465 and Class 466 Networkers are heading for scrap. Unless Southeastern wants to keep some of the Class 465 units especially used for the Bromley North branch line. And plans to replace the entire Networker trains with new Alstom Aventra/Adessia rolling stocks.
What needs to happen is for SE to restore the Charing Cross trains on the Woolwich line,
If the Elizabeth Line was to extend from Abbey Wood to Gravesend then I think it should happen and to upgrade the Class 345 trains to run on DC 750v 3rd Rail with conductor shoebox fitted.