 The Southern Railway had absorbed the London, Chatham and Dover and the South Eastern Railways and sought to link the two networks to enable cross-London freight.In September 1935 the line was electrified, enabling passenger trains from Dartford to access Victoria from 30 September 1935 (see Bexleyheath Line).Since December 2014, it has acted as a diversionary route for trains routed to London Bridge for any engineering works in the New Cross area.