The London, Chatham and Dover Railway (LCDR) was authorised to build the former route of the line by the "South London Railway Act" 1862. Designed and engineered under Frederick Banister, it re-used the Wandsworth Road to Brixton section built as part of the LCDR main line. The line was quadrupled and extended to London Bridge. The northern pair of tracks (becoming the Chatham Lines), without stations, was used by the LCDR to Kent; the southern (becoming the Atlantic lines) were used by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LBSCR) into east Surrey parts of which became Greater London. Several stations were shared by the two companies.