"Lüko Willms" wrote

Why that? Why shouldn't it be possible to use the Southfleet
Junction to Fawkham Junction link any more?

There won't be any booked trains. After they take the shoes off the E*s the
only trains which will be physically capable of using it (dual voltage and
HS1 signalling) will be the Southeastern 395s (Javelin/Hitachi/Bullet
according to preference) and Southeastern have no plans to use the route.
It's likely to be lifted, though it is also likely to remain in railway
ownership - AIUI the high voltage feeder cable to Fawkham substation runs
along it.

Most of it is the route of the former Gravesend West branch, closed to
passengers in the early 1950s, though freight ran to Gravesend West until
the mid 1960s, and coal as far as Southfleet for the Northfleet cement works
until 1974. IIRC the track for this was not actually lifted until work began
to rebuild the line for E*s. There is a slight deviation at the Fawkham
Junction end, ostensibly to ease the curve so that Es could take the
junction and the curve at 65 mph.

Peter