Tonbridge railway station is on the South Eastern Main Line in England, serving the town of Tonbridge, Kent. It is from London Charing Cross via . Trains calling at the station are operated by Southeastern and Southern. Tonbridge forms a junction between the South Eastern Main Line, the Hastings Line and the Redhill–Tonbridge line. There are four platforms. Platform 4 is a terminating platform. History The South Eastern Railway (SER) first reached Tonbridge (then known as Tunbridge) in May 1842. The site of the original station was on the east side of the road bridge over the railway, opposite its current location to the west of the bridge. The building of the station obliterated the last remains of Tonbridge Priory. At the time, the line ran to London Bridge via Redhill and Croydon, using the Brighton Main Line. It served as a temporary terminus until December 1842, when the line reached Ashford. A couple of years later the through line to Dover opened. A small engine shed was built; the date of opening is uncertain but it is presumed to date from the opening of the line. On 20 September 1845, a branch to opened. The station was later renamed Tunbridge Junction. Over the next seven years the branch was extended to Hastings. Access to the line to Hastings was via an indirect link which required a reverse. This arrangement lasted until 1857 when a steeply climbing direct route was opened. However, being forced to share tracks with its rival, the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway, as well as competition from the London, Chatham & Dover Railway meant that the SER decided to build a new route from London Bridge, which ran via and . The cut-off joined the main line at Tonbridge. This prompted a rebuild of the station, and in 1864 it was rebuilt on its current site with four platforms. The original station was demolished in 1865 after closure, but the entrance gateways are still in situ. The down side entrance is in Vale Road opposite Sainsbury's, and the up side entrance is in Priory Road, forming the entrance to the car park. The cut-off opened in 1868. Soon afterwards, a larger engine shed was built, but still on the opposite side of the bridge to the main part of the station. In May 1893, the station changed its name to Tonbridge Junction, following the change