SOUTHEASTERN RAILWAY, a railway system from London through Kent, Surrey, and Sussex. It was authorized, as to its earlier portion, under the name of the Southeastern and Dover, in 1836; it made various extensions of its own, and acquired others in connexion with the Brighton and the Southwestern, at various periods prior to 1861; it got powers for extensions to Tunbridge, Dartford, Westerham, Cranbrook, and other places in 1862, 1864, 1865, and 1866; it has interest, by purchase or otherwise, in the Caterham, the Mid-Kent, and the Charing-Cross; and it had altogether 334 miles in operation at the end of 1867. Its capital account, at 31 July 1867, showed £18,091,312 to have been expended.

(John Marius Wilson, Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-72))