Kingston Railway Bridge crosses the River Thames

River Thames

The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...

 near Kingston upon Thames

Kingston upon Thames

Kingston upon Thames is the principal settlement of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in southwest London. It was the ancient market town where Saxon kings were crowned and is now a suburb situated south west of Charing Cross. It is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the...

, England carrying the South West Trains

South West Trains

South West Trains is a British train operating company providing, under franchise, passenger rail services, mostly out of Waterloo station, to the southwest of London in the suburbs and in the counties of Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset, Devon, Somerset, Berkshire, and Wiltshire and on the Isle of Wight...

 looping branch line from London Waterloo

Waterloo station

Waterloo station, also known as London Waterloo, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex. The station is owned and operated by Network Rail and is close to the South Bank of the River Thames, and in Travelcard Zone 1....

 to Shepperton

Shepperton

Shepperton is a town in the borough of Spelthorne, Surrey, England. To the south it is bounded by the river Thames at Desborough Island and is bisected by the M3 motorway...

 and Richmond. It was first discussed in 1860 and completed in 1863. The bridge links Kingston and Hampton Wick

Hampton Wick railway station

Hampton Wick railway station is in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, in south west London, and is in Travelcard Zone 6. The suburb of Hampton Wick is on the opposite bank of the River Thames from Kingston upon Thames and lies at the eastern end of Hampton Court Park...

 stations, and crosses the Thames on the reach above Teddington Lock

Teddington Lock

Teddington Lock is a complex of three locks and a weir on the River Thames in England at Ham in the western suburbs of London. The lock is on the southern Surrey side of the river....

. There are arches on both sides over dry land and that on the Kingston side has a road running though it.

Kingston power stations

Kingston Power Station, London

Kingston Power Station was a coal-fired generating station on the Thames in Kingston upon Thames, Surrey . It ceased generating in 1980 and has been demolished.-History:...

were located close to the bridge on the Kingston side. The first Kingston power station, Kingston A was situated in Down Hall Road. It opened in November 1893 and did not close until August 1959. Kingston B was officially opened nearby on 27 October 1948 by King George VI with Queen Elizabeth and ceased generation in autumn 1980. Being close to the Thames, coal came up river by barge, and ash was sent away the same way. The Bargedock was constructed at Kingston Railway Bridge close to the present the upstream entrance to Canbury Gardens. A landscaping scheme has been developed to open up this section of riverside that has been closed to the public.