The London, Chatham and Dover Railway (LCDR) was a railway company in south-eastern England from 1859 until the 1923 grouping which united it with other companies to form the Southern Railway. Its lines ran through London and northern and eastern Kent to form a significant part of the Greater London commuter network. From the start the railway was in an impecunious position.
More information on the Wikipedia page [1]. The Dover Historian page is [2] and Grace's Guide page is [3]: there is various other coverage.
The National Archives listing page is [4].