Crayford railway station explained

Crayford
Symbol:rail
Manager:Southeastern
Fare Zone:6
Locale:Crayford
Borough:London Borough of Bexley
Platforms:2
Railexits0405: 1.011
Railexits0506: 1.028
Railexits0607: 1.302
Railexits0708: 1.366
Railexits0809: 1.327
Railexits0910: 1.266
Railexits1011: 1.340
Railexits1112: 1.424
Railexits1213: 1.518
Railexits1314: 1.618
Railexits1415: 1.783
Railexits1516: 1.610
Railexits1617: 1.547
Railexits1718: 1.511 -->
Railexits1819: 1.594
Railexits1920: 1.548
Railexits2021: 0.367
Railexits2122: 0.817
Railexits2223: 0.965
Events1:Opened
Years1:1 September 1866
Railcode:CRY
Coordinates:51.4483°N 0.1786°W
Dft Category:D

Crayford railway station is in the London Borough of Bexley in south-east London, in Travelcard Zone 6. It is 15chain25chain down the line from . The station and all trains serving it are operated by Southeastern.

Down trains run eastbound to Dartford and Gravesend, and up trains run westbound to London Charing Cross via Lewisham. Ticket barriers are in operation.

History

Crayford station was opened in September 1866. The original station building, like most of the Dartford Loop Line stations, was built cheaply of clapboard. The station had a brick-built goods shed on the up side. The goods yard had only two tracks with no direct connection to the adjacent waterworks, brickworks and gravel pit. Two additional sidings were eventually constructed on the down side. For many years there was no connection between the two platforms except for a track crossing. A footbridge was provided at the eastern ends of the platforms in 1926 when the line was electrified. A SER-designed signal box at the western end of the down platform was built around 1892.

In 1955 both platforms were lengthened to accommodate ten carriage trains. The goods yard closed in May 1963. In 1968 the station buildings were completely rebuilt using pre-fabricated CLASP structures. The signal box closed in November 1970.[1]

The footbridge remains the oldest part of the station. The two sidings on the down side remained for many years and were still in use until the mid-1990s. By 2000 the sidings had fallen out of use and were subsequently disconnected, but the sleepers and rails still remain in position.

In 2000 the ticket office caught fire and was damaged beyond economical repair. The following year a new building appeared in its place together with palisade fencing alongside the rear of both platforms.[2]

On 17 February 1959, an electric multiple unit was in a rear-end collision with another on the nearby Crayford Spur due to a signalman's error. Seventy people were injured.

Location

The station is situated in Lower Station Road, close to Crayford Town Centre.

Services

All services at Crayford are operated by Southeastern using,, and EMUs.

The typical off-peak service in trains per hour is:

Additional services, including trains to and from London Cannon Street via either Lewisham, or via and, and to London Blackfriars call at the station during the peak hours.

Connections

Crayford station is served by London Buses route 492 to Bluewater via Dartford and to Sidcup via Bexleyheath.

Notes and References

  1. London Suburban Railways – Lewisham to Dartford by Vic Mitchell and Keith Smith (Middleton Press 1991)
  2. Web site: Crayford.