South Croydon railway station explained

South Croydon
Symbol:rail
Manager:Southern
Fare Zone:5
Locale:South Croydon
Borough:London Borough of Croydon
Events1:Opened
Years1:1 September 1865
Platforms:5 (2 in use; 3 at peak times)
Railexits0405: 0.802
Railexits0506: 0.772
Railexits0607: 1.114
Railexits0708: 1.196
Railexits0809: 1.150
Railexits0910: 1.130
Railexits1011: 1.128
Railexits1112: 1.223
Railexits1213: 1.224
Railexits1314: 1.286
Railexits1415: 1.294
Railexits1516: 1.252
Railexits1617: 1.132
Railexits1718: 1.108 -->
Railexits1819: 1.169
Railexits1920: 1.225
Railexits2021: 0.338
Railexits2122: 0.601
Railexits2223: 0.733
Railcode:SCY
Dft Category:D
Coordinates:51.3629°N -0.0937°W

South Croydon railway station is in the London Borough of Croydon in south London, in Travelcard Zone 5. It is on the Brighton Line at its junction with the Oxted Line, 11chain21chain measured from .[1]

The station is managed by Southern, and the station is served by both Southern and Thameslink services.

History

Originally South Croydon was a terminus next to the through lines of the Brighton Line but without any platforms on them, the end of a 1miles extension of the local lines from New Croydon, opened by the London Brighton and South Coast Railway on 1 September 1865. The aim was to provide more space for reversing local trains than could be afforded at busy New Croydon. The rapid growth of the town in this area may also have been a factor.[2]

In 1894 the railway obtained authority to extend the local lines to Coulsdon, where they connected with the new Quarry line. The station was rebuilt as a through station with platform faces on all lines prior to the opening of the line in November 1899.[3]

In 1947 a train crash about 550yd south of the station killed 32 people, the worst accident in the history of the Southern Railway.

On 1 August 2011, a landslide caused by a burst water main occurred approximately 200yd north of the station, blocking the railway for 24 hours.[4] [5]

Platforms

South Croydon has five platforms connected by a narrow subway.

Platforms 1 and 2 are rarely used as fast Southern services from London Victoria to Brighton, Thameslink services and Gatwick Express, and these services do not call.

Platform 3 is used by up trains to London Bridge, Bedford and London Victoria in the peak hours

Platform 4 is used by services that do not call, heading southbound, and some Thameslink services in both directions.

Platform 5 is used by down trains to Caterham, Tattenham Corner and Three Bridges

Ticket gates became operational in April 2009.

Services

Services at South Croydon are operated by Southern and Thameslink using and EMUs.

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

Connections

London Buses route 403, 412 and 433 serve the station.

Notes and References

  1. Book: Yonge, John . Jacobs . Gerald . Railway Track Diagrams 5: Southern & TfL . 3rd . November 2008 . 1994 . Trackmaps . Bradford on Avon . 978-0-9549866-4-3 . map 14C .
  2. Book: Turner, John Howard . 1978 . The London Brighton and South Coast Railway 2 Establishment and Growth . . 0-7134-1198-8 . 242 .
  3. Book: Turner, John Howard . 1979 . The London Brighton and South Coast Railway 3 Completion and Maturity. . 0-7134-1389-1 . 114–5 .
  4. News: Gatwick Airport passengers hit by railway line flood . 1 August 2011 . BBC News . London . 11 March 2012.
  5. News: Gatwick Airport rail disruption continues after flooding . 2 August 2011 . BBC News . London . 11 March 2012.