South Croydon railway station

South Croydon National Rail
South Croydon is located in Greater London
South Croydon
South Croydon
Location of South Croydon in Greater London
LocationSouth Croydon
Local authorityLondon Borough of Croydon
Managed bySouthern
Station code(s)SCY
DfT categoryD
Number of platforms5 (2 in use; 3 at peak times)
Fare zone5
National Rail annual entry and exit
2018–19Increase 1.169 million[1]
2019–20Increase 1.225 million[1]
2020–21Decrease 0.338 million[1]
2021–22Increase 0.601 million[1]
2022–23Increase 0.733 million[1]
Key dates
1 September 1865Opened
Other information
External links
Coordinates51°21′46.4″N 0°5′37.2″W / 51.362889°N 0.093667°W / 51.362889; -0.093667
London transport portal

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, 11 miles 21 chains (18.1 km) measured from London Bridge.[2]

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

History

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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 1 mile (1.6 km) 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.[3]

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.[4]

In 1947 a train crash about 550 yards (500 m) 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 200 yards (180 m) north of the station, blocking the railway for 24 hours.[5][6]

Station platforms

Platforms

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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.[citation needed]

Services

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Services at South Croydon are operated by Southern and Thameslink using Class 377 and 700 EMUs.

The typical off-peak service in trains per hour is:[7]

Preceding station National Rail National Rail Following station
Southern
Stopping Services
Thameslink
Southern
Peak Hours Only
Thameslink
Peak Hours Only

Connections

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

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Estimates of station usage". Rail statistics. Office of Rail Regulation. Please note: Some methodology may vary year on year.
  2. ^ Yonge, John (November 2008) [1994]. Jacobs, Gerald (ed.). Railway Track Diagrams 5: Southern & TfL (3rd ed.). Bradford on Avon: Trackmaps. map 14C. ISBN 978-0-9549866-4-3.
  3. ^ Turner, John Howard (1978). The London Brighton and South Coast Railway 2 Establishment and Growth. Batsford. p. 242. ISBN 0-7134-1198-8.
  4. ^ Turner, John Howard (1979). The London Brighton and South Coast Railway 3 Completion and Maturity. Batsford. pp. 114–5. ISBN 0-7134-1389-1.
  5. ^ "Gatwick Airport passengers hit by railway line flood". London: BBC News. 1 August 2011. Retrieved 11 March 2012.
  6. ^ "Gatwick Airport rail disruption continues after flooding". London: BBC News. 2 August 2011. Retrieved 11 March 2012.
  7. ^ Table 181, 182, 183 National Rail timetable, December 2022
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