East Croydon station
This article needs additional citations for verification. (May 2019) |
East Croydon London, Brighton & South Coast Railway | |
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Post-grouping | Southern Railway |
Key dates | |
12 July 1841 | Opened as "Croydon" |
July 1846 | Renamed "Croydon East" |
1 May 1862 | Renamed "East Croydon" |
1898 | Expanded to 6 platforms |
1 June 1909 | Renamed "East Croydon Main" |
July 1924 | Amalgamated with "East Croydon Local" to form "East Croydon"[6] |
19 August 1992 | New station building opened |
14 May 2000 | Tramlink stop opened |
Other information | |
External links | |
Coordinates | 51°22′31″N 0°05′32″W / 51.3752°N 0.0923°W |
London transport portal |
East Croydon is a railway station, tram stop and associated bus station in
The present station building opened on 19 August 1992. It consists of a large steel and glass frame suspended from a lightweight steel structure that straddles the track and platforms to a much greater extent than was possible with its
It was announced in 2010 that Network Rail had proposed a £20m project to revamp the station with an additional entrance and a shortcut into the town centre. The new bridge was officially opened in December 2013. Disabled-accessible slopes to all platforms are provided and there is a footbridge connecting all platforms. There are refreshment stalls and vending machines in the seating areas on the platforms, and trolleys are available along with step-free access to buffets. There are electronic information displays showing departures to 80 stations.[10]
History
The population of Croydon increased 14-fold (from 16,700 to 233,000) between the opening of the station in 1841 and 1921. As a result, the station has been enlarged and rebuilt on several occasions.[10]
Opening
On 12 July 1841, the
The station became jointly administered by the L&BR and the
New Croydon
With the completion of the line to Victoria between 1860 and 1862, extra platforms were needed to provide a terminal for LB&SCR suburban services to and from the West End of London whilst London Bridge trains continued to use the existing lines. The new platforms adjoined East Croydon but were treated by the LB&SCR as a separate station named New Croydon, with its own ticket office, and which ran exclusively LBSCR services. This device enabled the railway to avoid breaking an agreement with the SER, whilst offering cheaper fares than the SER from the original station.[14]
The terminal platforms at New Croydon proved difficult to operate, as there was limited space for locomotives to run around their trains. As a result, in 1863 the LB&SCR obtained Parliamentary authority to build a one-mile (1.6 km) extension to a new terminus at South Croydon, which provided the additional operating room.[15]
Central Croydon
In 1864, the LB&SCR obtained authorisation to construct a 0.5-mile (0.8 km) long branch line into the town centre near Katharine Street, where Central Croydon station was built. The line opened in 1868 but enjoyed little success and closed in 1871, only to reopen in 1886 under pressure from the council before finally closing in 1890. It was demolished and replaced by the town hall.[16]
1894/95 rebuilding
By the late 1880s the station was again congested due to the growth of traffic on the main lines, the expansion of the suburban network in South London and the new line from Croydon to
1958 incident
On 4 July 1958, a passenger fell onto the running lines after attempting to leave his train on the wrong side. Station foreman Thomas Ashby saw that he was reaching for the live rail as he attempted to stand, and that an express train was approaching, and so jumped down onto the track and held the man down, safely, as the express passed. For his actions, Ashby was awarded the Order of Industrial Heroism, which was presented to him in the S.R.A. Club Hall at the station, on 7 October the same year.[19][20]
1992 rebuilding
The present station building opened on 19 August 1992. It consists of a large steel and glass frame suspended from a lightweight steel structure that straddles the track and platforms to a much greater extent than was possible with its Victorian predecessor.
Four steel
2010 revamp plans
It was announced in 2010 that
Thameslink Programme
The Thameslink Programme (formerly Thameslink 2000) was a £6 billion major project to expand the Thameslink network from 51 to 172 stations[25] spreading northwards to Bedford, Peterborough, Cambridge and King's Lynn. The project included the lengthening of platforms, station remodelling, new railway infrastructure (e.g. viaducts and tunnels) and new rolling stock. The project was completed in 2020[26] and has enabled 8 Thameslink trains per hour in each direction to service East Croydon.
Services
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Destinations
The station has frequent services on the
East Croydon serves destinations mainly inTrains include
Southeastern to London Charing Cross and Tunbridge Wells occasionally call at the station during periods of engineering work.
Platforms
- National Rail platforms
There are six platforms in the National Rail station in form of three islands numbered from the west to the east.
Platforms 1, 2, 4 are northbound platforms, with 1 and 2 on the fast line and 4 on the slow line, while platforms 3, 5, 6 are southbound platforms, with 3 on the fast line and 5 and 6 on the slow line.
- Tramlink platforms
There are 3 Tram platforms. Platform 1 is used for trams towards Elmers End, Beckenham Junction and New Addington. Platform 2 is not routinely used although some trams may stop at this platform, mainly is used for trams which are on diversion and terminate at East Croydon occasionally. Platform 3 is used for trams towards Wimbledon and West Croydon(loop).
Former services
Services from London Bridge to
Southern services to London Charing Cross were withdrawn in December 2009.
Current services
Southern
The typical off-peak service in trains per hour as of December 2022 is:[31]
- 10 tph to London Victoria (calling at Clapham Junction only)
- 5 tph to London Bridge (3 of these run non-stop and 2 run calling at all stations via Norbury)
- 2 tph to Caterham and Tattenham Corner, dividing and attaching at Purley
- 2 tph to East Grinstead via Oxted
- 1 tph to Uckfield (non stop to Oxted)
- 2 tph to Reigate via Redhill
- 1 tph to Portsmouth & Southsea and Bognor Regis, dividing and attaching at Horsham (1tpd extended to Portsmouth Harbour)
- 1 tph to Southampton Central and Bognor Regis, dividing and attaching at Horsham
- 2 tph to Littlehampton via Worthing
- 2 tph to Eastbourne with one continuing to Ore via Hastings
- 1 tph to Watford Junction (3 tpd extended to Hemel Hempstead)
During the peak hours and on Saturdays, the services between London Victoria, East Grinstead and Littlehampton are increased to 2 tph.
Southern services at East Croydon are operated using Class 377 EMUs and Class 171 DMUs.
Thameslink
The typical off-peak service in trains per hour as of December 2022 is:[32]
- 4 tph to Bedford via London Bridge
- 2 tph to Cambridge
- 2 tph to Peterborough
- 4 tph to Brighton
- 2 tph to Three Bridges via Redhill
- 2 tph to Horsham via Redhill
Thameslink services at East Croydon are operated using Class 700 EMUs.
London Trams
The typical off-peak service in trams per hour is:[33]
- 12tph to Wimbledon
- 8tph to West Croydon
- 6tph to Beckenham Junction
- 6tph to Elmers End
- 8tph to New Addington
Tramlink services at East Croydon are operated using Bombardier CR4000 and Stadler Variobahn Trams.
Preceding station | National Rail | Following station | ||
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Thameslink
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Thameslink
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Norwood Junction or London Bridge | Thameslink
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South Croydon or Coulsdon South | ||
Southern | ||||
Southern
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Norwood Junction or Selhurst | Southern
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South Croydon or Purley | ||
Clapham Junction or London Bridge | Oxted Line
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South Croydon or Sanderstead or Oxted | ||
Preceding station | Tramlink | Following station | ||
Wellesley Road One-way operation
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Tramlink Wimbledon to Beckenham Junction |
Lebanon Road towards Beckenham Junction
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George Street towards Wimbledon
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Wellesley Road One-way operation
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Tramlink Wimbledon to Elmers End |
Lebanon Road towards Elmers End
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George Street towards Wimbledon
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Wellesley Road One-way operation
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Tramlink New Addington to Croydon town centre |
Lebanon Road towards New Addington
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George Street towards West Croydon
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Facilities
The main entrance is from George Street.[34] Another entrance is next to the taxi rank on Billinton Hill just off Cherry Orchard Road, on the east side. There are several shops within the main building.
After the new bridge was opened in 2013 (see 2010 revamp plans, above) a further entrance became available with a walkway leading to the junction of Lansdowne Road and Dingwall Road.
The ticket office and the ticket machines usually become busy during peak hours. Disabled-accessible slopes to all platforms are provided and there is a footbridge connecting all platforms. There are three waiting rooms on the platforms with standard metal seats. There are refreshment stalls and vending machines in the seating areas on the platforms. Trolleys are available along with step-free access to buffets.[35]
There are electronic information displays showing departures to 80 stations.
Future
Station expansion
Several plans for station expansion have been put forward; none of which were confirmed to be happening by January 2015.
As part of the
The alternative scheme called Ruskin Square, by the owners of the site Stanhope Schroders, includes a planned contribution of £1.1 million for station capacity improvements that could be quickly implemented and integrated into their planned scheme for a new urban park, a rebuilt Warehouse Theatre, a doctors' surgery, housing (50% "affordable") and modern offices on the Croydon Gateway site.
To the east, towards Cherry Orchard Road, the proposed towers result in an extension to the station. The architect is Make with the client Menta, engineer Knight Frank and GL Hearn. Originally this project was planned to start in 2009, but this has been put back to 2019 with the planned completion date in 2023. The mixed-use scheme is for approximately 93,000 sq m (1 million sq ft) of accommodation in a series of crystalline towers. Some 70% of the area is planned to be residential accommodation, with the remaining 30% mixed commercial use, including offices and retail. Critical to all proposals are improvements to transport interchange. No project has yet delivered the necessary funds for significant enhancements.
In 2020, Network Rail revealed a proposal to move the station 100m north as part of a redevelopment of the nearby Selhurst Triangle junction, with the aim of increasing capacity and improving reliability. The rebuilt station would have two more platforms than today's station. The project is currently unfunded but if it goes ahead it is hoped that the redeveloped station and junction would be complete by 2033.[37]
Renaming proposal
In late 2014 plans were made to rename the station "Croydon Central".[38]
Proposed rezoning
East Croydon station is currently located in
New entrance on Cherry Orchard Road
A new entrance to the station is included as part of the Morello Quarter Phase II development, the plans stating: "New pedestrian entrance into East Croydon Station via a high quality landscaped public space, new stairs and a temporary link structure connecting to the existing station bridge".[42] As of September 2023, main external construction of the Morello Quarter Phase II towers is complete, including concrete steps leading to the station, but there is no date given for opening.
Selhurst Depot
There is a large railway depot for
Transport connections
East Croydon is well served by both tram and bus, with a tram stop outside and a bus station close by.
Immediately outside the station is the
Crime
In January 2006 the
References
- ^ "London and South East" (PDF). National Rail. September 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 March 2009.
- Southern. Archived from the originalon 20 February 2012. Retrieved 2 January 2010.
- ^ "Tram Stop Usage 2009-10 (FOI)" (XLS). Tramlink annual passenger performance 2009-2010. Transport for London. 18 August 2011. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
- ^ "Tramlink numbers 2010-2011" (PDF). Tramlink annual passenger performance 2010-2011. Transport for London. 28 March 2012. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
- ^ Office of Rail Regulation. Please note: Some methodology may vary year on year.
- ISBN 1-85260-508-1, p. 87
- ISBN 978-0-9549866-4-3.
- ^ "Busiest stations in Britain". Office of Road and Rail. 25 November 2021.
- ^ "Estimates of station usage". Office of Rail Regulation. 22 April 2014. Archived from the original on 25 June 2017. Retrieved 25 August 2014.
- ^ a b c d e "East Croydon Station Redevelopment". Railway Technology. Verdict Media Limited. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
- ISBN 0-946537-77-1.
- ISBN 9781445655697.
- ^ Treby, Edward (March 1974). "The Central Croydon Branch". Railway World. 35 (407): 106.
- ISBN 0-7134-1198-8.
- ^ Turner (1978) p. 242
- ^ Treby, E., op. cit. p. 106
- ISBN 0-7134-1389-1.
- ^ White, H.P., op. cit. p. 79
- ISBN 978-0-9539207-0-9.
- ^ "List of Persons Awarded the Order of Industrial Heroism".
- ^ Newsquest Media Group. 15 September 2010. p. 2. Retrieved 21 September 2010.
- ^ Austen, Ian (6 December 2013). "PICTURES: Opening of new £20 million bridge at East Croydon station". croydonadvertiser.co.uk. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
- ^ "A Study In Sussex Part 8: If You Bridge It They Will Come". London Connections. 27 April 2015.
- ^ "Morello Quarter Phase II and bridge link plans are submitted". Develop Croydon. 30 October 2022.
- ^ "Good news for South London as £3.5BN Thameslink project clears major hurdle" (Press release). 18 October 2006. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 12 April 2007.
- ^ "Programme Level Close Out Report" (PDF). uhoun19qey9384ovv24t33c1-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 July 2021. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
- ^ GB eNRT May 2016 Edition, Tables 52, 170, 173 & 182
- ^ GB eNRT May 2016 Edition, Tables 176, 180, 181, 184, 188 & 189
- ^ GB National Railway Timetable May 2007 & 2008 Editions, Table 186
- ^ "Train services from Brighton withdrawn" Elliot, Emily-Ann; The Argus news article 12 October 2008; Retrieved 26 May 2016
- ^ "May 2022 Timetables". Southern. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
- ^ "May 2022 Timetables". Thameslink. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
- ^ "Tram Timetables". Transport for London. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
- ^ Transport for London map of local bus stops in East Croydon published by TfL, 2007
- ^ "National Rail information on the station facilities" (Press release). Retrieved 8 December 2007.
- ^ Public inquiry website Archived 23 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine Persona Associates
- ^ "East Croydon to Selhurst Junction Capacity Enhancement Scheme". Cars Consultation. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
- ^ Local Guardian Newspaper
- ^ "Zone 4 Campaign news from the Croydon Guardian". Archived from the original on 4 July 2015.
- ^ "East and West Croydon must move to zone 4, MP tells Parliament — Steve Reed MP". 27 November 2014.
- ^ "Zone 4 Croydon: Rezoning of West Croydon and East Croydon stations discussed in House of Commons".
- ^ "Morello Quarter Phase II and bridge link plans are submitted". Develop Croydon. 30 October 2022.
- ^ Crime statistics East Croydon, Clapham Junction, Walthamstow BBC News
External links
- Train times and station information for East Croydon station from National Rail
- East Croydon Tram Stop – Timetables and live departures at Transport for London
- BBC News article on Croydon's trams
- BBC News article on East Croydon's position in the top 10 stations