Clapham Junction railway station
Encyclopedia
Clapham Junction railway station is near St John's Hill in the south-west of Battersea
in the London Borough of Wandsworth
. Although it is in Battersea, the area around the station is commonly identified as Clapham Junction.
Many routes from London's two busiest termini, and , funnel through the station making it one of the busiest in Europe by number of trains using it, more than one hundred an hour outside peak periods.
; Lavender Hill
is to the east of the station. The coach
road from London to Guildford
ran slightly south of the future station site, past The Falcon public house
at the crossroads in the valley between St. John's Hill and Lavender Hill.
On 21 May 1838 the London and Southampton Railway, which became the London and South Western Railway
(L&SWR) that day, opened its line from as far as Woking. That was the first railway through the area but it had no station at the present site.
The second line, initially from Nine Elms to Richmond, opened on 27 July 1846. Nine Elms was replaced in 1848 as the terminus by Waterloo Bridge station, now Waterloo. The line to Victoria opened by 1860. Clapham Junction station opened on 2 March 1863, a joint venture of the L&SWR, the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
(LB&SCR) and the West London Extension Railway
(WLER) as an interchange station for their lines.
When the station was built Battersea was regarded as a poor district while Clapham, a mile east, was more fashionable. The railway companies, to attract a middle and upper class clientele, adopted the grander of the two names, leading to a long-lasting misunderstanding that the station is in Clapham. A local action group, Love Battersea, was belatedly formed in 2005 to reduce the misapprehension.
Additional station buildings were erected in 1874 and 1876.
The station brought development to the surrounding area whose population rose from 6,000 in 1840 to 168,000 by 1910.
As of 2011, the station has three separate entrances, all of which have staffed ticket offices (though only the south east entrance is open 24 hours a day). The south east entrance, which is the most heavily used of the three, leads from St. John's Hill, via a small indoor shopping centre, into a subway some 15 ft (4.6 m) wide which connects to the eastern ends of all platforms.
The northern entrance, which has restricted opening hours, leads from Grant Road to the same subway. The subway is crowded during rush hours, ticket barriers at the ends are pinch points.
The south west entrance (also known as the Brighton Yard entrance, as the Victorian station buildings still bear signage for the London Brighton and South Coast Railway) is of a more traditional appearance, with a Victorian station building set at the back of a large forecourt. This entrance leads to a very wide covered footbridge, which joins the western ends of all platforms. This entrance includes cycle parking and a taxi rank. It was opened in May 2011, as part of a wider programme of access improvements which included installing lifts to the platforms.
The station has full public and disabled toilet facilities at the south west entrance. There are refreshment kiosks in the underpass, on the overpass, and on some platforms; and a small shopping centre (including a small branch of Sainsbury's supermarket) in the St. John's Hill entrance.
British Transport Police
maintain a neighbourhood policing presence at Clapham Junction.
connection, but in 2007 the alignment of the proposed Chelsea-Hackney line
possibly reaching Clapham Junction was safeguarded. The possibility of a further extension to the Northern line
, once the extension to Battersea has been completed, has also been discussed.
The Secretary of State for Transport announced in February 2009 the allocation of £75m for extending the London Overground
East London Line
to Clapham Junction, a link which will connect Clapham Junction through Peckham Rye to Dalston Junction
in north-east London. The extension is set to be completed by October 2012.
A planning application from Metro Shopping Fund for a £39.5 million project at the station was withdrawn shortly before Wandsworth Planning Committee was to consider it on 20 May 2009. The plan included a new entrance on St John's Hill, straightened and extended platforms 15-17, more ticketing facilities, an enhancement of current works to give step-free access to all platforms by 2011, a new step-free entrance on Grant Road, and a new 'high street' from St John's Hill to Falcon Road with retail space and an art house cinema. To pay for the rail improvements there would have been two 42-storey residential buildings above the station.
Clapham Junction is overcrowded during rush-hours and improvement is needed. In 2009 a mystery shopper assessment of fabric and environment listed the station in the ten worst category B
interchange stations. It is to share a £50m funding for improvements. It was referenced in the review as "upgrade interchange: new entrances & more retail".
Heathrow Airtrack
is a proposed rail link from Heathrow Airport running south to the Staines to Windsor Line to provide direct services to London Waterloo, calling at Clapham Junction, and to Reading and to Guildford. Clapham Junction would be an interchange for air passengers changing between Heathrow and Gatwick Airports. If permission was granted, work was forecast to begin in 2010, with rail services operating by 2014. As of April 2011, the project has been shelved.
, and many from Victoria, by Southern
and Gatwick Express
, use the station as do the West London Line
services of London Overground
and Southern.
Typical off-peak service of more than 120 trains an hour comprises:
The main service usage at the platforms is:
Platforms 11-17 are very curved with very wide gaps between platforms and trains.
, 39
, 49
, 77, 87
, 156
, 170, 219, 295, 319, 337, 344, 345, C3
, G1, school route 639, 670, night route N19, N31, N35 and N87.
The station is named Clapham Junction because it is at the junction of several rail lines. The name is not given to any rail junction near the station which, without end-on intercompany junctions, are:
Battersea
Battersea is an area of the London Borough of Wandsworth, England. It is an inner-city district of South London, situated on the south side of the River Thames, 2.9 miles south-west of Charing Cross. Battersea spans from Fairfield in the west to Queenstown in the east...
in the London Borough of Wandsworth
London Borough of Wandsworth
The London Borough of Wandsworth is a London borough in southwest London, England, and forms part of Inner London.-History:The borough was formed in 1965 from the former area of the Metropolitan Borough of Battersea and much of the former area of the Metropolitan Borough of Wandsworth, but...
. Although it is in Battersea, the area around the station is commonly identified as Clapham Junction.
Many routes from London's two busiest termini, and , funnel through the station making it one of the busiest in Europe by number of trains using it, more than one hundred an hour outside peak periods.
History
Before the railway came the area was rural and specialised in growing lavenderLavender
The lavenders are a genus of 39 species of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae. An Old World genus, distributed from Macaronesia across Africa, the Mediterranean, South-West Asia, Arabia, Western Iran and South-East India...
; Lavender Hill
Lavender Hill
Lavender Hill is a hill near Clapham Junction in South London, England. The street name Lavender Hill is a continuation of St John's Hill and forms the section of the A3036 as it rises eastwards out of the Falconbrook valley at Clapham Junction, and retains that name for approximately 1.5 km...
is to the east of the station. The coach
Coach (vehicle)
A coach is a large motor vehicle, a type of bus, used for conveying passengers on excursions and on longer distance express coach scheduled transport between cities - or even between countries...
road from London to Guildford
Guildford
Guildford is the county town of Surrey. England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
ran slightly south of the future station site, past The Falcon public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
at the crossroads in the valley between St. John's Hill and Lavender Hill.
On 21 May 1838 the London and Southampton Railway, which became the London and South Western Railway
London and South Western Railway
The London and South Western Railway was a railway company in England from 1838 to 1922. Its network extended from London to Plymouth via Salisbury and Exeter, with branches to Ilfracombe and Padstow and via Southampton to Bournemouth and Weymouth. It also had many routes connecting towns in...
(L&SWR) that day, opened its line from as far as Woking. That was the first railway through the area but it had no station at the present site.
The second line, initially from Nine Elms to Richmond, opened on 27 July 1846. Nine Elms was replaced in 1848 as the terminus by Waterloo Bridge station, now Waterloo. The line to Victoria opened by 1860. Clapham Junction station opened on 2 March 1863, a joint venture of the L&SWR, the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1846 to 1922. Its territory formed a rough triangle, with London at its apex, practically the whole coastline of Sussex as its base, and a large part of Surrey...
(LB&SCR) and the West London Extension Railway
West London Line
The West London Line is a short railway in inner West London which links lines at in the south to lines near Willesden Junction in the north. It has always been an important cross-London link especially for freight services...
(WLER) as an interchange station for their lines.
When the station was built Battersea was regarded as a poor district while Clapham, a mile east, was more fashionable. The railway companies, to attract a middle and upper class clientele, adopted the grander of the two names, leading to a long-lasting misunderstanding that the station is in Clapham. A local action group, Love Battersea, was belatedly formed in 2005 to reduce the misapprehension.
Additional station buildings were erected in 1874 and 1876.
The station brought development to the surrounding area whose population rose from 6,000 in 1840 to 168,000 by 1910.
Today
Each day about 2,000 trains, most stopping, pass through the station, more than through any other station in Europe. At peak times 180 trains per hour pass through of which 117 stop. It is not the busiest station by number of passengers, most of whom (about 430,000 on a weekday, of which 135,000 are at rush hours) pass through. Interchanges make some forty per cent of the activity and on that basis too it is the busiest station in the UK.As of 2011, the station has three separate entrances, all of which have staffed ticket offices (though only the south east entrance is open 24 hours a day). The south east entrance, which is the most heavily used of the three, leads from St. John's Hill, via a small indoor shopping centre, into a subway some 15 ft (4.6 m) wide which connects to the eastern ends of all platforms.
The northern entrance, which has restricted opening hours, leads from Grant Road to the same subway. The subway is crowded during rush hours, ticket barriers at the ends are pinch points.
The south west entrance (also known as the Brighton Yard entrance, as the Victorian station buildings still bear signage for the London Brighton and South Coast Railway) is of a more traditional appearance, with a Victorian station building set at the back of a large forecourt. This entrance leads to a very wide covered footbridge, which joins the western ends of all platforms. This entrance includes cycle parking and a taxi rank. It was opened in May 2011, as part of a wider programme of access improvements which included installing lifts to the platforms.
The station has full public and disabled toilet facilities at the south west entrance. There are refreshment kiosks in the underpass, on the overpass, and on some platforms; and a small shopping centre (including a small branch of Sainsbury's supermarket) in the St. John's Hill entrance.
British Transport Police
British Transport Police
The British Transport Police is a special police force that polices those railways and light-rail systems in Great Britain for which it has entered into an agreement to provide such services...
maintain a neighbourhood policing presence at Clapham Junction.
Future
Clapham Junction has no London UndergroundLondon Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
connection, but in 2007 the alignment of the proposed Chelsea-Hackney line
Chelsea-Hackney Line
The Chelsea–Hackney line is a safeguarded route for an underground railway running from south-west London to north-east London...
possibly reaching Clapham Junction was safeguarded. The possibility of a further extension to the Northern line
Northern Line
The Northern line is a London Underground line. It is coloured black on the Tube map.For most of its length it is a deep-level tube line. The line carries 206,734,000 passengers per year. This is the highest number of any line on the London Underground system, but the Northern line is unique in...
, once the extension to Battersea has been completed, has also been discussed.
The Secretary of State for Transport announced in February 2009 the allocation of £75m for extending the London Overground
London Overground
London Overground is a suburban rail network in London and Hertfordshire. It has been operated by London Overground Rail Operations since 2007 as part of the National Rail network, under the franchise control and branding of Transport for London...
East London Line
East London Line
The East London Line is a London Overground line which runs north to south through the East End, Docklands and South areas of London.Built in 1869 by the East London Railway Company, which reused the Thames Tunnel, originally intended for horse-drawn carriages, the line became part of the London...
to Clapham Junction, a link which will connect Clapham Junction through Peckham Rye to Dalston Junction
Dalston Junction railway station
Dalston Junction railway station is in the Dalston area of the London Borough of Hackney at the crossroad of Dalston Lane, Kingsland Road and Balls Pond Road...
in north-east London. The extension is set to be completed by October 2012.
A planning application from Metro Shopping Fund for a £39.5 million project at the station was withdrawn shortly before Wandsworth Planning Committee was to consider it on 20 May 2009. The plan included a new entrance on St John's Hill, straightened and extended platforms 15-17, more ticketing facilities, an enhancement of current works to give step-free access to all platforms by 2011, a new step-free entrance on Grant Road, and a new 'high street' from St John's Hill to Falcon Road with retail space and an art house cinema. To pay for the rail improvements there would have been two 42-storey residential buildings above the station.
Clapham Junction is overcrowded during rush-hours and improvement is needed. In 2009 a mystery shopper assessment of fabric and environment listed the station in the ten worst category B
United Kingdom railway station categories
The 2,535 railway stations on the National Rail network in the United Kingdom are classified into six categories and four subcategories by the Department for Transport. The scheme was devised in 1996 and there was a review in 2009 when 106 stations changed categories. The categorisation scheme is...
interchange stations. It is to share a £50m funding for improvements. It was referenced in the review as "upgrade interchange: new entrances & more retail".
Heathrow Airtrack
Heathrow Airtrack
Heathrow Airtrack is a proposed railway link in west London, England, UK. The line as proposed by BAA, would have run from into central London and across the suburbs of south-west London. BAA announced that it was abandoning the project in April 2011...
is a proposed rail link from Heathrow Airport running south to the Staines to Windsor Line to provide direct services to London Waterloo, calling at Clapham Junction, and to Reading and to Guildford. Clapham Junction would be an interchange for air passengers changing between Heathrow and Gatwick Airports. If permission was granted, work was forecast to begin in 2010, with rail services operating by 2014. As of April 2011, the project has been shelved.
Clapham rail disaster
On the morning of 12 December 1988 two collisions involving three commuter trains occurred slightly south-west of the station. Thirty-five people died and more than 100 were injured.Services
All services from Waterloo, by South West TrainsSouth West Trains
South West Trains is a British train operating company providing, under franchise, passenger rail services, mostly out of Waterloo station, to the southwest of London in the suburbs and in the counties of Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset, Devon, Somerset, Berkshire, and Wiltshire and on the Isle of Wight...
, and many from Victoria, by Southern
Southern (train operating company)
Southern is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Officially named Southern Railway Ltd., it is a subsidiary of Govia, a joint venture between transport groups Go-Ahead Group and Keolis, and has operated the South Central rail franchise since October 2000 and the Gatwick Express service...
and Gatwick Express
Gatwick Express
Gatwick Express is the name given to the frequent rail shuttle service between Victoria station in London and Gatwick Airport in South East England, operated by the Southern franchise...
, use the station as do the West London Line
West London Line
The West London Line is a short railway in inner West London which links lines at in the south to lines near Willesden Junction in the north. It has always been an important cross-London link especially for freight services...
services of London Overground
London Overground
London Overground is a suburban rail network in London and Hertfordshire. It has been operated by London Overground Rail Operations since 2007 as part of the National Rail network, under the franchise control and branding of Transport for London...
and Southern.
Typical off-peak service of more than 120 trains an hour comprises:
Platforms
The station has 17 platforms, numbered 1 to 17 (number 1 is disused), divided in two groups. Platforms 1-6, the northern group, lie a west-southwesterly direction and platforms 7-17, the southern group, are oriented in a southwesterly direction. Sidings leading into railway sheds at the west of the station separate the two groups.The main service usage at the platforms is:
- 1: The northernmost platform, out of use. The East London LineEast London LineThe East London Line is a London Overground line which runs north to south through the East End, Docklands and South areas of London.Built in 1869 by the East London Railway Company, which reused the Thames Tunnel, originally intended for horse-drawn carriages, the line became part of the London...
extension to Clapham Junction might use this platform (October 2012) - 2: London OvergroundLondon OvergroundLondon Overground is a suburban rail network in London and Hertfordshire. It has been operated by London Overground Rail Operations since 2007 as part of the National Rail network, under the franchise control and branding of Transport for London...
West London LineWest London LineThe West London Line is a short railway in inner West London which links lines at in the south to lines near Willesden Junction in the north. It has always been an important cross-London link especially for freight services...
for Willesden Junction - 3 and 4: Up Windsor line
- 5 and 6: Down Windsor line
- 7 and 8: A few express trains to Waterloo from the South West mainline
- 9: South West TrainsSouth West TrainsSouth West Trains is a British train operating company providing, under franchise, passenger rail services, mostly out of Waterloo station, to the southwest of London in the suburbs and in the counties of Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset, Devon, Somerset, Berkshire, and Wiltshire and on the Isle of Wight...
main line destinations - 10: South West Trains up suburban services coming through Wimbledon; the busiest up platform with 16 trains per hour
- 11: South West Trains down suburban services going through Wimbledon
- 12: Fast trains on the Brighton mainline to Victoria
- 13: Brighton mainline southbound to all destinations. All trains call at East Croydon
- 14: Up suburban services on the Brighton Mainline
- 15: Down SouthernSouthern (train operating company)Southern is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Officially named Southern Railway Ltd., it is a subsidiary of Govia, a joint venture between transport groups Go-Ahead Group and Keolis, and has operated the South Central rail franchise since October 2000 and the Gatwick Express service...
suburban services - 16: West London Line to Milton Keynes CentralMilton Keynes Central railway stationMilton Keynes Central railway station serves Central Milton Keynes and the surrounding area of Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire. The station is located on the West Coast Main Line between the stations of Bletchley and Wolverton, both of which are also within Milton Keynes. The station is served by...
- 17: West London Line to East Croydon via Balham and Selhurst
Platforms 11-17 are very curved with very wide gaps between platforms and trains.
Bus links
London bus routes 35, 37London Buses route 37
London Buses route 37 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Go-Ahead London.-History:...
, 39
London Buses route 39
London Buses route 39 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Go-Ahead London.-History:...
, 49
London Buses route 49
London Buses route 49 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to London United.-History:Route 49 is a long standing route, once running as far as Crystal Palace...
, 77, 87
London Buses route 87
London Buses route 87 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Go-Ahead London.-History:...
, 156
London Buses route 156
London Buses route 156 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Abellio London.-History:...
, 170, 219, 295, 319, 337, 344, 345, C3
London Buses route C3
London Buses route C3 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Abellio London.-History:...
, G1, school route 639, 670, night route N19, N31, N35 and N87.
The junction
- Falcon Junction at the south end of the station, where the West London Line (WLL) joins the Brighton Slow Lines
- Ludgate Junction at the eastern end of the Windsor Line platforms to the WLL
- Latchmere SW Junction connecting the WLL to the Windsor lines at Ludgate Junction.
- Latchmere Main Junction connecting the WLL to the Brighton Line at Falcon Junction.
- West London Extension Junction and Junction for Waterloo, relaid for Eurostar empty stock moves from the Windsor Lines to the WLL.
- Pouparts Junction where the low-level and high-level approaches to Victoria split.
External links
- Network Rail Details
- Short History of Clapham Junction prepared by Wandsworth CouncilLondon Borough of WandsworthThe London Borough of Wandsworth is a London borough in southwest London, England, and forms part of Inner London.-History:The borough was formed in 1965 from the former area of the Metropolitan Borough of Battersea and much of the former area of the Metropolitan Borough of Wandsworth, but...
, and from which much of the information in the history section of this entry is sourced - 1988: 35 dead in Clapham rail collision BBC News report on the 1988 train collisions
- Local news site
- Yes, Clapham Junction is that bad. The sun shone, but the roof still leaks, Zoe Williams, The Guardian 18 November 2009