London Bridge station
Encyclopedia
London Bridge railway station is a central London railway terminus and London Underground
complex in the London Borough of Southwark
, occupying a large area on two levels immediately south-east of London Bridge
and 1.6 miles (2.6 km) east of Charing Cross
. It is one of the oldest railway stations in the world. In terms of passenger arrivals and departures it is the fourth busiest rail terminal in London, but the statistics do not take into account the large number of commuters who transfer between lines at the station.
The mainline station is one of 18 railway stations managed by Network Rail
and is a major transport terminus and interchange for south London
. It also has through platforms for services from south east London to Charing Cross. It handles over 54 million people a year. All platforms are accessed through ticket barriers.
The tube station serves the Jubilee line
and the Bank branch of the Northern line
. It consists of a ticket hall and entrance area with its main frontage on Tooley Street
, along with entrances and exits on Borough High Street
. The tube station may also be accessed via escalators from the mainline station concourse.
The station is in Travelcard Zone 1
. London Bridge is one of two rail termini in London to the south of the River Thames
, the other being Waterloo. For this reason, neither has a direct connection to the Circle line.
, south of the river Thames, is the oldest of the London railway termini, and has had a most complex history involving frequent rebuilding and changes of ownership. (It was not however the earliest station in the present London metropolitan area as the London and Greenwich Railway
stations at Spa Road
(Bermondsey
) and opened on 8 February 1836, whereas the opening of the line into the London Bridge Station was postponed until 14 December 1836 due to delays in the completion of a bridge at Bermondsey Street). From September 1836 trains operated as far as the east end of Bermondsey Street bridge and passengers walked for the last hundred or so yards.
for the latter to use its tracks from Corbett's Lane Bermondsey
and to share its station. The Greenwich railway had however underestimated the cost of building the long viaduct
leading to London Bridge and was not able to build a sufficiently large station for the traffic for both companies, and so in July 1836 it sold some land adjacent to its station (then still under construction) to the Croydon railway to build their own independent station.
The London and Brighton Railway
and the South Eastern Railway (UK)
(SER) were also then planning routes from London to Brighton
and Dover
respectively, and the British Parliament
decided that the London and Greenwich line should become the entry corridor into London from South East England
. Thus these two railways were required to share the route of the London and Croydon Railway from near Norwood
, (which in turn shared the route of the London and Greenwich Railway from Bermondsey
in to London Bridge).As a result, in 1838 the London and Croydon Railway obtained powers to enlarge the station it was then constructing at London Bridge, even before it had opened for traffic.
The London and Croydon Railway opened its line and began using its station on 5 June 1839, the London and Brighton Railway joined it in July 1841, followed by the South Eastern Railway in December 1842. Fairly quickly it was found that the viaduct approaching London Bridge would be inadequate to deal with the traffic generated by four railways and so between 1840 and 1842 the Greenwich railway widened it, doubling the number of tracks to four. The new lines, intended for the Croydon, Brighton and South Eastern trains, were situated on the south side of the existing Greenwich line, whereas their station was to the north of the London Bridge site, giving rise to an awkward and potentially dangerous crossing of one another's lines. The directors of the companies involved therefore decided to exchange the station sites. The London and Greenwich Railway would take over the newly completed London and Croydon Railway station, whilst a new joint committee of the Croydon, Brighton and South Eastern companies would demolish the first station and build a new joint station on its site.
and George Bradshaw
's Guide to the London and Brighton Railway 1844. They show 'a quasi-Italianate building building with a picturesque campanile
'. It opened for business in July 1844 whilst only partially complete, but events were taking place which would mean that the bell tower
would never be built, and the new building would only last for five years.
During 1843 the South Eastern, and the Croydon railway companies became increasingly concerned by the high tolls charged by the London and Greenwich Railway for the use of the station approaches, and gained Parliamentary approval to build their own independent line into south London to a new station at Bricklayer's Arms. This line opened in 1844 and most of the services from these two companies were withdrawn from London Bridge, leaving only the Greenwich and Brighton companies using London Bridge station. The Greenwich company, which was in financial difficulties beforehand, was on the brink of bankruptcy and so was forced to lease its lines to the South Eastern Railway, which took effect from January 1845. The following year the Croydon and Brighton companies merged with others to form the London Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR). As a result of these amalgamations there were now only two companies wishing to use the two adjoining stations at London Bridge. As a result the LB&SCR used the unfinished joint Station until 1849 when it was demolished to make way for an enlarged station.
. At the same time yet further improvements were made to the station approaches, increasing the number of tracks to six, which entirely separated the lines of the two railways. Once these extensions were complete the SER closed its passenger terminus at Bricklayer's Arms and converted the site into a goods depot.
London Bridge station remained the London terminus of the SER until 1864 when its station was again rebuilt and five of the existing platforms were converted into a through station to enable the extension of the main line into central London and the opening of Charing Cross railway station
, and in 1866 to Cannon Street station
. In 1899 the SER entered into a working amalgamation with the London Chatham and Dover Railway (LC&DR) to form the South Eastern and Chatham Railway
Companies Joint Management Committee. Junctions were laid to enable trains through London Bridge to reach the LC&DR stations at Holborn Viaduct and St Pauls
.
In 1859 the London Chatham and Dover Railway applied to the LB&SCR for running powers from Sydenham to London Bridge, but was refused. However, some ticketing arrangement was made between the two companies as the LC&DR advertised connections to and from London Bridge in its timetables in The Times
and Bradshaw's Railway Guide for July 1861. This arrangement was short-lived pending the construction of the LC&DR line to Holborn Viaduct
.
The LB&SCR also built the Terminus Hotel at the station in 1861, but this not successful due to its site on the south bank of the river and so was turned into offices for the railway in 1892.
An Act of Parliament of 1862 gave the LB&SCR power to enlarge the station further. Over the next few years it built four more platforms in an adjoining area to the south of its existing station to cope with additional traffic generated by the completion of the South London line and other suburban lines to Victoria station. This had a single-span trussed-arch roof measuring 88 ft by 655 ft (27m by 200m) and was designed by J. Hawkshaw and F. D. Banister. During the first decade of the twentieth century LB&SCR station at London Bridge was again enlarged, but overall London Bridge station remained a sprawling confusion.
The chaotic nature of the station at the turn of the century was described in John Davidson's
poem, ‘’London Bridge’’
The LB&SCR electrified the South London Line from London Bridge to Victoria in 1909 using an overhead system
. Once this experiment proved to be successful other suburban services from the station were electrified, including the lines to Crystal Palace in 1912. Electrification of the main line to Croydon was not however completed until 1920 due to delays resulting from the First World War.
of the railways of southern England to form the Southern Railway
in 1923 at last brought the two adjoining stations under single ownership. Between 1926 and 1928 the Southern Railway electrified the SE&CR suburban lines at London Bridge using a Third rail
electric system, and converted the existing LB&SCR routes to the same system. At the same time it installed colour light signalling. The Southern Railway electrified the Brighton Main Line
services to Brighton and the South Coast in 1932/3, so that by 1936 90% of trains at the station were electric.
Both the London Bridge stations were badly damaged by bombing in the London Blitz in December 1940 and early 1941. The shell of the two stations was patched up but the former Terminal Hotel, then used as railway offices, was rendered unsafe and demolished.
(as it was then known) undertook a major redevelopment of the station and its approaches. This included a £21 million re-signalling scheme, and a new station concourse designed by N. D. T. Wikeley, regional architect
for British Rail Southern. This was opened 14 December 1978. New awnings were added over the former S.E.R. platforms, but the arched Brighton roof was retained. It has been described as "one of the best modern station reconstructions in Britain."
with its Thameslink to Brighton
services via Luton
, St Albans
, St Pancras International
, , City Thameslink, and Gatwick Airport
. Platform 6 is the busiest railway platform in Europe, due to the necessity of routing all trains heading to Charing Cross
and through it.
The terminal platforms, 8-16, are on the south side of the station and are mostly served by Southern
services to south London and the south coast.
First Capital Connect
Southeastern
Southern
Weekends and Weekdays
Weekdays
/
Rochester
or Chatham
(Peak hours only)
The Underground station is between and Bank on the Northern Line, and between and on the Jubilee Line. The station is the sixth busiest on the Underground network and is the only station on the London Underground network with 'London' in its name (while the NR termini are named, for instance 'London Waterloo' the Underground station is simply named 'Waterloo').
Originally Northern Line trains ran to a terminus at bypassing London Bridge, but the construction of a new station at Bank to provide greater capacity and allow northward extension required a new tunnel alignment, and provided the opportunity for a station at London Bridge. The station entrance was originally at Three Castles House on the corner of London Bridge Street and Station Approach, but has since been moved to Borough High Street
and Tooley Street
. The Northern Line platforms were rebuilt during the late 1990s to increase the platform and circulation areas in preparation for the opening of the Jubilee Line.
The Northern Line station opened on 25 February 1900 as part of the City & South London Railway
's (C&SLR's) revised route from Borough to Bank and Moorgate
.
The Jubilee Line station opened on 7 October 1999 as part of the Jubilee Line Extension
, although trains had been running through non-stop from the previous month. To enable the Jubilee Line to be constructed, months of major engineering works to relocate buried services in the surrounding streets had to be undertaken. A new ticket hall was created in the arches under the main-line station, providing improved interchange. During excavations a variety of Roman
remains were found, including pottery
and fragments of mosaic
s; some of these are now on display in the station. The Jubilee Line platforms have been fitted with platform edge doors in common with all other stations on the extension.
There are two platforms on each line and two main sets of escalators to and from the Tooley Street ticket hall. All four platforms are directly accessible from the Borough High Street entrance/exit.
London Bridge City Pier
on the River Thames is slightly north of the station. It is served by Thames Clipper
river boat services to Canary Wharf
, Greenwich
and the O2
in the east, and Embankment
to the west.
stituated at the station forecourt.
London bus route 17, 21, 35, 40, 43, 47, 48, 133, 141, 149, 171, 343, 381 and night bus route N21, N35, N47, N133, N343 and N381 serve the station.
trains and provide many other benefits. Three terminus platforms will be closed and three new through platforms created to allow additional services to continue either to Cannon Street or Charing Cross, or to Blackfriars and onwards via the Thameslink route.
A new station concourse will be built to improve circulation; this will require the demolition of brick vaults between Stainer and Weston Streets, which will themselves become part of the new concourse (and therefore cease to be thoroughfares). The space relinquished by the existing concourse will allow Network Rail to expand the adjacent bus station, and new retail facilities will be built into the existing western arcade, which will be re-opened and extended to link the Underground station and Joiner Street.
Work will start in 2013 and is not expected to be complete until 2018. During these works it is expected that Thameslink trains will be diverted via and will not call at London Bridge.
The increase in through platforms will also allow London Bridge to function as an emergency terminus for services approaching the station from the west. To accommodate these alterations, the listed northern wall of the terminus train-shed will be demolished and replaced with a new retaining wall, and the listed bays of the roof over the terminating platform will be dismantled and stored.
On 8 January 1999, the Spa Road Junction rail crash
occurred a short distance outside the station.
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}
London 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...
complex in the London Borough of Southwark
London Borough of Southwark
The London Borough of Southwark is a London borough in south east London, England. It is directly south of the River Thames and the City of London, and forms part of Inner London.-History:...
, occupying a large area on two levels immediately south-east of London Bridge
London Bridge
London Bridge is a bridge over the River Thames, connecting the City of London and Southwark, in central London. Situated between Cannon Street Railway Bridge and Tower Bridge, it forms the western end of the Pool of London...
and 1.6 miles (2.6 km) east of Charing Cross
Charing Cross
Charing Cross denotes the junction of Strand, Whitehall and Cockspur Street, just south of Trafalgar Square in central London, England. It is named after the now demolished Eleanor cross that stood there, in what was once the hamlet of Charing. The site of the cross is now occupied by an equestrian...
. It is one of the oldest railway stations in the world. In terms of passenger arrivals and departures it is the fourth busiest rail terminal in London, but the statistics do not take into account the large number of commuters who transfer between lines at the station.
The mainline station is one of 18 railway stations managed by Network Rail
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
and is a major transport terminus and interchange for south London
South London
South London is the southern part of London, England, United Kingdom.According to the 2011 official Boundary Commission for England definition, South London includes the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton and...
. It also has through platforms for services from south east London to Charing Cross. It handles over 54 million people a year. All platforms are accessed through ticket barriers.
The tube station serves the Jubilee line
Jubilee Line
The Jubilee line is a line on the London Underground , in the United Kingdom. It was built in two major sections—initially to Charing Cross, in central London, and later extended, in 1999, to Stratford, in east London. The later stations are larger and have special safety features, both aspects...
and the Bank branch of 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...
. It consists of a ticket hall and entrance area with its main frontage on Tooley Street
Tooley Street
Tooley Street is a road in South London connecting London Bridge to St Saviour's Dock; it runs past Tower Bridge on the Southwark side of the River Thames, and forms part of the A200 road. - St Olave :...
, along with entrances and exits on Borough High Street
Borough High Street
Borough High Street is a main street in Southwark, London running south-west from London Bridge, forming part of the A3 road, which runs from London to Portsmouth.- Overview :...
. The tube station may also be accessed via escalators from the mainline station concourse.
The station is in Travelcard Zone 1
Travelcard Zone 1
Fare zone 1 is the central zone of Transport for London's zonal fare system used for calculating the price of tickets for travel on the London Underground, London Overground, Docklands Light Railway and, since 2007, on National Rail services. For most tickets, travel through the zone is charged...
. London Bridge is one of two rail termini in London to the south of the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
, the other being Waterloo. For this reason, neither has a direct connection to the Circle line.
History
London Bridge Station in Tooley StreetTooley Street
Tooley Street is a road in South London connecting London Bridge to St Saviour's Dock; it runs past Tower Bridge on the Southwark side of the River Thames, and forms part of the A200 road. - St Olave :...
, south of the river Thames, is the oldest of the London railway termini, and has had a most complex history involving frequent rebuilding and changes of ownership. (It was not however the earliest station in the present London metropolitan area as the London and Greenwich Railway
London and Greenwich Railway
The London and Greenwich Railway was opened in London between 1836 and 1838. It was the first steam railway to have a terminus in the capital, the first of any to be built specifically for passenger service, and the first example of an elevated railway....
stations at Spa Road
Spa Road railway station
Spa Road railway station in Bermondsey, south-east London was the original terminus of the capital's first railway, the London and Greenwich Railway. It opened on 8 February 1836, with the other end of the line at Deptford. The extension to London Bridge opened on 14 December 1836. The extension...
(Bermondsey
Bermondsey
Bermondsey is an area in London on the south bank of the river Thames, and is part of the London Borough of Southwark. To the west lies Southwark, to the east Rotherhithe, and to the south, Walworth and Peckham.-Toponomy:...
) and opened on 8 February 1836, whereas the opening of the line into the London Bridge Station was postponed until 14 December 1836 due to delays in the completion of a bridge at Bermondsey Street). From September 1836 trains operated as far as the east end of Bermondsey Street bridge and passengers walked for the last hundred or so yards.
Original London and Greenwich Railway station
The original station was built with a wooden trussed pitched roof, 56 ft by 212 ft (17m by 65m), shortly after opening. However, prior to its completion, the London and Greenwich Railway entered into an agreement with the proposed London and Croydon RailwayLondon and Croydon Railway
The London and Croydon Railway was an early railway which operated between London and Croydon in England. It was opened in 1839 and in July 1846 it merged with other railways to form a part of the London Brighton and South Coast Railway ....
for the latter to use its tracks from Corbett's Lane Bermondsey
Bermondsey
Bermondsey is an area in London on the south bank of the river Thames, and is part of the London Borough of Southwark. To the west lies Southwark, to the east Rotherhithe, and to the south, Walworth and Peckham.-Toponomy:...
and to share its station. The Greenwich railway had however underestimated the cost of building the long viaduct
London Bridge – Greenwich Railway Viaduct
The London Bridge – Greenwich Railway Viaduct consists of a series of nineteen brick railway viaducts linked by road bridges between London Bridge railway station and Deptford Creek, which together make a single structure in length. The structure carries the former London and Greenwich Railway...
leading to London Bridge and was not able to build a sufficiently large station for the traffic for both companies, and so in July 1836 it sold some land adjacent to its station (then still under construction) to the Croydon railway to build their own independent station.
London and Croydon Railway station
London and Brighton Railway
The London and Brighton Railway was a railway company in England which was incorporated in 1837 and survived until 1846. Its railway runs from a junction with the London & Croydon Railway at Norwood - which gives it access from London Bridge, just south of the River Thames in central London...
and the South Eastern Railway (UK)
South Eastern Railway (UK)
The South Eastern Railway was a railway company in south-eastern England from 1836 until 1922. The company was formed to construct a route from London to Dover. Branch lines were later opened to Tunbridge Wells, Hastings, Canterbury and other places in Kent...
(SER) were also then planning routes from London to Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
and Dover
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
respectively, and the British Parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
decided that the London and Greenwich line should become the entry corridor into London from South East England
South East England
South East England is one of the nine official regions of England, designated in 1994 and adopted for statistical purposes in 1999. It consists of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey and West Sussex...
. Thus these two railways were required to share the route of the London and Croydon Railway from near Norwood
South Norwood
South Norwood is an urban town and in south London, England, in the London Borough of Croydon. It is a suburban development 7.8 miles south-east of Charing Cross. South Norwood is an electoral with a resident population in 2001 of just over 14,000...
, (which in turn shared the route of the London and Greenwich Railway from Bermondsey
Bermondsey
Bermondsey is an area in London on the south bank of the river Thames, and is part of the London Borough of Southwark. To the west lies Southwark, to the east Rotherhithe, and to the south, Walworth and Peckham.-Toponomy:...
in to London Bridge).As a result, in 1838 the London and Croydon Railway obtained powers to enlarge the station it was then constructing at London Bridge, even before it had opened for traffic.
The London and Croydon Railway opened its line and began using its station on 5 June 1839, the London and Brighton Railway joined it in July 1841, followed by the South Eastern Railway in December 1842. Fairly quickly it was found that the viaduct approaching London Bridge would be inadequate to deal with the traffic generated by four railways and so between 1840 and 1842 the Greenwich railway widened it, doubling the number of tracks to four. The new lines, intended for the Croydon, Brighton and South Eastern trains, were situated on the south side of the existing Greenwich line, whereas their station was to the north of the London Bridge site, giving rise to an awkward and potentially dangerous crossing of one another's lines. The directors of the companies involved therefore decided to exchange the station sites. The London and Greenwich Railway would take over the newly completed London and Croydon Railway station, whilst a new joint committee of the Croydon, Brighton and South Eastern companies would demolish the first station and build a new joint station on its site.
Joint station
Plans for a large new station were drawn up and drawings were published in the Illustrated London NewsIllustrated London News
The Illustrated London News was the world's first illustrated weekly newspaper; the first issue appeared on Saturday 14 May 1842. It was published weekly until 1971 and then increasingly less frequently until publication ceased in 2003.-History:...
and George Bradshaw
George Bradshaw
George Bradshaw was an English cartographer, printer and publisher. He is best known for developing the most successful and longest published series of combined railway timetables.-Biography:...
's Guide to the London and Brighton Railway 1844. They show 'a quasi-Italianate building building with a picturesque campanile
Campanile
Campanile is an Italian word meaning "bell tower" . The term applies to bell towers which are either part of a larger building or free-standing, although in American English, the latter meaning has become prevalent.The most famous campanile is probably the Leaning Tower of Pisa...
'. It opened for business in July 1844 whilst only partially complete, but events were taking place which would mean that the bell tower
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
would never be built, and the new building would only last for five years.
During 1843 the South Eastern, and the Croydon railway companies became increasingly concerned by the high tolls charged by the London and Greenwich Railway for the use of the station approaches, and gained Parliamentary approval to build their own independent line into south London to a new station at Bricklayer's Arms. This line opened in 1844 and most of the services from these two companies were withdrawn from London Bridge, leaving only the Greenwich and Brighton companies using London Bridge station. The Greenwich company, which was in financial difficulties beforehand, was on the brink of bankruptcy and so was forced to lease its lines to the South Eastern Railway, which took effect from January 1845. The following year the Croydon and Brighton companies merged with others to form the London Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR). As a result of these amalgamations there were now only two companies wishing to use the two adjoining stations at London Bridge. As a result the LB&SCR used the unfinished joint Station until 1849 when it was demolished to make way for an enlarged station.
South Eastern Railway station
The SER took over the second London and Greenwich station (which had been built for the London and Croydon Railway) and sought to develop that site rather than continue to invest in the former joint station, which became the property of the LB&SCR. The SER station was therefore rebuilt and enlarged between 1847 and 1850, to a design by Samuel BeazleySamuel Beazley
Samuel Beazley was an English architect, novelist and playwright. He became the leading theatre architect of his time and the first notable English expert in that field....
. At the same time yet further improvements were made to the station approaches, increasing the number of tracks to six, which entirely separated the lines of the two railways. Once these extensions were complete the SER closed its passenger terminus at Bricklayer's Arms and converted the site into a goods depot.
London Bridge station remained the London terminus of the SER until 1864 when its station was again rebuilt and five of the existing platforms were converted into a through station to enable the extension of the main line into central London and the opening of Charing Cross railway station
Charing Cross railway station
Charing Cross railway station, also known as London Charing Cross, is a central London railway terminus in the City of Westminster, England. It is one of 18 stations managed by Network Rail, and trains serving it are operated by Southeastern...
, and in 1866 to Cannon Street station
Cannon Street station
Cannon Street station, also known as London Cannon Street, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex in the City of London, England. It is built on the site of the medieval Steelyard, the trading base in England of the Hanseatic League...
. In 1899 the SER entered into a working amalgamation with the London Chatham and Dover Railway (LC&DR) to form the South Eastern and Chatham Railway
South Eastern and Chatham Railway
The South Eastern and Chatham Railway Companies Joint Management Committee , known by its shorter name of the South Eastern and Chatham Railway was a working union of two neighbouring rival railways, the South Eastern Railway and London, Chatham and Dover Railway , that operated services between...
Companies Joint Management Committee. Junctions were laid to enable trains through London Bridge to reach the LC&DR stations at Holborn Viaduct and St Pauls
Blackfriars station
Blackfriars station, also known as London Blackfriars, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex in the City of London, England. Its platforms will eventually span the River Thames a short distance downstream from Blackfriars Bridge. The current entrance is located on the...
.
London Brighton and South Coast Railway station
The LB&SCR took over the unfinished joint station, which they demolished in 1849 and opened a temporary station in 1850. This was rebuilt and enlarged in 1853-4 to deal with the additional traffic from the lines to Sydenham and . A three-storey box-like structure was erected, with the name of the railway emblazoned on the top parapet.In 1859 the London Chatham and Dover Railway applied to the LB&SCR for running powers from Sydenham to London Bridge, but was refused. However, some ticketing arrangement was made between the two companies as the LC&DR advertised connections to and from London Bridge in its timetables in The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
and Bradshaw's Railway Guide for July 1861. This arrangement was short-lived pending the construction of the LC&DR line to Holborn Viaduct
Holborn Viaduct railway station
Holborn Viaduct was a railway terminus in central London.-History:During the 1860s and 1870s, had begun to struggle with increasing numbers of trains. At the time, the LCDR was suffering financial problems, and so was unable to raise capital to expand the station...
.
The LB&SCR also built the Terminus Hotel at the station in 1861, but this not successful due to its site on the south bank of the river and so was turned into offices for the railway in 1892.
An Act of Parliament of 1862 gave the LB&SCR power to enlarge the station further. Over the next few years it built four more platforms in an adjoining area to the south of its existing station to cope with additional traffic generated by the completion of the South London line and other suburban lines to Victoria station. This had a single-span trussed-arch roof measuring 88 ft by 655 ft (27m by 200m) and was designed by J. Hawkshaw and F. D. Banister. During the first decade of the twentieth century LB&SCR station at London Bridge was again enlarged, but overall London Bridge station remained a sprawling confusion.
The chaotic nature of the station at the turn of the century was described in John Davidson's
John Davidson (poet)
John Davidson was a Scottish poet, playwright and novelist, best known for his ballads. He also did translations from French and German...
poem, ‘’London Bridge’’
- ... Inside the station, everything's so old,
- So inconvenient, of such manifold
- Perplexity, and, as a mole might see,
- So strictly what a station shouldn't be,
- That no idea minifies its crude
- And yet elaborate ineptitude. ...
The LB&SCR electrified the South London Line from London Bridge to Victoria in 1909 using an overhead system
Overhead lines
Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains at a distance from the energy supply point...
. Once this experiment proved to be successful other suburban services from the station were electrified, including the lines to Crystal Palace in 1912. Electrification of the main line to Croydon was not however completed until 1920 due to delays resulting from the First World War.
Southern Railway station
The groupingRailways Act 1921
The Railways Act 1921, also known as the Grouping Act, was an enactment by the British government of David Lloyd George intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, move the railways away from internal competition, and to retain some of the benefits which...
of the railways of southern England to form the Southern Railway
Southern Railway (Great Britain)
The Southern Railway was a British railway company established in the 1923 Grouping. It linked London with the Channel ports, South West England, South coast resorts and Kent...
in 1923 at last brought the two adjoining stations under single ownership. Between 1926 and 1928 the Southern Railway electrified the SE&CR suburban lines at London Bridge using a Third rail
Third rail
A third rail is a method of providing electric power to a railway train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway track. It is used typically in a mass transit or rapid transit system, which has alignments in its own corridors, fully or almost...
electric system, and converted the existing LB&SCR routes to the same system. At the same time it installed colour light signalling. The Southern Railway electrified the Brighton Main Line
Brighton Main Line
The Brighton Main Line is a British railway line from London Victoria and London Bridge to Brighton. It is about 50 miles long, and is electrified throughout. Trains are operated by Southern, First Capital Connect, and Gatwick Express, now part of Southern.-Original proposals:There were no fewer...
services to Brighton and the South Coast in 1932/3, so that by 1936 90% of trains at the station were electric.
Both the London Bridge stations were badly damaged by bombing in the London Blitz in December 1940 and early 1941. The shell of the two stations was patched up but the former Terminal Hotel, then used as railway offices, was rendered unsafe and demolished.
British Railways station
British Railways, which took over responsibility for the station in 1948, continued the electrification of the lines from London Bridge during the 1950s and 1960s. However, by the early 1970s the station could no longer cope with the volume of traffic. Thus between 1972 and 1978, British RailBritish Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
(as it was then known) undertook a major redevelopment of the station and its approaches. This included a £21 million re-signalling scheme, and a new station concourse designed by N. D. T. Wikeley, regional architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
for British Rail Southern. This was opened 14 December 1978. New awnings were added over the former S.E.R. platforms, but the arched Brighton roof was retained. It has been described as "one of the best modern station reconstructions in Britain."
National Rail
The through platforms, 1-6, are on the north side of the station. Platforms 1-3 are served by trains starting and ending at . Services to and from use platforms 4-6 and a passing loop to the south of Platform 6. Platforms 5 & 6 are also served by First Capital ConnectFirst Capital Connect
First Capital Connect is a passenger train operating company in England that began operations on the National Rail network on 1 April 2006...
with its Thameslink to Brighton
Brighton railway station
Brighton railway station is the principal railway station in the city of Brighton and Hove, on the south coast of England. The station master is Mark Epsom...
services via Luton
Luton railway station
Luton railway station is located in Luton, Bedfordshire, England. The station is near to the town centre, about three minutes' walk from the Arndale Shopping Centre. It is situated on the Midland Main Line and is operated by First Capital Connect.-History:...
, St Albans
St Albans railway station
St Albans railway station can refer to one of four stations:* Two railway stations in St Albans, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom:**St Albans City railway station - Services operated by First Capital Connect...
, St Pancras International
St Pancras railway station
St Pancras railway station, also known as London St Pancras and since 2007 as St Pancras International, is a central London railway terminus celebrated for its Victorian architecture. The Grade I listed building stands on Euston Road in St Pancras, London Borough of Camden, between the...
, , City Thameslink, and Gatwick Airport
Gatwick Airport railway station
Gatwick Airport station is the railway station at London Gatwick Airport that provides a direct rail connection to London 43 km away. The station platforms are located directly below the airport’s South Terminal, and the ticket office is adjacent to that terminal’s concourse...
. Platform 6 is the busiest railway platform in Europe, due to the necessity of routing all trains heading to Charing Cross
Charing Cross railway station
Charing Cross railway station, also known as London Charing Cross, is a central London railway terminus in the City of Westminster, England. It is one of 18 stations managed by Network Rail, and trains serving it are operated by Southeastern...
and through it.
The terminal platforms, 8-16, are on the south side of the station and are mostly served 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...
services to south London and the south coast.
Services
As of December 2010 the typical off-peak service from the station is:First Capital Connect
- 4tph (trains per hour) to
- 4tph to BrightonBrighton railway stationBrighton railway station is the principal railway station in the city of Brighton and Hove, on the south coast of England. The station master is Mark Epsom...
(2tph semi-fast services, 2tph stopping services)
Southeastern
- 16tph to London Charing CrossCharing Cross railway stationCharing Cross railway station, also known as London Charing Cross, is a central London railway terminus in the City of Westminster, England. It is one of 18 stations managed by Network Rail, and trains serving it are operated by Southeastern...
- 14tph to London Cannon StreetCannon Street stationCannon Street station, also known as London Cannon Street, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex in the City of London, England. It is built on the site of the medieval Steelyard, the trading base in England of the Hanseatic League...
- 2tph to via
- 2tph to via
- 2tph to CrayfordCrayford railway stationCrayford railway station is in the London Borough of Bexley in south-east London, in Travelcard Zone 6. The station and all trains serving it are operated by Southeastern....
via Greenwich, continues to Cannon Street via SidcupSidcup railway stationSidcup railway station is a railway station located in Sidcup in the London Borough of Bexley in south-east London. It is in Travelcard Zone 5.-Services:These are operated by Southeastern, who also manage the station.* 2tph to * 2tph to... - 2tph to DartfordDartford railway stationDartford railway station serves the town of Dartford in Kent, England. All train services from the station are operated by Southeastern, which also manages the station...
via BexleyheathBexleyheath railway stationBexleyheath railway station is in the London Borough of Bexley in south east London, and is in Travelcard Zone 5. The station, and all trains serving it, is operated by Southeastern... - 2tph to BarnehurstBarnehurst railway stationBarnehurst railway station serves Barnehurst, London Borough of Bexley: it is 13.9 miles from Central London on the Bexleyheath Line...
via BexleyheathBexleyheath railway stationBexleyheath railway station is in the London Borough of Bexley in south east London, and is in Travelcard Zone 5. The station, and all trains serving it, is operated by Southeastern... - 2tph to HayesHayes railway stationHayes railway station is a railway station located in Hayes in the London Borough of Bromley, south east London, England.The station is served by Southeastern services from Charing Cross and Cannon Street. It forms the suburban terminus for trains on the Hayes line...
avoiding Lewisham - 2tph to HayesHayes railway stationHayes railway station is a railway station located in Hayes in the London Borough of Bromley, south east London, England.The station is served by Southeastern services from Charing Cross and Cannon Street. It forms the suburban terminus for trains on the Hayes line...
via Lewisham - 2tph to GravesendGravesend railway stationGravesend railway station serves the town of Gravesend in north Kent; train services are operated by Southeastern. The station is 24 miles from London Charing Cross...
via SidcupSidcup railway stationSidcup railway station is a railway station located in Sidcup in the London Borough of Bexley in south-east London. It is in Travelcard Zone 5.-Services:These are operated by Southeastern, who also manage the station.* 2tph to * 2tph to... - 2tph to Slade GreenSlade Green railway stationSlade Green railway station is in the London Borough of Bexley, southeast London, on the North Kent Line. The station, and all trains serving it, is operated by Southeastern.- Services :The typical off-peak service from the station is:...
via SidcupSidcup railway stationSidcup railway station is a railway station located in Sidcup in the London Borough of Bexley in south-east London. It is in Travelcard Zone 5.-Services:These are operated by Southeastern, who also manage the station.* 2tph to * 2tph to...
, continues to Cannon Street via Greenwich - 2tph to GillinghamGillingham (Kent) railway stationGillingham railway station in the town of Gillingham , north Kent, is on the Chatham Main Line between and Rainham stations. Train services are provided by Southeastern....
via Lewisham and Woolwich ArsenalWoolwich Arsenal railway stationWoolwich Arsenal station is a National Rail and Docklands Light Railway interchange station located in Woolwich in the London Borough of Greenwich. It acts as a local station on the North Kent Line between London and Gillingham, served by Southeastern, and is the southern terminus of the Woolwich... - 2tph to OrpingtonOrpington railway stationOrpington railway station serves the town of Orpington in the London Borough of Bromley, and is in Travelcard Zone 6. Located in Crofton Road, the station is a 500m west of the southern end of Orpington High Street....
via Lewisham - 2tph to SevenoaksSevenoaks railway stationSevenoaks railway station serves the town of Sevenoaks in Kent. Train services are provided by Southeastern.Trains from the station run northbound to London Bridge, Cannon Street , Waterloo East and London Charing Cross via Orpington, to London Blackfriars via Swanley and Catford, and southbound to...
via OrpingtonOrpington railway stationOrpington railway station serves the town of Orpington in the London Borough of Bromley, and is in Travelcard Zone 6. Located in Crofton Road, the station is a 500m west of the southern end of Orpington High Street.... - 2tph to Tunbridge WellsTunbridge Wells railway stationTunbridge Wells railway station serves Royal Tunbridge Wells in Kent, England. The station and all trains serving it are currently operated by Southeastern. It is located directly on the double-tracked electrified Hastings Line....
via SevenoaksSevenoaks railway stationSevenoaks railway station serves the town of Sevenoaks in Kent. Train services are provided by Southeastern.Trains from the station run northbound to London Bridge, Cannon Street , Waterloo East and London Charing Cross via Orpington, to London Blackfriars via Swanley and Catford, and southbound to... - 2tph to HastingsHastings railway stationHastings railway station is in Hastings in East Sussex, England. It is situated on the Hastings Line to Tunbridge Wells, the East Coastway Line to Brighton and the Marshlink Line to Ashford International....
via Tunbridge WellsTunbridge Wells railway stationTunbridge Wells railway station serves Royal Tunbridge Wells in Kent, England. The station and all trains serving it are currently operated by Southeastern. It is located directly on the double-tracked electrified Hastings Line.... - 1 tph DoverDover Priory railway stationDover Priory railway station is the main station in Dover in Kent, with the other station being Kearsney situated on the outskirts of Dover. . All train services are provided by Southeastern...
and , dividing at - 1 tph via Dover and Canterbury West, dividing at Ashford International
Southern
Weekends and Weekdays
- 2tph to London Victoria via
- 2tph to London Victoria via
- 2tph to West CroydonWest Croydon stationWest Croydon station is a transport interchange for National Rail and Tramlink services, as well as London Buses. It is in the London Borough of Croydon and Travelcard Zone 5...
via - 2tph to CaterhamCaterham railway stationCaterham railway station serves the town of Caterham in the Tandridge district of Surrey, England.The station is the southern terminus of the Caterham Line, which branches from the London to Brighton main line at Purley...
via - 2tph to Tattenham CornerTattenham Corner railway stationTattenham Corner railway station is in Surrey, in England. The station and all trains serving it are operated by Southern, and it is the terminus of the Tattenham Corner Line. London-bound trains head south as far as Tadworth, then turn east and finally north....
- 2tph to Beckenham Junction via Crystal PalaceCrystal Palace railway stationCrystal Palace railway station is in the London Borough of Bromley in south London. It is located in the Anerley area between the town centres of Crystal Palace and Penge...
- 2tph to HorshamHorsham railway stationHorsham railway station serves the town of Horsham in West Sussex, England. It is on the Arun Valley Line 61 km south of London Victoria and the Sutton & Mole Valley Lines, and train services are provided by Southern...
via RedhillRedhill railway stationRedhill railway station serves the town of Redhill, Surrey, England. The station is a major interchange point on the Brighton Main Line 21 miles south of London Victoria... - 1tph to UckfieldUckfield railway stationUckfield railway station serves Uckfield in East Sussex, England. Train services from the station are provided by Southern, and the station is the terminus for the Uckfield branch of the Oxted Line.- History :...
via OxtedOxted railway stationOxted railway station is a relatively busy interchange station and terminus located in Surrey, in the South East region of England. At present, all train services are provided by Southern. The station is the busiest suburban station on the Oxted Line and is a terminus for some services on the... - 1tph to TonbridgeTonbridge railway stationTonbridge railway station is a station serving the town of Tonbridge in Kent, England. It is a junction between two important commuter routes; the South Eastern Main Line serving Ashford, Ramsgate and Dover and the Hastings Main Line serving Tunbridge Wells and Hastings, as well as a branch to...
via RedhillRedhill railway stationRedhill railway station serves the town of Redhill, Surrey, England. The station is a major interchange point on the Brighton Main Line 21 miles south of London Victoria... - 1tph to ReigateReigate railway stationReigate railway station is in Surrey, England. On the North Downs Line, the station is managed by Southern, which provides an hourly service to London Bridge via Redhill...
via RedhillRedhill railway stationRedhill railway station serves the town of Redhill, Surrey, England. The station is a major interchange point on the Brighton Main Line 21 miles south of London Victoria...
Weekdays
- 2tph to BrightonBrighton railway stationBrighton railway station is the principal railway station in the city of Brighton and Hove, on the south coast of England. The station master is Mark Epsom...
via Haywards HeathHaywards Heath railway stationHaywards Heath railway station serves Haywards Heath in West Sussex, England. It is on the Brighton Main Line and Thameslink north of Brighton, and train services are primarily provided by Southern and First Capital Connect... - 2tph to SuttonSutton railway stationSutton railway station is in the London Borough of Sutton in south London. It is the main station for Sutton town. It is served by First Capital Connect and Southern trains. It is in Travelcard Zone 5....
via West CroydonWest Croydon stationWest Croydon station is a transport interchange for National Rail and Tramlink services, as well as London Buses. It is in the London Borough of Croydon and Travelcard Zone 5... - 4tph to LittlehamptonLittlehampton railway stationLittlehampton railway station is in Littlehampton in the county of West Sussex. The station and the trains serving it are operated by Southern....
via HoveHove railway stationHove railway station is in Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. The station and the majority of trains serving it are operated by Southern. The only other operator is First Great Western, who provide a limited number of services each day to Wales and the West Country. However Gatwick Express...
/
Rochester
Rochester railway station
Rochester railway station is on the Chatham Main Line in Medway, north Kent, England. The majority of train services are provided by Southeastern, with a handful of services to and from Bedford operated by First Capital Connect....
or Chatham
Chatham railway station
Chatham railway station is situated in Chatham, one of the Medway Towns in Kent, England. It is on the Chatham Main Line between Rochester and Gillingham, and is 34.3 miles from London Victoria...
(Peak hours only)
London Underground
Originally Northern Line trains ran to a terminus at bypassing London Bridge, but the construction of a new station at Bank to provide greater capacity and allow northward extension required a new tunnel alignment, and provided the opportunity for a station at London Bridge. The station entrance was originally at Three Castles House on the corner of London Bridge Street and Station Approach, but has since been moved to Borough High Street
Borough High Street
Borough High Street is a main street in Southwark, London running south-west from London Bridge, forming part of the A3 road, which runs from London to Portsmouth.- Overview :...
and Tooley Street
Tooley Street
Tooley Street is a road in South London connecting London Bridge to St Saviour's Dock; it runs past Tower Bridge on the Southwark side of the River Thames, and forms part of the A200 road. - St Olave :...
. The Northern Line platforms were rebuilt during the late 1990s to increase the platform and circulation areas in preparation for the opening of the Jubilee Line.
The Northern Line station opened on 25 February 1900 as part of the City & South London Railway
City & South London Railway
The City and South London Railway was the first deep-level underground "tube" railway in the world, and the first major railway to use electric traction...
's (C&SLR's) revised route from Borough to Bank and Moorgate
Moorgate station
Moorgate station is a central London railway terminus and London Underground station on Moorgate in the City of London; it provides National Rail services by First Capital Connect for Hertford, Welwyn Garden City and Letchworth and also serves the Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan Lines and...
.
The Jubilee Line station opened on 7 October 1999 as part of the Jubilee Line Extension
Jubilee Line Extension
The Jubilee Line Extension is the extension of the London Underground Jubilee line from to through south and east London. An eastward extension of the Jubilee line was first proposed in the 1970s and a modified route was constructed during the 1990s...
, although trains had been running through non-stop from the previous month. To enable the Jubilee Line to be constructed, months of major engineering works to relocate buried services in the surrounding streets had to be undertaken. A new ticket hall was created in the arches under the main-line station, providing improved interchange. During excavations a variety of Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
remains were found, including pottery
Pottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
and fragments of mosaic
Mosaic
Mosaic is the art of creating images with an assemblage of small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials. It may be a technique of decorative art, an aspect of interior decoration, or of cultural and spiritual significance as in a cathedral...
s; some of these are now on display in the station. The Jubilee Line platforms have been fitted with platform edge doors in common with all other stations on the extension.
There are two platforms on each line and two main sets of escalators to and from the Tooley Street ticket hall. All four platforms are directly accessible from the Borough High Street entrance/exit.
River Service/London Bridge City Pier
London River ServicesLondon River Services
London River Services is a division of Transport for London , which manages passenger transport on the River Thames in London, UK. They do not own or operate any boats but license the services of other operators...
London Bridge City Pier
London Bridge City Pier
The London Bridge City Pier is situated on the south bank of the River Thames in London, UK, close to London Bridge...
on the River Thames is slightly north of the station. It is served by Thames Clipper
Thames Clipper
Thames Clipper is a water-bus service operating in London on the River Thames. The company offers commuter services between eastern and central London, as well as tourist services under licence from London River Services. At present they transport around 7,500 passengers daily.-Company:Sean Collins...
river boat services to Canary Wharf
Canary Wharf Pier
The Canary Wharf Pier is a London River Services pier on the River Thames in London, UK. It is located to the west of the Canary Wharf district, close to Narrow Street, Limehouse....
, Greenwich
Greenwich Pier
Greenwich Pier is a pier on the River Thames in the London borough of Greenwich, UK. It is operated by London River Services and called at by various river cruise operators, mostly operating public cruise services to and from Central London...
and the O2
QEII Pier
North Greenwich Pier is a pier operated by London River Services on the River Thames, London, UK. It is situated on the Greenwich peninsula in south-east London, to the east of the Millennium Dome...
in the east, and Embankment
Embankment Pier
Embankment Pier is a pier on the River Thames in London, UK. It is located on the North Bank of the river, immediately next to the Hungerford Bridge and directly outside the river entrance to Embankment tube station...
to the west.
Transport links
There is a bus stationLondon Bridge bus station
London Bridge bus station serves the London Bridge area of the city of London and is situated at the London Bridge tube and rail station.There are three stands at the station which is situated at the station forecourt....
stituated at the station forecourt.
London bus route 17, 21, 35, 40, 43, 47, 48, 133, 141, 149, 171, 343, 381 and night bus route N21, N35, N47, N133, N343 and N381 serve the station.
Station Rebuilding
London Bridge station will undergo a major transformation as part of a wider project known as Masterplan to accommodate longer 12-car Thameslink programmeThameslink Programme
The Thameslink Programme, originally Thameslink 2000, is a £6 billion project in south-east England to upgrade and expand the Thameslink rail network to provide new and longer trains between a wider range of stations to the north and to the south of London without requiring passengers to change...
trains and provide many other benefits. Three terminus platforms will be closed and three new through platforms created to allow additional services to continue either to Cannon Street or Charing Cross, or to Blackfriars and onwards via the Thameslink route.
A new station concourse will be built to improve circulation; this will require the demolition of brick vaults between Stainer and Weston Streets, which will themselves become part of the new concourse (and therefore cease to be thoroughfares). The space relinquished by the existing concourse will allow Network Rail to expand the adjacent bus station, and new retail facilities will be built into the existing western arcade, which will be re-opened and extended to link the Underground station and Joiner Street.
Work will start in 2013 and is not expected to be complete until 2018. During these works it is expected that Thameslink trains will be diverted via and will not call at London Bridge.
The increase in through platforms will also allow London Bridge to function as an emergency terminus for services approaching the station from the west. To accommodate these alterations, the listed northern wall of the terminus train-shed will be demolished and replaced with a new retaining wall, and the listed bays of the roof over the terminating platform will be dismantled and stored.
Accidents
There have been 36 recorded railway accidents at London Bridge, the earliest on 6 December 1850 and the latest 22 October 1956, but relatively few of these have involved fatalities. The most serious accidents are as follows:- On 1 February 1884, the 12:05pm London Bridge to Victoria hauled by LBSCLondon, Brighton and South Coast RailwayThe 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...
TerrierLB&SCR A1 ClassThe London, Brighton and South Coast Railway A1 Class is an English class of 0-6-0T steam locomotive. Designed by William Stroudley, 50 members of the class were built in 1872 and between 1874 and 1880, all at Brighton Works. The class have received several nicknames, initially being known as...
No.71 Wapping collided with a D1 tankLB&SCR D1 classThe LB&SCR D1 class were powerful 0-4-2 suburban passenger tank locomotives, designed by William Stroudley of the London Brighton and South Coast Railway in 1873. They were originally known as "D-tanks" but later reclassified as class D1...
which was fouling the exit from the platform. Two carriages derailed.
- On 27 November 1895, a local train hauled by LB&SCR Terrier No. 70 Poplar collided with the buffer stops.
- At 09:30 on 23 January 1948, a train formed of a 6PANSR Class 6PulThe Southern Railway gave the designations 6-PUL, 6-CITY and 6-PAN to electric multiple units built to work the routes between London and Brighton, West Worthing and Eastbourne. None of these units survived long enough in British Rail ownership to be allocated a TOPS class number...
and a 6PUL unit, which had formed that day's 08:05 from SeafordSeaford, East SussexSeaford is a coastal town in the county of East Sussex, on the south coast of England. Lying east of Newhaven and Brighton and west of Eastbourne, it is the largest town in Lewes district, with a population of about 23,000....
and 07:30 from OreOre railway stationOre railway station serves Ore Valley in East Sussex, England. It is on the Marshlink Line, and train services are provided by Southern, with a few peak services operated by Southeastern.Third rail 750V DC electrification from Hastings ends here....
, was allowed to draw up to the inner home signalRailway semaphore signalOne of the earliest forms of fixed railway signal is the semaphore. These signals display their different indications to train drivers by changing the angle of inclination of a pivoted 'arm'. Semaphore signals were patented in the early 1840s by Joseph James Stevens, and soon became the most...
, where it should have stopped. Instead it overran the signal and collided at a speed of between 15 and 20 mph (24 to 32 km/h) with the empty stock which had formed the 08:20 from BrightonBrightonBrighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
. This train was formed of two 6PAN units. The train that was struck was forced through the buffersBuffer stopA buffer stop or bumper is a device to prevent railway vehicles from going past the end of a physical section of track.The design of the buffer stop is dependent in part upon the kind of couplings that the railway uses, since the coupling gear is the first part of the vehicle that the buffer stop...
and demolished a bookstall. Three people were killed and 34 were injured.
On 8 January 1999, the Spa Road Junction rail crash
Spa Road Junction rail crash
The Spa Road Junction rail crash was an accident on the British railway system which occurred during the peak evening rush hour of 8 January 1999 at Spa Road Junction in Bermondsey, southeast London.-The incident:...
occurred a short distance outside the station.
External links
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}
- Station information on London Bridge station from Network RailNetwork RailNetwork Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
- More photographs of Underground station