Loughborough Junction railway station
Encyclopedia
Loughborough Junction railway station is in Brixton
in the London Borough of Lambeth
. It is between Elephant & Castle
and Herne Hill
stations and is served by First Capital Connect
and at peak hours by Southeastern
.
(LCDR) opened its City Branch to central London. The line remains in use; since 1990 it has been part of the Thameslink
route.
In October 1864 the LCDR opened Loughborough Road station on the north-to-west Brixton spur which connects the City Branch to the Inner South London Line near Brixton station. On 1 December 1872 platforms were opened on the City branch and on the north-to-east spur (called the Cambria Road platforms and spur after nearby Cambria Road). The enlarged station was renamed Loughborough Junction. The Loughborough Road platforms closed permanently on 14 March 1916 as a wartime
economy measure, by 1916 all LCDR City branch stations south of the Thames had been closed except Loughborough Junction. Rationalisation of services in the Southern Railway's suburban electrification led to the closure of the Cambria platforms on 12 July 1925.
The first external link below gives a clear idea of the station site.
After nationalisation the station was part of the Southern Region of British Railways
and, from 1986, Network SouthEast
. Around 1990 the station became part of the Thameslink route. From 1997-2006, rail services were provided by the Thameslink train operating company
. Although this company is now defunct, the Thameslink name continues to be used for the line.
Since 2006, the Thameslink line has been operated by First Capital Connect. Most passenger services from Loughborough Junction run between Bedford and Sutton, and additional SouthEastern services run from Loughborough Junction to Beckenham Junction.
The Inner South London Line passes across the south end of Loughborough Junction station via a bridge but has never had platforms there. As part of phase 2 of the East London line extension
project, this line is due to become part of the London Overground
network operated by Transport for London. When completed in 2012, this extension will connect the Inner South London Line to the East and West London Line
s, allowing rail services to run across South London from Surrey Quays
to Clapham Junction. This would then create an orbital network around Central London
, fulfilling the Orbirail
concept. The extension is scheduled to open in May 2012.
The planned route passes over both Loughborough Junction and Brixton
stations, and the proposals have been criticised for not including new interchange stations at these locations. Under current proposals, no London Overground platforms are planned at Loughborough Junction as the line is on high railway arches, making the cost of any station construction prohibitive.
Brixton
Brixton is a district in the London Borough of Lambeth in south London, England. It is south south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
in the London Borough of Lambeth
London Borough of Lambeth
The London Borough of Lambeth is a London borough in south London, England and forms part of Inner London. The local authority is Lambeth London Borough Council.-Origins:...
. It is between Elephant & Castle
Elephant & Castle railway station
Elephant & Castle railway station serves the area of Elephant & Castle in London, England. The station is managed by First Capital Connect, with services operated by both First Capital Connect and Southeastern...
and Herne Hill
Herne Hill railway station
Herne Hill railway station is in Herne Hill, a location in the London Borough of Lambeth, South London, England. Its location is .The station is above road level near the junction of five main roads, between Railton Road and Milkwood Road. There is no entrance in Milkwood Road, but there is a...
stations and is served by First Capital Connect
First 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...
and at peak hours by Southeastern
Southeastern (train operating company)
London & South Eastern Railway Limited, trading as Southeastern is a train operating company in south-east England. On 1 April 2006 it became the franchisee for the new Integrated Kent Franchise , replacing the publicly owned South Eastern Trains on the former South East Franchise...
.
History
In the 1860s the London, Chatham and Dover RailwayLondon, Chatham and Dover Railway
The London, Chatham and Dover Railway was a railway company in south-eastern England from 1859 until the 1923 grouping which united it with other companies to form the Southern Railway. Its lines ran through London and northern and eastern Kent to form a significant part of the Greater London...
(LCDR) opened its City Branch to central London. The line remains in use; since 1990 it has been part of the Thameslink
Thameslink
Thameslink is a fifty-station main-line route in the British railway system running north to south through London from Bedford to Brighton, serving both London Gatwick Airport and London Luton Airport. It opened as a through service in 1988 and by 1998 was severely overcrowded, carrying more than...
route.
In October 1864 the LCDR opened Loughborough Road station on the north-to-west Brixton spur which connects the City Branch to the Inner South London Line near Brixton station. On 1 December 1872 platforms were opened on the City branch and on the north-to-east spur (called the Cambria Road platforms and spur after nearby Cambria Road). The enlarged station was renamed Loughborough Junction. The Loughborough Road platforms closed permanently on 14 March 1916 as a wartime
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
economy measure, by 1916 all LCDR City branch stations south of the Thames had been closed except Loughborough Junction. Rationalisation of services in the Southern Railway's suburban electrification led to the closure of the Cambria platforms on 12 July 1925.
The first external link below gives a clear idea of the station site.
After nationalisation the station was part of the Southern Region of British Railways
Southern Region of British Railways
The Southern Region was a region of British Railways from 1948. The region ceased to be an operating unit in its own right in the 1980s and was wound up at the end of 1992. The region covered south London, southern England and the south coast, including the busy commuter belt areas of Kent, Sussex...
and, from 1986, Network SouthEast
Network SouthEast
Network SouthEast was one of three passenger sectors of British Rail created in 1982. NSE principally operated commuter trains in the London area and inter-urban services in densely populated South East England, although the network reached as far west as Exeter...
. Around 1990 the station became part of the Thameslink route. From 1997-2006, rail services were provided by the Thameslink train operating company
Thameslink (train operating company)
Thameslink was a train operating company in the United Kingdom, run by Govia . It operated the London commuter railway line known by the same name...
. Although this company is now defunct, the Thameslink name continues to be used for the line.
Services
London Overground
East London line extension
The East London line extension project is a British railway engineering project in London, managed by Transport for London. The project involves extending the East London Line and making it part of the mainline London Overground network...
project, this line is due to become part of 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...
network operated by Transport for London. When completed in 2012, this extension will connect the Inner South London Line to the East and 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...
s, allowing rail services to run across South London from Surrey Quays
Surrey Quays tube station
Surrey Quays railway station is a railway station in Rotherhithe near Southwark Park. It is in Zone 2, on the East London Line. The next station to the north is , and to the south it splits into branches to and...
to Clapham Junction. This would then create an orbital network around Central London
Central London
Central London is the innermost part of London, England. There is no official or commonly accepted definition of its area, but its characteristics are understood to include a high density built environment, high land values, an elevated daytime population and a concentration of regionally,...
, fulfilling the Orbirail
Orbirail
Orbirail was a name for a suggested orbital railway route around London. It would involve connecting the extended North London Line, East London Line, the Inner South London Line and the West London Line, possibly including the Gospel Oak to Barking Line. The combined line would orbit London in...
concept. The extension is scheduled to open in May 2012.
The planned route passes over both Loughborough Junction and Brixton
Brixton railway station
Brixton Railway Station is a commuter railway station in the centre of Brixton, inSouth London, UK. It is on the Chatham Main Line which runs from London Victoria to Orpington. Trains are operated by Southeastern. The typical service is one train every 15 minutes in both directions.Brixton Railway...
stations, and the proposals have been criticised for not including new interchange stations at these locations. Under current proposals, no London Overground platforms are planned at Loughborough Junction as the line is on high railway arches, making the cost of any station construction prohibitive.
External links
- Subterranea Britannica article - includes photographs and map of this station and Camberwell New Road station