Raynes Park railway station
Encyclopedia
Raynes Park railway station is in the London Borough of Merton
in South London
. The station is served by South West Trains
, and is in Travelcard Zone 4
. The large commuter population in the area who use the station predominately travel to and from London Waterloo
on weekdays.
(L&SWR) line that ran from its terminus at Nine Elms
in Battersea
to Woking
. The Main line runs approximately east-west with the through lines (fast lines) through the middle with no platforms.
Raynes Park station is the junction station where the lines to Epsom (and then onto Dorking or Guildford) and Chessington South branch off from the mainline to Woking and beyond.
When originally built the route to Epsom joined with the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
(LBSCR) at Epsom for the double track line from Ashtead to Leatherhead. From where the London and South Western Railway
(LSWR) headed to Effingham Junction and on to Guildford. (The LBSCR headed to Dorking North and then Horsham).
The Chessington branch splits from the Epsom line at Motspur Park (the first station after Raynes Park). The Chessington Branch was a very late arrival, constructed in 1938-9, which never reached through to its planned destination of Leatherhead.
One distinct feature of the station is the long footbridge over the 4 tracks of the Main line which is set at an angle because of the offset of the platforms. This stands out as the mainline is on a fairly high embankment (allowing local roads and the Epsom line to pass beneath). Passenger access to the station is via subway at street level on either side of the mainline.
There was originally a LSWR mechanical signal box on the far south opposite platforms 1 and 2, but was demolished and replaced by modern automated signalling equipment many years ago.
Raynes Park goods yard was in and beyond the notch between Platforms 3 and 4, and was accessed from the Epsom lines. It did not push right up into the point of the V though. The goods yard is no longer in use and is now occupied by local manufacturing firms.
There are no platforms for the two central Fast tracks on the mainline.
The Epsom to London line, arriving from the south-west, passes under the four mainline tracks to the west of the station and then curves up and right to platform 1. Beyond the platforms it makes a trailing junction onto the Up Slow line to Waterloo. Opposite platform 2 the Down Epsom line branches off the Down Slow mainline to arrive at platform 4, on the left side of a V formed with platform 3. The line then drops away to the south to parallel the Up Epsom line after the station. The Down Slow continues straight ahead on the right hand side of the V to platform 3.
.
The typical off-peak service from the station is:
The station also benefits from a good late evening and early morning services to London Waterloo
. Weekday services to London Waterloo
start at 5:13 with the last direct train at 23:58. The first weekday services from London Waterloo
arrive at 5:31 with the last service arriving at 1:07am. Journey time to and from London Waterloo
is approximately 21 minutes.
"Pay as you go" electronic ticketing system from January 2010. Waiting rooms, toilets, and platform areas were also refurbished to improve passenger safety and comfort.
resident Daniel Connell was found dead on Platform 4. His body was discovered by a passenger who alerted a newspaper seller, who then called the police. According to the police, Mr Connell was in accident and emergency at Kingston Hospital
on Sunday night, but had discharged himself and made his way to the station. Rumours that the man had been stabbed were denied by police.
London Borough of Merton
The London Borough of Merton is a borough in southwest London, England.The borough was formed under the London Government Act in 1965 by the merger of the Municipal Borough of Mitcham, the Municipal Borough of Wimbledon and the Merton and Morden Urban District, all formerly within Surrey...
in 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...
. The station is served by South West Trains
South 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 is in Travelcard Zone 4
Travelcard Zone 4
Fare zone 4 is a 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...
. The large commuter population in the area who use the station predominately travel to and from London Waterloo
Waterloo station
Waterloo station, also known as London Waterloo, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex. The station is owned and operated by Network Rail and is close to the South Bank of the River Thames, and in Travelcard Zone 1....
on weekdays.
History
The railway station at Raynes Park was opened on 30 October 1871 on the London & South Western RailwayLondon 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) line that ran from its terminus at Nine Elms
Nine Elms
Nine Elms is a suburb of London, situated in the far north-eastern corner of the London Borough of Wandsworth between Battersea and Vauxhall.It is primarily an industrial area, dominated by Battersea Power Station, Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, railway lines, a major Royal Mail sorting office and...
in Battersea
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...
to Woking
Woking railway station
Woking railway station is a railway station in England, serving the town of Woking, Surrey. It is a major stop on the South Western Main Line and is used by many commuters...
. The Main line runs approximately east-west with the through lines (fast lines) through the middle with no platforms.
Raynes Park station is the junction station where the lines to Epsom (and then onto Dorking or Guildford) and Chessington South branch off from the mainline to Woking and beyond.
When originally built the route to Epsom joined with 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...
(LBSCR) at Epsom for the double track line from Ashtead to Leatherhead. From where 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...
(LSWR) headed to Effingham Junction and on to Guildford. (The LBSCR headed to Dorking North and then Horsham).
The Chessington branch splits from the Epsom line at Motspur Park (the first station after Raynes Park). The Chessington Branch was a very late arrival, constructed in 1938-9, which never reached through to its planned destination of Leatherhead.
One distinct feature of the station is the long footbridge over the 4 tracks of the Main line which is set at an angle because of the offset of the platforms. This stands out as the mainline is on a fairly high embankment (allowing local roads and the Epsom line to pass beneath). Passenger access to the station is via subway at street level on either side of the mainline.
There was originally a LSWR mechanical signal box on the far south opposite platforms 1 and 2, but was demolished and replaced by modern automated signalling equipment many years ago.
Raynes Park goods yard was in and beyond the notch between Platforms 3 and 4, and was accessed from the Epsom lines. It did not push right up into the point of the V though. The goods yard is no longer in use and is now occupied by local manufacturing firms.
Platforms and infrastructure
The station has four platforms on two islands, 1 and 2 on the Up lines, and 3 and 4 on the Down lines.- Platform 1 is an eastbound platform for services to London Waterloo that have originated from Guildford, Dorking (both via Epsom) or Chessington South.
- Platform 2 is an eastbound platform for services to London Waterloo that have originated from Waterloo (via Strawberry Hill on the Kingston loop), Hampton Court or Shepperton.
- Platform 3 is a westbound platform for trains to Waterloo (via Strawberry Hill on the Kingston loop), Hampton Court or Shepperton.
- Platform 4 is a south-westbound platform for trains to Guildford, Dorking (both via Epsom) or Chessington South.
There are no platforms for the two central Fast tracks on the mainline.
The Epsom to London line, arriving from the south-west, passes under the four mainline tracks to the west of the station and then curves up and right to platform 1. Beyond the platforms it makes a trailing junction onto the Up Slow line to Waterloo. Opposite platform 2 the Down Epsom line branches off the Down Slow mainline to arrive at platform 4, on the left side of a V formed with platform 3. The line then drops away to the south to parallel the Up Epsom line after the station. The Down Slow continues straight ahead on the right hand side of the V to platform 3.
Services
Services from the station to destinations served are very frequent throughout the whole day, with weekend services running at a similar frequency. Almost all of the services either start or terminate at London WaterlooWaterloo station
Waterloo station, also known as London Waterloo, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex. The station is owned and operated by Network Rail and is close to the South Bank of the River Thames, and in Travelcard Zone 1....
.
The typical off-peak service from the station is:
- 12 trains per hour to London WaterlooWaterloo stationWaterloo station, also known as London Waterloo, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex. The station is owned and operated by Network Rail and is close to the South Bank of the River Thames, and in Travelcard Zone 1....
via WimbledonWimbledon stationWimbledon station is a National Rail, London Underground, and Tramlink station located in Wimbledon in the London Borough of Merton, and is the only London station that provides an interchange between rail, Underground, and Tramlink services... - 2 trains per hour to London Waterloo via Kingston and RichmondRichmond station (London)Richmond station is a National Rail and London Underground station in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in south west London which is managed by South West Trains....
- 2 trains per hour to Hampton CourtHampton Court railway stationHampton Court railway station is a railway station in the Elmbridge district of Surrey, located in East Molesey by Hampton Court Bridge.The station also serves Hampton Court Palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, and for the purposes of fare charging it is included in Travelcard...
- 2 trains per hour to SheppertonShepperton railway stationShepperton railway station is a railway station serving the town of Shepperton in the Spelthorne district of Surrey, England. The station and all trains serving it are operated by South West Trains. The station itself now has one platform , and a large station and office building...
- 2 trains per hour to GuildfordGuildfordGuildford 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...
via EpsomEpsom railway stationEpsom railway station is the main railway station for Epsom in the county of Surrey. It is located off Waterloo Road, near to the High Street.... - 2 trains per hour to DorkingDorkingDorking is a historic market town at the foot of the North Downs approximately south of London, in Surrey, England.- History and development :...
via Epsom - 2 trains per hour to Chessington SouthChessington South railway stationChessington South railway station is in Chessington in the south of the London Borough of Kingston upon Thames in South London, England, and is the terminal station of the Chessington branch. The station is served by South West Trains, and is from London Waterloo in Travelcard Zone 6.-History:The...
The station also benefits from a good late evening and early morning services to London Waterloo
Waterloo station
Waterloo station, also known as London Waterloo, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex. The station is owned and operated by Network Rail and is close to the South Bank of the River Thames, and in Travelcard Zone 1....
. Weekday services to London Waterloo
Waterloo station
Waterloo station, also known as London Waterloo, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex. The station is owned and operated by Network Rail and is close to the South Bank of the River Thames, and in Travelcard Zone 1....
start at 5:13 with the last direct train at 23:58. The first weekday services from London Waterloo
Waterloo station
Waterloo station, also known as London Waterloo, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex. The station is owned and operated by Network Rail and is close to the South Bank of the River Thames, and in Travelcard Zone 1....
arrive at 5:31 with the last service arriving at 1:07am. Journey time to and from London Waterloo
Waterloo station
Waterloo station, also known as London Waterloo, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex. The station is owned and operated by Network Rail and is close to the South Bank of the River Thames, and in Travelcard Zone 1....
is approximately 21 minutes.
Refurbishment
Raynes Park railway station was refurbished between March 2009 and July 2009. The refurbishment programme involved constructing a new entrance, ticket office and gateline, and converting the previous ticket office into a new retail unit. Automatic ticket gates were installed at all of the exits to the station, which allowed the station to accept the OysterOyster card
The Oyster card is a form of electronic ticketing used on public transport services within the Greater London area of the United Kingdom. It is promoted by Transport for London and is valid on a number of different travel systems across London including London Underground, buses, the Docklands...
"Pay as you go" electronic ticketing system from January 2010. Waiting rooms, toilets, and platform areas were also refurbished to improve passenger safety and comfort.
Death in 2007
At around 6.00am on the 5 March 2007, Worcester ParkWorcester Park
Worcester Park is a suburb of London, England covering both the extreme north west of the London Borough of Sutton in Greater London , part of the Borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey and The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames. The area is south west of Charing Cross...
resident Daniel Connell was found dead on Platform 4. His body was discovered by a passenger who alerted a newspaper seller, who then called the police. According to the police, Mr Connell was in accident and emergency at Kingston Hospital
Kingston Hospital
Kingston Hospital is an acute NHS hospital in Kingston upon Thames, South West London. It has an Accident & Emergency Unit, a popular midwife-led Maternity unit, and an STD clinic known as the Wolverton Centre...
on Sunday night, but had discharged himself and made his way to the station. Rumours that the man had been stabbed were denied by police.