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| East Croydon | |
|---|---|
| Location | Croydon |
| Local authority | London Borough of Croydon |
| Managed by | Southern |
| Owner | Network Rail |
| Station code(s) | ECR |
| Number of platforms | 6 (+3 for Tramlink) |
| National Rail annual entry and exit | |
| 2004–05 | 14.739 million |
| Key dates | |
| 19 August 1992 | New station building opened |
| 14 May 2000 | Tramlink stop opened |
| 2011 | New airport style platforms due to open (proposed) |
| Other information | |
| External links | |
 London transport portal | |
East Croydon station is a railway station and tram stop in Croydon, 9.3 miles (15 km) south of Charing Cross in Travelcard Zone 5. Apart from Travelcard Zone 1, East Croydon is the largest and busiest station in Croydon and the third busiest in London. It is one of three stations in the London Borough of Croydon with Croydon in their name, the others being West Croydon and South Croydon.
In January 2006 the London Assembly issued statistics of crime in main-line railway stations outside Zone 1. East Croydon, Clapham Junction and Walthamstow Central were the worst in terms of total number of crimes. This statistic should be viewed in context however, since these are among the busiest overground stations outside Zone 1, so a figure comparing crimes per 1000 passengers would be more meaningful.
History
The present East Croydon station building opened on 19 August 1992. It consists of a large steel and glass frame suspended from a lightweight steel structure that straddles the track and platforms to a much greater extent than was possible with its Victorian predecessor.
Four steel ladder masts anchor the glass box and the whole gives the impression of a suspension bridge that stretches into the distance. External canopies cover the entrances, a cafes open-air seating area and the approaches to the tram station. 440 m² of glass were used in the roof and 800 m² for the wall glazing. The architects were Alan Brookes Associates and the structural engineers YRM Anthony Hunt Associates.
Services
Destinations
The station is well served, with frequent services on the London - Gatwick Airport - Brighton line, the First Capital Connect route from Gatwick via London Bridge to Bedford, and the London Bridge - Uckfield branch, recently overhauled with new Class 171 DMUs. It is well provided with electronic information displays, showing next departures to some 80 named stations. All services, except Crosscountry and Uckfield services, are provided by 750 V DC third rail EMUs. East Croydon serves destinations mainly in the South of England. East Sussex, West Sussex, Surrey and Brighton & Hove are the counties which are usually served. Destinations include Gatwick Airport, Horsham, Caterham, Tattenham Corner, Brighton, Hastings, Eastbourne, Tonbridge, Bognor Regis, Portsmouth and the royal town of Tunbridge Wells, as well as many suburban stations in south London, Essex and Hertfordshire. It is one of the busiest commuter stations in Greater London. On weekdays and Saturdays there is a stopping train to Manchester via Reading and Birmingham International Airport.
Trains from East Croydon also include First Capital Connect services on the Thameslink line. Services go to Bedford, Brighton, Redhill, Luton and London Luton Airport which makes the station serve three airports. Also the stations in the City of London can be served from the station, these include St Pancras International, Farringdon, City Thameslink and London Blackfriars. Charing Cross is served by East Croydon on Sundays and early morning, late evening trains.
Almost all passenger services from East Croydon are operated by Southern. It operates local and suburban services on the Brighton Main Line, express services to London Victoria and London Bridge, and local services in the South East region. These routes are collectively known as the South Central network.
There are also some off-peak services to on the Redhill to Tonbridge Line to Maidstone West, Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells, calling at many rural stations, which are operated by Southeastern but will be transferred to Southern in 2009. Both Southeastern and Southern are both owned by Govia.
Up (northbound)
Platforms 1 and 2 serve fast up (northbound) trains, to London Bridge, London Victoria and Bedford. Stopping services to London Bridge use platforms 4, as well as occasional fast trains towards the London terminus and 5 (both directions, normally used off-peak for trains terminating there). There are 41 train departures per hour going north off-peak during the week.
Typical off-peak service in trains per hour, operated by Southern:
- 23 to London Victoria
- 7 semi-fast to Victoria (via Clapham Junction only)
- 6 stopping to Victoria (via Thornton Heath)
- 2 stopping to Victoria (via Crystal Palace)
- 10 to London Bridge
- 2 fast to London Bridge
- 2 semi-fast to London Bridge (via Norwood Junction only)
- 4 stopping (via Forest Hill)
- 2 stopping (via Crystal Palace)
- 1 to Charing Cross
- 1 to Watford Junction
Operated by Southeastern:
- 1 to London Bridge
Operated by First Capital Connect:
- 4 to Bedford
Operated by CrossCountry:
Down (southbound)
Platform 3 (and sometimes platform 2 as well) is used for the fast down (southbound) services, to Brighton and the Sussex Coast. Stopping services use platform 5 (both directions, normally used off-peak for trains terminating there). Platform 6 is served by stopping services to Caterham and Tattenham Corner, and by services to Oxted, East Grinstead and Uckfield.
There are 35 train departures per hour off-peak during the week.
Operated by Southern:
- 3 to Brighton
- 4 to Caterham
- 6 to Smitham
- 4 terminate at Smitham
- 2 carry on to Tattenham Corner (via Purley)
- 2 to East Grinstead
- 1 to Uckfield
- 1 to Portsmouth Harbour
- 1 to Bognor Regis
- 1 to Eastbourne (via Lewes)
- 1 to Hastings (via Eastbourne)
- 1 to Littlehampton (via Worthing)
- 3 to Redhill
Operated by Southeastern:
- 1 to Tonbridge
Operated by First Capital Connect:
Operated by CrossCountry:
- 1 to Brighton
Future
Station expansion
As part of the Croydon Vision 2020 re-generation scheme East Croydon station is to be expanded both ways. Towards the west there have been plans to increase capacity at East Croydon Station have existed for some time. Urgency has been added to this by the pressure that development plans for the Croydon Gateway site adjacent to the station. The proposal, by Arrowcroft, includes a 12,500 seat arena, named Croydon Arena, office buildings and new apartments. Arrowcroft proposes a £24 million expansion of the station with a new 'airport style' station concourse flying above the tracks to the north of the current station. Arrowcroft has agreed to contribute £500,000 to the build costs to ameliorate the impact of their proposed Arena. The remaining £23.5 million has yet to be found. Network Rail has not committed this expenditure in its capital plans. The alternative scheme called Ruskin Square, by the owners of the site Stanhope Schroders, includes a contribution of £1.1 million for station capacity improvements that could be quickly implemented and be integrated into their scheme for a new urban park, a rebuilt Warehouse Theatre, a doctors' surgery, housing (50% affordable) and modern offices on the Croydon Gateway site.
In the east towards Cherry Orchard Road, the proposed towers would also result in an extention to the station. The architect would be Make with the client Menta, engineer Knight Frank and GL Hearn. Orriginally this project would of started in 2009 but after many delays the construction start date has been put back to 2019 with the completion date in 2023. The mixed-use scheme will total approximately 93,000 sq m (1 million sq ft) of new, state-of-art accommodation, designed as a series of stunning, crystalline towers. Of the total area, some 70% will be residential accommodation, with the remaining 30% being of mixed commercial use, including offices and retail. Critical to all proposals around East Croydon station are improvements to transport interchange. No project has yet to deliver the necessary funds for significant enhancements.
Oyster Card
Pay-as-you-go Oyster Card can not be used at the station at the moment even though there are ticket barriers which could be upgraded. Southern and sister company Southeastern were criticized in January 2007 for not wishing to introduce Oyster Pay As You Go on their London routes, stating that it was not financially viable. Southern and other London train operators have now agreed to introduce Oyster following financial support being offered by Ken Livingstone, the Mayor of London.
Thameslink Programme
Main article: Thameslink 2000The Thameslink Programme (formerly known as Thameslink 2000), is a £3.5 billion major project to expand the Thameslink network from 51 to 172 stations spreading northwards to Bedford, Peterborough, Cambridge and King's Lynn and southwards to Guildford, Eastbourne, Horsham, Hove to Littlehampton, East Grinstead, Ashford and Dartford. The project includes the lengthening of platforms, station remodelling, new railway infrastructure (e.g. viaduct) and additional rolling stock. When implemented, First Capital Connect services would call more often at the station and other stations in the Croydon area, including Purley and Norwood Junction.
Selhurst Depot
There is a large depot for Southern and First Capital Connect trains, located just to the north of the station. Units serviced there include British Rail Class 171's, 319's, 377's, and 455's plus numerous departmental units and Class 9 shunters. Selhurst Depot is the first train depot, going south, on the Brighton Main Line London Bridge branch, there is another depot, Balham Depot, on the Victoria Branch at about the same place (in theory).
Transport Connections
East Croydon is well served by both tram and bus, with a tram station outside and a bus station close by. At the bus station there are a large number of London Bus services that reach Central London, Purley Way, Bromley, Lewisham and a number of other civic centres in the South. London Buses route X26, the longest London bus route in London, provides services to Heathrow Airport via Richmond and Sutton.
Immediately outside the front is the Tramlink stop, with services to Elmers End, Beckenham Junction, New Addington and Wimbledon, and a bus station. A major interchange on Tramlink, East Croydon has three platforms, two on an island, the other backing on to the main-line station concourse. Following problems with the points in this area, in August 2006 the points were fixed to route all eastbound trams into Platform 1, the concourse-side platform. Thus the island platform can only be approached from the east, by westbound trams or terminating eastbound trams.
Gallery
-
Selhurst Depot entrance at Selhurst end
-
View of platforms, evening
-
A Thameslink train exits the station, heading south
-
View of the front of the station
External links
- Train times and station information for East Croydon station from National Rail
Template:Geolinks-UK-buildingscale
- grid reference TQ2512230
- BBC News article on Croydon's trams
- BBC News article on East Croydon's position in the top 10 stations
- East Croydon tram stop on The Trams website
References
- National Rail, station details: ECR
- East Croydon tram stop and Croydon Loop The Unofficial Tramlink Site
- "Estimates of station usage". Rail statistics. Office of Rail Regulation. Please note: Some methodology may vary year on year.
- Crime statistics East Croydon, Clapham Junction, Walthamstow (BBC News)
- Oyster Card to come to the Southern network
- "Good news for South London as £3.5BN Thameslink project clears major hurdle" (Press release). 2006-10-18. Retrieved 2007-04-12.
| Preceding station |  National Rail
|
Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| London Bridge | First Capital Connect Thameslink |
Redhill Gatwick Airport on Saturdays and Sundays | ||
| Norwood Junction | Southeastern London Bridge to Tunbridge Wells (via Redhill) |
Purley | ||
| Norwood Junction | Southern Brighton Main Line |
South Croydon | ||
| Selhurst | Southern Brighton Main Line |
|||
| Kensington Olympia | CrossCountry Brighton-Manchester Piccadilly Mondays-Saturdays only |
Gatwick Airport | ||
| Tramlink | ||||
