Coulsdon South railway station
Encyclopedia
Coulsdon South railway station serves Coulsdon
in the London Borough of Croydon
, and is in Travelcard Zone 6
, on the Brighton Main Line
. The station is served by Southern
.
Coulsdon is on a stretch of line between Croydon
and Redhill
which the UK Parliament insisted should be shared by the London and Brighton Railway
(L&BR) route to Brighton, and the South Eastern Railway
(SER) route to Dover
. As a result there have been a number of railway stations at Coulsdon.
), and was the first station to serve Epsom Downs Racecourse
, some eight miles distant. It was in service until December 1856, by which time the L&BR successor, the London Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR) had its own route from Croydon
to Epsom
.
This station was opened by the South Eastern Railway
(SER) on 1 October 1889. The line is on a steep gradient climbing towards Merstham Tunnel
. It has two platforms. It was originally called Coulsdon and Cane Hill
, referring to the nearby psychiatric hospital
: a covered way, supposedly built because of the hospital, has been removed.
David Bowie's
half-brother, a patient at the nearby Cane Hill psychiatric hospital, committed suicide by lying down on the tracks at Coulsdon South station.
A PERTIS
self service 'Permit to Travel' ticket machine was previously provided here but has been removed. Automatic Ticket Barriers were installed at the station in spring 2011
On Sundays this is reduced to:
Coulsdon
Coulsdon is a town on the southernmost boundary of the London Borough of Croydon. It is surrounded by the Metropolitan Green Belt of the Farthing Down, Coulsdon Common and Kenley Common...
in the London Borough of Croydon
London Borough of Croydon
The London Borough of Croydon is a London borough in South London, England and is part of Outer London. It covers an area of and is the largest London borough by population. It is the southernmost borough of London. At its centre is the historic town of Croydon from which the borough takes its name...
, and is in Travelcard Zone 6
Travelcard Zone 6
Fare zone 6 is an outer 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 zone was created in January 1991; from May 1983 it had...
, on 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...
. The station is 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...
.
History
Croydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
and Redhill
Redhill railway station
Redhill 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...
which the UK Parliament insisted should be shared by the London and Brighton Railway
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...
(L&BR) route to Brighton, and the South Eastern Railway
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) route to 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...
. As a result there have been a number of railway stations at Coulsdon.
Stoat's Nest
The first station in Coulsdon was opened by the L&BR in July 1841, named after a nearby settlement. It lay one mile south of Godstone Road (later called PurleyPurley railway station
Purley railway station is at Purley in the London Borough of Croydon, on the main London to Brighton line, in Travelcard Zone 6. It is a junction, with branches to Caterham and Tattenham Corner. There are sidings used by the Day and Son gravel company, part of whose installation has been given a...
), and was the first station to serve Epsom Downs Racecourse
Epsom Downs Racecourse
Epsom Downs is a Grade 1 racecourse near Epsom, Surrey, England. The "downs" referred to in the name are part of the North Downs. The course is best known for hosting the Epsom Derby, the United Kingdom's premier thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old colts and fillies, over a mile and a half...
, some eight miles distant. It was in service until December 1856, by which time the L&BR successor, the London Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR) had its own route from Croydon
Croydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
to Epsom
Epsom
Epsom is a town in the borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, England. Small parts of Epsom are in the Borough of Reigate and Banstead. The town is located south-south-west of Charing Cross, within the Greater London Urban Area. The town lies on the chalk downland of Epsom Downs.-History:Epsom lies...
.
Coulsdon South
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) on 1 October 1889. The line is on a steep gradient climbing towards Merstham Tunnel
Merstham tunnels
The Merstham and Quarry tunnels are two railway tunnels on the Brighton main line between Merstham and Coulsdon in Surrey, Great Britain...
. It has two platforms. It was originally called Coulsdon and Cane Hill
Cane Hill
Cane Hill was a psychiatric hospital in Coulsdon in the London Borough of Croydon. Built to care for patients in the eastern part of Surrey, remote from the Springfield and Brookwood Asylums, it opened in 1882 as the Third Surrey County Lunatic Asylum. Following a gradual winding down of...
, referring to the nearby psychiatric hospital
Psychiatric hospital
Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental hospitals, are hospitals specializing in the treatment of serious mental disorders. Psychiatric hospitals vary widely in their size and grading. Some hospitals may specialise only in short-term or outpatient therapy for low-risk patients...
: a covered way, supposedly built because of the hospital, has been removed.
David Bowie's
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
half-brother, a patient at the nearby Cane Hill psychiatric hospital, committed suicide by lying down on the tracks at Coulsdon South station.
Ticketing
The station remains staffed for most of the operational day, with a booking office located on the up (west) side of the station. At the entrance to the ticket office from the station approach road, there are two self-service ticket machines, one of which, most unusually, is wall-mounted.A PERTIS
Permit to travel
In the ticketing system of the British rail network, a Permit to Travel provisionally allows passengers to travel on a train when they have not purchased a ticket in advance and the ticket office of the station they are travelling from is closed, without incurring a penalty fare.Since a large...
self service 'Permit to Travel' ticket machine was previously provided here but has been removed. Automatic Ticket Barriers were installed at the station in spring 2011
Other Stations in Coulsdon
- Stoats Nest for Coulsdon and Cane HillCoulsdon North railway stationCoulsdon North is a closed railway station on the Brighton Main Line.- Opening :The station was opened as "Stoats Nest and Cane Hill" on 5 November 1899 by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway . It took its name partly from the nearby Cane Hill asylum and partly from the nearby Stoats Nest...
(later Coulsdon North) was opened on 8 November 1899, by the LB&SCR on their Quarry Line which bypassed Redhill. It closed 3 October 1983. - Smitham (later Coulsdon Town) was opened in 1904 by the SER on their Tattenham Corner LineTattenham Corner LineThe Tattenham Corner Line is a railway line in Southern England. It was opened in two parts: from Purley to Tadworth as the Chipstead Valley Railway in 1893, and to Tattenham Corner as the Epsom Downs Extension Railway in 1894. Both companies were then acquired by the South Eastern Railway...
and is named after another nearby settlement. This station was renamed from Smitham in 2011 as part of Southern Railway's new franchise agreement. This change was made as a result of a local consultation carried out by Croydon Council and it intended to better reflect the location of the station near Coulsdon town centre.
Services
The typical off-peak train service per hour is:- 4 trains per hour (tph) to London BridgeLondon Bridge stationLondon 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 east of Charing Cross. It is one of the oldest railway stations in the...
(Southern)- 2 calling at PurleyPurley railway stationPurley railway station is at Purley in the London Borough of Croydon, on the main London to Brighton line, in Travelcard Zone 6. It is a junction, with branches to Caterham and Tattenham Corner. There are sidings used by the Day and Son gravel company, part of whose installation has been given a...
, East CroydonEast Croydon stationEast Croydon station is a railway station and tram stop in Croydon, 10.35 miles south of London Bridge in Travelcard Zone 5. It is the largest and busiest station in Croydon and the busiest in London outside Travelcard Zone 1 in terms of the number of passengers entering and exiting...
and Norwood JunctionNorwood Junction railway stationNorwood Junction railway station is in South Norwood in the London Borough of Croydon in south London, in Travelcard Zone 4.The station is managed by London Overground and trains operated by Southern and London Overground .-History:... - 2 calling at PurleyPurley railway stationPurley railway station is at Purley in the London Borough of Croydon, on the main London to Brighton line, in Travelcard Zone 6. It is a junction, with branches to Caterham and Tattenham Corner. There are sidings used by the Day and Son gravel company, part of whose installation has been given a...
, East CroydonEast Croydon stationEast Croydon station is a railway station and tram stop in Croydon, 10.35 miles south of London Bridge in Travelcard Zone 5. It is the largest and busiest station in Croydon and the busiest in London outside Travelcard Zone 1 in terms of the number of passengers entering and exiting...
, Norwood JunctionNorwood Junction railway stationNorwood Junction railway station is in South Norwood in the London Borough of Croydon in south London, in Travelcard Zone 4.The station is managed by London Overground and trains operated by Southern and London Overground .-History:...
, New Cross Gate and London BridgeLondon Bridge stationLondon 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 east of Charing Cross. It is one of the oldest railway stations in the...
- 2 calling at Purley
- 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...
calling at MersthamMerstham railway stationMerstham railway station is in Surrey, England. It is on the Brighton Main Line, and train services are provided by Southern.- History :Merstham was on a stretch of line between Croydon and Redhill which Parliament insisted should be shared by the London and Brighton Railway route to Brighton, and...
, 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...
, Earlswood (Surrey)Earlswood (Surrey) railway stationEarlswood railway station serves Earlswood, south of Redhill, in Surrey. It is on the Brighton Main Line, south of the junction between the 'Redhill line' and the 'Quarry line'. Train services are provided by Southern.-History:...
(1tph), SalfordsSalfords railway stationSalfords railway station serves the village of Salfords , Surrey, England. It is on the Brighton Main Line south of London Bridge station, and train services are provided by Southern...
(1tph), HorleyHorley railway stationHorley railway station serves the town of Horley in Surrey, England. It is on the Brighton Main Line south of London Victoria, and train services are provided by Southern.There are 4 platforms, all 247 m long, capable of accepting 12 car long trains....
, Gatwick AirportGatwick Airport railway stationGatwick 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...
, Three BridgesThree Bridges railway stationThree Bridges railway station is located in and named after the village of Three Bridges, which is now a district of Crawley, West Sussex, England...
, CrawleyCrawley railway stationCrawley railway station is a railway station serving the town of Crawley in West Sussex. The station is 47 km south of London Victoria and is owned and operated by Southern...
, IfieldIfield railway stationIfield railway station serves the neighbourhoods of Ifield and Gossops Green in the West Sussex town of Crawley. It is on the Arun Valley Line, and is miles from London Bridge. Train services are provided by Southern.-History:...
and LittlehavenLittlehaven railway stationLittlehaven Railway Station serves the areas of Littlehaven, Holbrook and Roffey in the northeast of the town of Horsham, West Sussex. It is on the Arun Valley Line, and is the first station out of Horsham on that route going towards London.- History :...
(Southern) - 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...
, calling at 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...
, NutfieldNutfield railway stationNutfield railway station is on the Redhill to Tonbridge Line and serves Nutfield, Surrey. It is about a mile south of Nutfield in South Nutfield, a settlement which was non-existent before the coming of the railway...
, GodstoneGodstone railway stationGodstone railway station is on the Redhill to Tonbridge Line and serves Godstone in Surrey, England. It is located approximately two miles south of the village centre, at South Godstone, a settlement which was non-existent until the coming of the railway....
, EdenbridgeEdenbridge railway stationEdenbridge railway station is one of two stations serving Edenbridge in Kent.In 1967 the station was destaffed following which the original station buildings were demolished....
, PenshurstPenshurst railway stationPenshurst railway station is on the Redhill to Tonbridge Line and is located approximately two miles north of Penshurst in Kent, in the hamlet of Chiddingstone Causeway....
and LeighLeigh railway stationLeigh railway station is on the Redhill to Tonbridge Line and serves Leigh in Kent, England. It opened as "Leigh Halt" in 1911; was renamed "Lyghe Halt" in 1917; "Leigh Halt" again about 1960; and "Leigh" in 1969...
. There was a service 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....
operated by SoutheasternSoutheastern (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...
, but this was replaced by the Southern service to Tonbridge in December 2008. - 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...
, calling at MersthamMerstham railway stationMerstham railway station is in Surrey, England. It is on the Brighton Main Line, and train services are provided by Southern.- History :Merstham was on a stretch of line between Croydon and Redhill which Parliament insisted should be shared by the London and Brighton Railway route to Brighton, and...
and 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...
On Sundays this is reduced to:
- 1tph to London Bridge, calling at Purley, East Croydon and Norwood Junction.
- 1tph to Horsham, calling at Merstham, Redhill, Horley and then as above. This train also serves Earlswood and Salfords during the summer timetable (May-September)
- Additionally, during the summer timetable the service to London Bridge is increased to 2tph with 1tph to Tonbridge calling at Merstham, Redhill, Nutfield, Godstone, Edenbridge, Penshurst and Leigh.
External links
- Stoats Nest for Coulsdon and Cane Hill - with photograph of that name and other names used by Coulsdon North
- Coulsdon and Cane Hill - with photograph of the name
- Old Coulsdon website - with details of the rail crash of 1910