Forest Hill railway station
Encyclopedia
Forest Hill railway station is situated in Forest Hill
, part of the London Borough of Lewisham
. The station is located on the South Circular Road
(A205).
The station is operated by London Overground
, with London Overground
and Southern
trains serving the station. First Capital Connect
and some Southern
services pass through the station. It is located in Travelcard Zone 3
.
There are four tracks through the station, although only the slow lines (the two outer tracks) have platforms. It lies on the Brighton Main Line
between and Sydenham stations.
The line was also used by the London and Brighton Railway
from 1841 and the South Eastern Railway
(SER) from 1842. In 1844, the station was chosen by the L&CR as the northern terminus for Phase 1 of an experimental Atmospheric railway
to West Croydon
operated by the railway. A pumping station was also constructed at the station. The L&CR and the L&BR merged to form the London Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR) in July 1846, the following year 'Atmospheric' working was abandoned, and the station became Forest Hill for Lordship Lane
.
The LB&SCR moved the 'Down' platform during the early 1850s when the line was quadrupled, and extended the island platform around 1864.
The LB&SCR station buildings, were destroyed by bombing during World War II
and have now been replaced by a more modern system-built structure. The short narrow island platform serving the fast lines was closed and demolished in the early 1960s.
The current whereabouts of the plaque commemorating the historic visit of Frank Bruno
is not known. It was last seen before repainting in late 2005.
Note trains from London Bridge to have been withdrawn. Caterham trains now call at and .
, Southern
said Thameslink
trains may stop here after the Thameslink Programme
is completed in 2018.
Forest Hill, London
Forest Hill is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Lewisham. It situated between Dulwich and Sydenham. The area has enjoyed extensive investment since plans to extend the East London Line to Forest Hill were unveiled in 2004....
, part of the London Borough of Lewisham
London Borough of Lewisham
The London Borough of Lewisham is a London borough in south-east London, England and forms part of Inner London. The principal settlement of the borough is Lewisham...
. The station is located on the South Circular Road
A205 road
The A205 or South Circular Road is a direct route which crosses South London, UK, running from Woolwich in the east to the junction of the A406 , the M4 and the A4 at Gunnersbury in the west....
(A205).
The station is operated by 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...
, with 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...
and 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...
trains serving the station. 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 some 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 pass through the station. It is located in Travelcard Zone 3
Travelcard Zone 3
Fare zone 3 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...
.
There are four tracks through the station, although only the slow lines (the two outer tracks) have platforms. It lies 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...
between and Sydenham stations.
History
The station was opened by the original London & Croydon Railway (L&CR) on 5 June 1839, as Dartmouth Arms (after the name of the local inn).The line was also used 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...
from 1841 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) from 1842. In 1844, the station was chosen by the L&CR as the northern terminus for Phase 1 of an experimental Atmospheric railway
Atmospheric railway
An atmospheric railway uses air pressure to provide power for propulsion. In one plan a pneumatic tube is laid between the rails, with a piston running in it suspended from the train through a sealable slot in the top of the tube. Alternatively, the whole tunnel may be the pneumatic tube with the...
to West Croydon
West Croydon station
West 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...
operated by the railway. A pumping station was also constructed at the station. The L&CR and the L&BR merged to form the London Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR) in July 1846, the following year 'Atmospheric' working was abandoned, and the station became Forest Hill for Lordship Lane
Lordship Lane (Dulwich)
Lordship Lane is an ancient thoroughfare, once rural, in East Dulwich, a suburb of the London Borough of Southwark in southeast London, England, and forms part of the A2216.It runs north-south from Goose Green to Wood Vale...
.
The LB&SCR moved the 'Down' platform during the early 1850s when the line was quadrupled, and extended the island platform around 1864.
The LB&SCR station buildings, were destroyed by bombing during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and have now been replaced by a more modern system-built structure. The short narrow island platform serving the fast lines was closed and demolished in the early 1960s.
The current whereabouts of the plaque commemorating the historic visit of Frank Bruno
Frank Bruno
Franklin Roy Bruno MBE is an English former boxer whose career highlight was winning the WBC Heavyweight championship in 1995. Altogether, he won 40 of his 45 contests...
is not known. It was last seen before repainting in late 2005.
London Overground
As of May 2010 the off peak frequency is:- 8tph Northbound to
- 4tph Southbound to
- 4tph Southbound 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...
Southern
As of May 2010 the off peak frequency is:- 4tph Northbound to
- 2tph Southbound to London Victoria via
- 2tph Southbound to
Note trains from London Bridge to have been withdrawn. Caterham trains now call at and .
Future services
In a rail meeting in SydenhamSydenham
Sydenham is an area and electoral ward in the London Borough of Lewisham; although some streets towards Crystal Palace Park, Forest Hill and Penge are outside the ward and in the London Borough of Bromley, and some streets off Sydenham Hill are in the London Borough of Southwark. Sydenham was in...
, 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...
said 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...
trains may stop here after the Thameslink Programme
Thameslink 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...
is completed in 2018.