Greenwich Park railway station
Encyclopedia
Greenwich Park railway station was a railway station in Greenwich
, London
opened in 1888 by the London, Chatham and Dover Railway
. It was intended to rival the South Eastern Railway
's Greenwich railway station which had opened over 50 years earlier. It served as the terminus for the Greenwich Park branch, which ran from Nunhead
to Greenwich Park
. It took its name from the nearby Greenwich Park
, home of the Royal Observatory
.
Despite being on a prime location (on Stockwell Street), it failed to attract sufficient passenger numbers possibly because the rival Greenwich station offered a more direct journey into central London
. Due to wartime economies, and along with several other London railway stations it closed in 1917. The section between Nunhead and Lewisham Road was reopened in 1929 by the Southern Railway
concurrent with opening a new connecting spur to Lewisham and providing the company with another route into central London. The section between Lewisham Road and Greenwich Park was officially abandoned in 1929.
After 1929 the station was demolished and the cutting occupied by the trackbed and platforms was infilled. Today the site is occupied by a hotel and its car park. Nothing remains today of the railway infrastructure north-east of Lewisham Road station
except a short section of embankment adjacent to St Johns station. A direct rail link between Greenwich
and Lewisham
was not restored until the Lewisham extension to the Docklands Light Railway
opened in 1999.
and Greenwich Park). The station building was a generous brick built structure with a booking hall, refreshment room and first and second class ladies rooms leading off it. Stairs led down to the concourse at the head of the platforms.
A house for the station master was provided in Burney Street.
although some services ran through to the City or London Victoria. By 1913 there were 55 down and 43 up services each day with only 11 services on a Sunday. Journey time on the branch (from Nunhead to Greenwich Park) was 9 minutes. Through trains to St Paul's (Blackfriars station
) took around 30 minutes.
It is likely that most trains were formed of LCDR 4 wheelers headed by a D class 0-4-2T engine. In 1913 a P class 0-6-0T with a bogie coach at each end appeared on the branch and it was this that ran the last passenger service on 31 December 1916. Surviving photographs show P class no 325, D class no 89 Hecate and coaching set 271 all worked the line at some point.
Greenwich
Greenwich is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.Greenwich is best known for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
opened in 1888 by the London, Chatham and Dover Railway
London, 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...
. It was intended to rival 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...
's Greenwich railway station which had opened over 50 years earlier. It served as the terminus for the Greenwich Park branch, which ran from Nunhead
Nunhead railway station
Nunhead railway station is a railway station in the Nunhead area of the London Borough of Southwark. The station and all trains serving it are operated by Southeastern...
to Greenwich Park
Greenwich Park
Greenwich Park is a former hunting park in Greenwich and one of the largest single green spaces in south east London. One of the Royal Parks of London, and the first to be enclosed , it covers , and is part of the Greenwich World Heritage Site. It commands fine views over the River Thames, Isle of...
. It took its name from the nearby Greenwich Park
Greenwich Park
Greenwich Park is a former hunting park in Greenwich and one of the largest single green spaces in south east London. One of the Royal Parks of London, and the first to be enclosed , it covers , and is part of the Greenwich World Heritage Site. It commands fine views over the River Thames, Isle of...
, home of the Royal Observatory
Royal Observatory, Greenwich
The Royal Observatory, Greenwich , in London, England played a major role in the history of astronomy and navigation, and is best known as the location of the prime meridian...
.
Despite being on a prime location (on Stockwell Street), it failed to attract sufficient passenger numbers possibly because the rival Greenwich station offered a more direct journey into 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,...
. Due to wartime economies, and along with several other London railway stations it closed in 1917. The section between Nunhead and Lewisham Road was reopened in 1929 by the Southern Railway
Southern Railway (Great Britain)
The Southern Railway was a British railway company established in the 1923 Grouping. It linked London with the Channel ports, South West England, South coast resorts and Kent...
concurrent with opening a new connecting spur to Lewisham and providing the company with another route into central London. The section between Lewisham Road and Greenwich Park was officially abandoned in 1929.
After 1929 the station was demolished and the cutting occupied by the trackbed and platforms was infilled. Today the site is occupied by a hotel and its car park. Nothing remains today of the railway infrastructure north-east of Lewisham Road station
Lewisham Road railway station
Lewisham Road railway station was a railway station in Lewisham, London built by the London, Chatham and Dover Railway on the Greenwich Park branch. It was opened in 1871. It was very close to the South Eastern Railway's St Johns railway station, which still remains open...
except a short section of embankment adjacent to St Johns station. A direct rail link between Greenwich
Greenwich
Greenwich is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.Greenwich is best known for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time...
and Lewisham
Lewisham
Lewisham is a district in South London, England, located in the London Borough of Lewisham. It is situated south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
was not restored until the Lewisham extension to the Docklands Light Railway
Docklands Light Railway
The Docklands Light Railway is an automated light metro or light rail system opened on 31 August 1987 to serve the redeveloped Docklands area of London...
opened in 1999.
Opening
The line from Nunhead had terminated initially at Blackheath Hill (opened 1871) and it was not until 1881 that the LCDR deposited a bill to extend to Greenwich Park. The LCDR chairman explined to the shareholders "We should not have spent £450,000 to get to the bottom of Blackheath Hill. The raison d'etre was to get to the heart of Greenwich. Everybody knows what the Greenwich traffic is; it is an astounding traffic". The station opened on 1 October 1888 and was aligned to join the South Eastern line at a junction east of the exisitng Greenwich station.Description
Greenwich Park station consisted of three curved platforms and an engine release road. All three platforms had awnings for more or less their whole length. There was an engine siding and inspection pit situated behind the signal box which was located at the throat of the station. The station was situated below street level in a cutting (as was most of the line between Blackheath Hill railway stationBlackheath Hill railway station
Blackheath Hill railway station was a railway station in south-east London on the border of Greenwich and Lewisham. It was opened in 1871 by the London, Chatham and Dover Railway on its Greenwich Park branch. It served as the end of the line until the stretch to Greenwich Park was opened in 1888....
and Greenwich Park). The station building was a generous brick built structure with a booking hall, refreshment room and first and second class ladies rooms leading off it. Stairs led down to the concourse at the head of the platforms.
A house for the station master was provided in Burney Street.
Services
In January 1899 there was 43 arrivals and 55 departures on a weekday with 21 services on a Sunday. Most services terminated at NunheadNunhead
Nunhead is a place in the London Borough of Southwark in London, England. It is an inner-city suburb located southeast of Charing Cross. It is the location of the Nunhead Cemetery. Nunhead has traditionally been a working-class area and, with the adjacent neighbourhoods, is currently going...
although some services ran through to the City or London Victoria. By 1913 there were 55 down and 43 up services each day with only 11 services on a Sunday. Journey time on the branch (from Nunhead to Greenwich Park) was 9 minutes. Through trains to St Paul's (Blackfriars station
Blackfriars station
Blackfriars station, also known as London Blackfriars, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex in the City of London, England. Its platforms will eventually span the River Thames a short distance downstream from Blackfriars Bridge. The current entrance is located on the...
) took around 30 minutes.
It is likely that most trains were formed of LCDR 4 wheelers headed by a D class 0-4-2T engine. In 1913 a P class 0-6-0T with a bogie coach at each end appeared on the branch and it was this that ran the last passenger service on 31 December 1916. Surviving photographs show P class no 325, D class no 89 Hecate and coaching set 271 all worked the line at some point.