New Cross Gate station
Encyclopedia
New Cross Gate station is a railway station in New Cross
, London
, on the Brighton Main Line
. It is about 600 metres west of station. It is in Travelcard Zone 2
, on the East London Line
. The station is operated by London Overground
.
England's railway boom of the 1830s led to two competing companies driving lines through the area. The first, the London and Croydon Railway
(L&CR) established a station on the New Cross Road close to Hatcham in 1839. The second railway line in the area, the South Eastern Railway
(SER) established a station near Amersham Way in the heart of New Cross in 1849. Both companies called their stations "New Cross", but the earlier station became "New Cross Gate" when they both came under the common ownership of the Southern Railway
on 1 January 1923.
During the 19th century, New Cross (Gate) became an important junction where the Brighton Main Line
to station diverged from the South London Line
, the East London Line
, and the Bricklayers Arms Line.
, and between 1842 and 1849 the SER. The Croydon and Brighton companies merged to form the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
(LB&SCR), in July 1846. Between February and May 1847 the station at New Cross was the northern terminus of the atmospheric
propulsion system introduced by the L&CR, but in the latter month the system was abandoned by the new company. On 1 October 1847 the new company closed their New Cross station, replacing it with another at Cold Blow Lane 0.25 miles to the north, in an attempt to secure passengers from the planned North Kent Line
of the SER.
. Further rebuilding was undertaken in 1869 when the East London Railway opened a new line from to Whitechapel and .
The station was electrified using the overhead
system in 1920, but this was soon afterwards replaced by the Southern Railway by the third rail
system used by the London and South Western Railway
.
from New Cross (Gate) to Shoreditch
. The LB&SCR services along the East London line
ceased 31 March 1913, when the line was electrified using the fourth rail system and thereafter all passenger services were operated by the Metropolitan Railway
. A separate ELR station was built alongside the existing station for the East London Line services but this was closed in 1886 and the trains were diverted to the adjacent LB&SCR station. The ELR station was then demolished and the site used for sidings.
In 1933 the Metropolitan railway was taken over by the London Passenger Transport Board
who operated services from the station as part of the London Transport
Metropolitan Line
. London Transport was superseded by Transport for London
who's London Underground services stopped serving the Station on 22 December 2007 as the East London Line
was scheduled to be converted into a National Rail
line which reopened as part of the London Overground
network on 27 April 2010.
. It therefore built extensive sidings for this purpose. After 1849 the principal freight handling facility in the area was moved to Willow Walk on the Bricklayers Arms site, but the sidings continued to be used for the storage of carriages. An Ordnance Survey
map for 1871 shows a substantial carriage shed on the west side of the main line, north of the station, but this was no longer present on the 1894 map. It had been replaced by a combined carriage and locomotive shed on the east side of the line in 1894, but this also closed in 1906.
Cross-London freight services were operated to the yard by the Great Eastern Railway
, which maintained its own good depot on the site from the 1870s. These services were continued by the London and North Eastern Railway
from 1923, and after 1948 by the Eastern Region of British Railways
. They ceased to operate in 1962.
and a locomotive repair facility at this station in 1839, the former of which appears to have been particularly accident prone. The original building, which was one of the earliest examples of a roundhouse
, burned down in 1844. A replacement was built in 1845, together with another straight shed by the LB&SCR in 1848, which was blown down in a gale in October 1863. Two further buildings were constructed by the LB&SCR in 1863 and 1869. By 1882 the second (1845) Croydon shed was derelict and in that year was replaced by the new shed, which was rebuilt with a new roof by the Southern Railway
(SR) prior to 1929.
The various running sheds began to be run down during the 1930s as part of a re-organisation scheme involving new developments at Norwood Junction
, however the onset of war meant that they were not formally closed until 1947 and still used for stabling locomotive until 1951. They were demolished 1957, together with the repair workshops, and replaced by sidings for the storage of electric multiple units.
The locomotive workshops established by the L&CR continued to undertake minor repairs on locomotives in the London area for the LB&SCR, and SR, and also briefly for British Railways. They were closed in 1949.
system. The service was also closed between 1995 and 1998 due to repair work on the East London Line's tunnel under the River Thames. The East London line extension included a flyover north of New Cross Gate allowing trains to run through to West Croydon
, plus the construction of a train servicing facility nearby. Platform 1 and adjacent track (southbound) were refurbished, with the line continuing under New Cross Road, before merging with the existing southbound slow line. LO services did terminate here until 23 May 2010 when services were extended south.
run trains south to , London Victoria (on the South London Line
) and West Croydon
; and north to . The next station to the south is .
The current off-peak frequency is:
Note: Trains from London Bridge to have been withdrawn. Caterham trains now call at and .
Platform layout:
Platform 1 is used by London overground trains to (4tph) and (4tph)
Platform 2 is used by Southern trains to (2tph) and (2tph)
Platform 3 is used by Southern trains to (2tph)
Platform 4 is used by Southern trains to (2tph)
Platform 5 is used by both Southern and London Overground trains to (4tph) (southern) and to (8tph) (London Overground)
New Cross
New Cross is a district and ward of the London Borough of Lewisham, England. It is situated 4 miles south-east of Charing Cross. The ward covered by London post town and the SE 14 postcode district. New Cross is near St Johns, Telegraph Hill, Nunhead, Peckham, Brockley, Deptford and Greenwich...
, 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...
, 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...
. It is about 600 metres west of station. It is in Travelcard Zone 2
Travelcard Zone 2
Fare zone 2 is an inner 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.-Background:...
, on the East London Line
East London Line
The East London Line is a London Overground line which runs north to south through the East End, Docklands and South areas of London.Built in 1869 by the East London Railway Company, which reused the Thames Tunnel, originally intended for horse-drawn carriages, the line became part of the London...
. 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...
.
History
London and Croydon Railway
The London and Croydon Railway was an early railway which operated between London and Croydon in England. It was opened in 1839 and in July 1846 it merged with other railways to form a part of the London Brighton and South Coast Railway ....
(L&CR) established a station on the New Cross Road close to Hatcham in 1839. The second railway line in the area, 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) established a station near Amersham Way in the heart of New Cross in 1849. Both companies called their stations "New Cross", but the earlier station became "New Cross Gate" when they both came under the common ownership of 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...
on 1 January 1923.
During the 19th century, New Cross (Gate) became an important junction where 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...
to station diverged from the South London Line
South London Line
South London Line may refer to one of two semicircular railway lines which both run between London Victoria and London Bridge stations through the southern suburbs of London, UK:*Inner South London Line - running via Denmark Hill and Peckham Rye...
, the East London Line
East London Line
The East London Line is a London Overground line which runs north to south through the East End, Docklands and South areas of London.Built in 1869 by the East London Railway Company, which reused the Thames Tunnel, originally intended for horse-drawn carriages, the line became part of the London...
, and the Bricklayers Arms Line.
London and Croydon Railway Station
The original station was officially opened 1 June 1839 by the London and Croydon Railway. and became fully operational on 5 June 1839. It was intended to become the main freight depot and locomotive workshop for the company. In July 1841 the line (but not the station) was also used by the London and Brighton RailwayLondon 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...
, and between 1842 and 1849 the SER. The Croydon and Brighton companies merged to form 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...
(LB&SCR), in July 1846. Between February and May 1847 the station at New Cross was the northern terminus of the atmospheric
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...
propulsion system introduced by the L&CR, but in the latter month the system was abandoned by the new company. On 1 October 1847 the new company closed their New Cross station, replacing it with another at Cold Blow Lane 0.25 miles to the north, in an attempt to secure passengers from the planned North Kent Line
North Kent Line
The North Kent Line is a railway line which connects central and south east London with Dartford and Medway.-Construction:The North Kent Line was the means by which the South Eastern Railway were able to connect its system to London at London Bridge...
of the SER.
London Brighton and South Coast Railway Station
The Cold Blow station was not a success and was subject to much local criticism so on 1 May 1849 the LB&SCR rebuilt and re-opened New Cross on the original site. It was also rebuilt in 1858 to allow for the quadrupling of the Brighton Main LineBrighton 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...
. Further rebuilding was undertaken in 1869 when the East London Railway opened a new line from to Whitechapel and .
The station was electrified using the overhead
Overhead lines
Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains at a distance from the energy supply point...
system in 1920, but this was soon afterwards replaced by the Southern Railway by the third rail
Third rail
A third rail is a method of providing electric power to a railway train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway track. It is used typically in a mass transit or rapid transit system, which has alignments in its own corridors, fully or almost...
system used by 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...
.
East London Railway
The East London Railway (ELR) was a consortium of existing railway companies sharing a cross London route. Passenger services along the line were operated by the LB&SCR between Croydon and Liverpool Street, and from 1884 by the Metropolitan District RailwayMetropolitan District Railway
The Metropolitan District Railway was the predecessor of the District line of the London Underground. Set up on 29 July 1864, at first to complete the "Inner Circle" railway around central London, it was gradually extended into the suburbs...
from New Cross (Gate) to Shoreditch
Shoreditch
Shoreditch is an area of London within the London Borough of Hackney in England. It is a built-up part of the inner city immediately to the north of the City of London, located east-northeast of Charing Cross.-Etymology:...
. The LB&SCR services along the East London line
East London Line
The East London Line is a London Overground line which runs north to south through the East End, Docklands and South areas of London.Built in 1869 by the East London Railway Company, which reused the Thames Tunnel, originally intended for horse-drawn carriages, the line became part of the London...
ceased 31 March 1913, when the line was electrified using the fourth rail system and thereafter all passenger services were operated by the Metropolitan Railway
Metropolitan railway
Metropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...
. A separate ELR station was built alongside the existing station for the East London Line services but this was closed in 1886 and the trains were diverted to the adjacent LB&SCR station. The ELR station was then demolished and the site used for sidings.
In 1933 the Metropolitan railway was taken over by the London Passenger Transport Board
London Passenger Transport Board
The London Passenger Transport Board was the organisation responsible for public transport in London, UK, and its environs from 1933 to 1948...
who operated services from the station as part of the London Transport
London Transport (brand)
London Transport was the public name and brand used by a series of public transport authorities in London, England, from 1933. Its most recognisable feature was the bar-and-circle 'roundel' logo...
Metropolitan Line
Metropolitan Line
The Metropolitan line is part of the London Underground. It is coloured in Transport for London's Corporate Magenta on the Tube map and in other branding. It was the first underground railway in the world, opening as the Metropolitan Railway on 10 January 1863...
. London Transport was superseded by Transport for London
Transport for London
Transport for London is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London in England. Its role is to implement the transport strategy and to manage transport services across London...
who's London Underground services stopped serving the Station on 22 December 2007 as the East London Line
East London Line
The East London Line is a London Overground line which runs north to south through the East End, Docklands and South areas of London.Built in 1869 by the East London Railway Company, which reused the Thames Tunnel, originally intended for horse-drawn carriages, the line became part of the London...
was scheduled to be converted into a National Rail
National Rail
National Rail is a title used by the Association of Train Operating Companies as a generic term to define the passenger rail services operated in Great Britain...
line which reopened as part of the 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...
network on 27 April 2010.
Freight yard
The London and Croydon planned to use New Cross as the London terminal for its freight traffic, as the station had good access to the Grand Surrey CanalGrand Surrey Canal
The Grand Surrey Canal was a canal constructed in south London, England during the early 19th century. It opened to the Old Kent Road in 1807, to Camberwell in 1810, and to Peckham in 1826. Its main cargo was timber. It closed progressively from the 1940s, with all but the Greenland Dock closing in...
. It therefore built extensive sidings for this purpose. After 1849 the principal freight handling facility in the area was moved to Willow Walk on the Bricklayers Arms site, but the sidings continued to be used for the storage of carriages. An Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
map for 1871 shows a substantial carriage shed on the west side of the main line, north of the station, but this was no longer present on the 1894 map. It had been replaced by a combined carriage and locomotive shed on the east side of the line in 1894, but this also closed in 1906.
Cross-London freight services were operated to the yard by the Great Eastern Railway
Great Eastern Railway
The Great Eastern Railway was a pre-grouping British railway company, whose main line linked London Liverpool Street to Norwich and which had other lines through East Anglia...
, which maintained its own good depot on the site from the 1870s. These services were continued by the London and North Eastern Railway
London and North Eastern Railway
The London and North Eastern Railway was the second-largest of the "Big Four" railway companies created by the Railways Act 1921 in Britain...
from 1923, and after 1948 by the Eastern Region of British Railways
Eastern Region of British Railways
The Eastern Region was a region of British Railways from 1948. The region ceased to be an operating unit in its own right in the 1980s and was wound up at the end of 1992...
. They ceased to operate in 1962.
Locomotive depot and repair workshops
The L&CR also opened a motive power depotMotive power depot
Motive power depot, usually abbreviated to MPD, is a name given to places where locomotives are stored when not being used, and also repaired and maintained. They were originally known as "running sheds", "engine sheds", or, for short, just sheds. Facilities are provided for refuelling and...
and a locomotive repair facility at this station in 1839, the former of which appears to have been particularly accident prone. The original building, which was one of the earliest examples of a roundhouse
Roundhouse
A roundhouse is a building used by railroads for servicing locomotives. Roundhouses are large, circular or semicircular structures that were traditionally located surrounding or adjacent to turntables...
, burned down in 1844. A replacement was built in 1845, together with another straight shed by the LB&SCR in 1848, which was blown down in a gale in October 1863. Two further buildings were constructed by the LB&SCR in 1863 and 1869. By 1882 the second (1845) Croydon shed was derelict and in that year was replaced by the new shed, which was rebuilt with a new roof 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...
(SR) prior to 1929.
The various running sheds began to be run down during the 1930s as part of a re-organisation scheme involving new developments at Norwood Junction
Norwood Junction railway station
Norwood 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:...
, however the onset of war meant that they were not formally closed until 1947 and still used for stabling locomotive until 1951. They were demolished 1957, together with the repair workshops, and replaced by sidings for the storage of electric multiple units.
The locomotive workshops established by the L&CR continued to undertake minor repairs on locomotives in the London area for the LB&SCR, and SR, and also briefly for British Railways. They were closed in 1949.
London Overground
The East London Line closed on 22 December 2007 and reopened on 27 April 2010, becoming part of the new London OvergroundLondon 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...
system. The service was also closed between 1995 and 1998 due to repair work on the East London Line's tunnel under the River Thames. The East London line extension included a flyover north of New Cross Gate allowing trains to run through 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...
, plus the construction of a train servicing facility nearby. Platform 1 and adjacent track (southbound) were refurbished, with the line continuing under New Cross Road, before merging with the existing southbound slow line. LO services did terminate here until 23 May 2010 when services were extended south.
East London Line
Mondays to Saturdays there is a service every 5–10 minutes throughout the day, while on Sundays before 13:00 there is a service every 5–9 minutes, changing to every 7–8 minutes until the end of service after that. Current off peak frequency is:- 8 Northbound to Highbury & IslingtonHighbury & Islington stationHighbury & Islington station is a London Underground and National Rail station in the London Borough of Islington in north London. It is served by the Victoria line, London Overground's East and North London Lines and First Capital Connect's Northern City Line....
- 4 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...
- 4 Southbound to
Southern
SouthernSouthern (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...
run trains south to , London Victoria (on the South London Line
South London Line
South London Line may refer to one of two semicircular railway lines which both run between London Victoria and London Bridge stations through the southern suburbs of London, UK:*Inner South London Line - running via Denmark Hill and Peckham Rye...
) and 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...
; and north to . The next station to the south is .
The current off-peak frequency is:
- 6 Northbound to
- 2 Southbound to London Victoria via
- 2 Southbound to fast to Mon-Sat Daytimes only (Southern)
- 2 Southbound to (Southern)
Note: Trains from London Bridge to have been withdrawn. Caterham trains now call at and .
Platform layout:
Platform 1 is used by London overground trains to (4tph) and (4tph)
Platform 2 is used by Southern trains to (2tph) and (2tph)
Platform 3 is used by Southern trains to (2tph)
Platform 4 is used by Southern trains to (2tph)
Platform 5 is used by both Southern and London Overground trains to (4tph) (southern) and to (8tph) (London Overground)
Transport links
The bus routes below all serve the station:| London Buses | Stop N New Cross/Jerningham Road 343 London Buses route 343 London Buses route 343 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Abellio London.-History:... , N343 Stop M New Cross Gate Station 21, 136, 321 436 London Buses route 436 London Buses route 436 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Go-Ahead London.-History:... Stop O New Cross Gate Station 21, 53 London Buses route 53 London Buses route 53 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Stagecoach London.-History:... , 136, 172, 177 London Buses route 177 London Buses route 177 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England. The service is currently contracted to Stagecoach London.-History:Route 177 came about as part of the replacement of London's trams in 1952... , 321, 436 London Buses route 436 London Buses route 436 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Go-Ahead London.-History:... , 453 London Buses route 453 London Buses route 453 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England. The service is currently contracted to Go-Ahead London.-History:... |