Sevenoaks railway station
Encyclopedia
Sevenoaks railway station serves the town of Sevenoaks
in Kent
. Train services are provided by Southeastern
.
Trains from the station run northbound to London Bridge
, Cannon Street
(direct at peak times), Waterloo East
and London Charing Cross
via Orpington
, to London Blackfriars
via Swanley
and Catford
, and southbound to Ashford International
and Ramsgate
via Dover Priory
, and also Tunbridge Wells
and Hastings
.
, which opened on 2 June 1862. It is named after the Bat & Ball local inn which is now closed, and serves the north end of the town.
The two lines to Sevenoaks were electrified
in January 1935. It was the first station in Britain to be rebuilt in the later well-known British Rail
red, white and blue colour scheme. When the station was reconstructed in the 1970s a new ticket office was built replacing the old wooden S.E.R. building. Two additional side platforms were also abolished.
Sevenoaks is part of the rail franchise which, post-privatisation, was served by Connex South Eastern
. Subsequent to their 'sacking' in 2003 due to poor performance, services were operated by South Eastern Trains
, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Strategic Rail Authority
(SRA). On 1 April 2006, Southeastern
, owned by Govia
, took over management of the station as part of the new Integrated Kent Franchise.
24 August 1927 - the Sevenoaks railway accident
. River class tank locomotive
No. 800 River Cray
derailed at Shoreham Lane between Dunton Green
and Sevenoaks. Thirteen people were killed and 20 were injured. The locomotives were withdrawn and rebuilt as tender locomotive
s.
As of December 2010 off-peak services from this station are:
Platforms
Platform 1- Fast trains to Charing Cross and Cannon Street
Platform 2- Slow trains to Charing Cross and Cannon Street
Platform 3- All trains to Tunbridge Wells, Hastings, Ashford International and Ramsgate.
Platform 4- Trains to Blackfriars, St Albans, Luton and Bedford
From 22 March 2009 the trains to Blackfriars were extended through to Kentish Town off-peak, and some services through to St Albans, Luton and Bedford.
During the peak period trains also serve London Cannon Street.
Sevenoaks
Sevenoaks is a commuter town situated on the London fringe of west Kent, England, some 20 miles south-east of Charing Cross, on one of the principal commuter rail lines from the capital...
in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
. Train services are provided by Southeastern
Southeastern (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...
.
Trains from the station run northbound to London Bridge
London Bridge station
London 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...
, Cannon Street
Cannon Street station
Cannon Street station, also known as London Cannon Street, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex in the City of London, England. It is built on the site of the medieval Steelyard, the trading base in England of the Hanseatic League...
(direct at peak times), Waterloo East
Waterloo East railway station
Waterloo East station, also known as London Waterloo East, is a railway station in central London on the line from through London Bridge to Kent. It is managed by Southeastern and is in Travelcard Zone 1...
and London Charing Cross
Charing Cross station
Charing Cross station may refer to:In London, England:*Charing Cross railway station*Charing Cross tube station **Embankment tube station was previously named Charing CrossIn Glasgow, Scotland:...
via Orpington
Orpington railway station
Orpington railway station serves the town of Orpington in the London Borough of Bromley, and is in Travelcard Zone 6. Located in Crofton Road, the station is a 500m west of the southern end of Orpington High Street....
, to London Blackfriars
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...
via Swanley
Swanley railway station
Swanley railway station is on the Chatham Main Line, and serves the town of Swanley in north Kent, England. Train services are provided by Southeastern. Swanley Station is 17.4 miles from London Victoria....
and Catford
Catford railway station
Catford railway station serves the London suburb of Catford. Mainly used by commuters, it is on the line from mostly Kentish Town to Sevenoaks, between and in Travelcard Zone 3. Connections to London Victoria and are available at Peckham Rye....
, and southbound to Ashford International
Ashford International railway station
Ashford International railway station serves Ashford in Kent, England. Services are provided by Southeastern, Southern and Eurostar.International services use platforms 3 & 4, whilst domestic trains use the original platforms 1 & 2, and a new island built when the Channel Tunnel opened...
and Ramsgate
Ramsgate railway station
Ramsgate railway station serves the town of Ramsgate in Thanet in Kent, England, and is located about 10 minutes away on foot from the town centre. The station lies on the Chatham Main Line 127 km east of London Victoria, the Kent Coast Line, and the Ashford to Ramsgate line...
via Dover Priory
Dover Priory railway station
Dover Priory railway station is the main station in Dover in Kent, with the other station being Kearsney situated on the outskirts of Dover. . All train services are provided by Southeastern...
, and also Tunbridge Wells
Tunbridge Wells railway station
Tunbridge 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....
and Hastings
Hastings railway station
Hastings railway station is in Hastings in East Sussex, England. It is situated on the Hastings Line to Tunbridge Wells, the East Coastway Line to Brighton and the Marshlink Line to Ashford International....
.
History
Sevenoaks railway station was opened on 2 March 1868. It was formerly known as "Tubs Hill", after the adjacent area. There is a second station, on the branch to Swanley JunctionSwanley
Swanley is a town and civil parish in the Sevenoaks District of Kent, England. It is located on the south-eastern outskirts of London, north of Sevenoaks town. The town boundaries encompass the settlements of Swanley itself, Hextable and Swanley Village...
, which opened on 2 June 1862. It is named after the Bat & Ball local inn which is now closed, and serves the north end of the town.
The two lines to Sevenoaks were electrified
Railway electrification in Great Britain
Railway electrification in Great Britain started towards of the 19th century. A great range of voltages have been used in the intervening period using both overhead lines and third rails, however the most common standard for mainline services is now 25 kV AC using overhead lines and the...
in January 1935. It was the first station in Britain to be rebuilt in the later well-known British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
red, white and blue colour scheme. When the station was reconstructed in the 1970s a new ticket office was built replacing the old wooden S.E.R. building. Two additional side platforms were also abolished.
Sevenoaks is part of the rail franchise which, post-privatisation, was served by Connex South Eastern
Connex South Eastern
Connex South Eastern was a train operating company in the United Kingdom. It was owned by the Connex Group and operated between 14 October 1996 and 9 November 2003. The company operated passenger services in South London and Kent...
. Subsequent to their 'sacking' in 2003 due to poor performance, services were operated by South Eastern Trains
South Eastern Trains
South Eastern Trains was a British train operating company, in public ownership, that provided train services in south east London and South East England from 9 November 2003 to 31 March 2006....
, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Strategic Rail Authority
Strategic Rail Authority
In existence from 2001 to 2006, the Strategic Rail Authority was a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom set up under the Transport Act 2000 to provide strategic direction for the railway industry....
(SRA). On 1 April 2006, Southeastern
Southeastern (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...
, owned by Govia
Govia
Govia is a transport company based in the United Kingdom. A joint venture between Go-Ahead and Keolis SA it is a key operator of commuter services in London, the South East and on the West Coast Main Line...
, took over management of the station as part of the new Integrated Kent Franchise.
Accidents
7 June 1884 - A double-headed freight train ran into the rear of another freight train at Tub's Hill station. Both crew of the first train were killed. the signalman was charged with causing their deaths. The trains were being worked under the time interval system.24 August 1927 - the Sevenoaks railway accident
Sevenoaks railway accident
The Sevenoaks railway accident occurred on 24 August 1927 between Dunton Green railway station and Sevenoaks railway station. The Southern Railway's afternoon express from Cannon Street to Deal left London at 5pm, in charge of River Class tank engine No 800 River Cray. Several passengers later...
. River class tank locomotive
Tank locomotive
A tank locomotive or tank engine is a steam locomotive that carries its water in one or more on-board water tanks, instead of pulling it behind it in a tender. It will most likely also have some kind of bunker to hold the fuel. There are several different types of tank locomotive dependent upon...
No. 800 River Cray
River Cray
The River Cray is a tributary of the River Darent in southern England. It rises in Priory Gardens in Orpington in the London Borough of Bromley, where rainwater permeates the chalk bedrock and forms a pond at the boundary between the chalk and impermeable clay...
derailed at Shoreham Lane between Dunton Green
Dunton Green railway station
Dunton Green railway station serves the village of Dunton Green, on the outskirts of Sevenoaks in Kent. Train services are provided by Southeastern.There is no ticket office or ticket machine. There is a Permit to Travel machine...
and Sevenoaks. Thirteen people were killed and 20 were injured. The locomotives were withdrawn and rebuilt as tender locomotive
Tender locomotive
A tender or coal-car is a special rail vehicle hauled by a steam locomotive containing the locomotive's fuel and water. Steam locomotives consume large quantities of water compared to the quantity of fuel, so tenders are necessary to keep the locomotive running over long distances. A locomotive...
s.
Services
Travel times to and from Charing Cross are between 30 and 60 minutes.As of December 2010 off-peak services from this station are:
- 6 tph (trains per hour) to London Charing CrossCharing Cross railway stationCharing Cross railway station, also known as London Charing Cross, is a central London railway terminus in the City of Westminster, England. It is one of 18 stations managed by Network Rail, and trains serving it are operated by Southeastern...
(Fast Service) - 2 tph to London Charing CrossCharing Cross railway stationCharing Cross railway station, also known as London Charing Cross, is a central London railway terminus in the City of Westminster, England. It is one of 18 stations managed by Network Rail, and trains serving it are operated by Southeastern...
(Stopping service via Grove ParkGrove Park railway stationGrove Park railway station is a railway station in London, England. It is located on Baring Road within Travelcard Zone 4, and serves the areas of Grove Park and Downham in the London borough of Lewisham. The station was opened in 1871. Currently there are five platforms...
) - 2 tph to Kentish Town (Stopping service via SwanleySwanley railway stationSwanley railway station is on the Chatham Main Line, and serves the town of Swanley in north Kent, England. Train services are provided by Southeastern. Swanley Station is 17.4 miles from London Victoria....
and Bromley SouthBromley South railway stationBromley South railway station is a major interchange and station in Bromley town centre within the London Borough of Bromley in southeast London. It is in Travelcard Zone 5, and the station and all trains are operated by Southeastern...
) - 2 tph to HastingsHastings railway stationHastings railway station is in Hastings in East Sussex, England. It is situated on the Hastings Line to Tunbridge Wells, the East Coastway Line to Brighton and the Marshlink Line to Ashford International....
via 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....
(one semi-fast, one slow) - 2 tph 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....
- 1 tph DoverDover Priory railway stationDover Priory railway station is the main station in Dover in Kent, with the other station being Kearsney situated on the outskirts of Dover. . All train services are provided by Southeastern...
and , dividing at - 1 tph via Dover and Canterbury West, dividing at Ashford International
Platforms
Platform 1- Fast trains to Charing Cross and Cannon Street
Platform 2- Slow trains to Charing Cross and Cannon Street
Platform 3- All trains to Tunbridge Wells, Hastings, Ashford International and Ramsgate.
Platform 4- Trains to Blackfriars, St Albans, Luton and Bedford
From 22 March 2009 the trains to Blackfriars were extended through to Kentish Town off-peak, and some services through to St Albans, Luton and Bedford.
During the peak period trains also serve London Cannon Street.