South Croydon railway station

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South Croydon
South Croydon Location of South Croydon in Greater London
Location	South Croydon
Local authority	London Borough of Croydon
Managed by	Southern
Station code(s)	SCY
DfT category	D
Number of platforms	5 (2 in use; 3 at peak times)
Fare zone	5
National Rail annual entry and exit
2019–20	1.225 million[1]
2020–21	0.338 million[1]
2021–22	0.601 million[1]
2022–23	0.733 million[1]
2023–24	0.948 million[1]
Key dates
1 September 1865	Opened
Other information
External links	Departures Facilities
Coordinates	51°21′46.4″N 0°5′37.2″W / 51.362889°N 0.093667°W / 51.362889; -0.093667
London transport portal

South Croydon railway station is in the London Borough of Croydon in south London, in Travelcard Zone 5. It is on the Brighton Line at its junction with the Oxted Line, 11 miles 21 chains (18.1 km) measured from London Bridge.^[2]

The station is managed by Southern, and the station is served by both Southern and Thameslink services.

Originally South Croydon was a terminus next to the through lines of the Brighton Line but without any platforms on them, the end of a 1 mile (1.6 km) extension of the local lines from New Croydon, opened by the London Brighton and South Coast Railway on 1 September 1865. The aim was to provide more space for reversing local trains than could be afforded at busy New Croydon. The rapid growth of the town in this area may also have been a factor.^[3]

In 1894 the railway obtained authority to extend the local lines to Coulsdon, where they connected with the new Quarry line. The station was rebuilt as a through station with platform faces on all lines prior to the opening of the line in November 1899.^[4]

In 1947 a train crash about 550 yards (500 m) south of the station killed 32 people, the worst accident in the history of the Southern Railway.

On 1 August 2011, a landslide caused by a burst water main occurred approximately 200 yards (180 m) north of the station, blocking the railway for 24 hours.^[5][6]

South Croydon has five platforms connected by a narrow subway.

Platforms 1 and 2 are rarely used as fast Southern services from London Victoria to Brighton, Thameslink services and Gatwick Express, and these services do not call.

Platform 3 is used by up trains to London Bridge, Bedford and London Victoria in the peak hours

Platform 4 is used by services that do not call, heading southbound, and some Thameslink services in both directions.

Platform 5 is used by down trains to Caterham, Tattenham Corner and Three Bridges

Ticket gates became operational in April 2009.^{[citation needed]}

Services at South Croydon are operated by Southern and Thameslink using Class 377 and 700 EMUs.

The typical off-peak service in trains per hour is:^[7]

• 2 tph to London Bridge
• 2 tph to Bedford via London Bridge
• 2 tph to Caterham and Tattenham Corner, dividing and attaching at Purley
• 2 tph to Three Bridges via Redhill

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
East Croydon		Southern Brighton Main Line Stopping Services		Purley Oaks
		Thameslink Brighton Main Line		Purley
		Southern Oxted Line Peak Hours Only		Sanderstead
		Thameslink Bedford to East Grinstead Peak Hours Only

London Buses routes 64, 403, 412 and 433 serve the station.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to South Croydon railway station.

• Train times and station information for South Croydon railway station from National Rail