Orpington railway station

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Orpington National Rail
Orpington Railway Station.jpg
The station building in 2007
Orpington is located in Greater London
Orpington
Orpington
Location of Orpington in Greater London
LocationOrpington
Local authorityLondon Borough of Bromley
Managed bySoutheastern
Station codeORP
DfT categoryC2
Number of platforms8
AccessibleYes[1]
Fare zone6
National Rail annual entry and exit
2016–17Increase 5.155 million[2]
– interchange 1.154 million[2]
2017–18Decrease 5.044 million[2]
– interchange Decrease 1.153 million[2]
2018–19Increase 5.348 million[2]
– interchange Increase 1.387 million[2]
2019–20Decrease 5.236 million[2]
– interchange Increase 1.414 million[2]
2020–21Decrease 1.308 million[2]
– interchange Decrease 0.189 million[2]
Key dates
2 March 1868Opened
1904Rebuilt
1925Electrification
Other information
External links
WGS8451°22′27″N 0°05′19″E / 51.3741°N 0.0885°E / 51.3741; 0.0885Coordinates: 51°22′27″N 0°05′19″E / 51.3741°N 0.0885°E / 51.3741; 0.0885
Underground sign at Westminster.jpg London transport portal

Orpington railway station is on the South Eastern Main Line, serving the town of Orpington in the London Borough of Bromley, south-east London. It is 13 miles 65 chains (22.2 km) down the line from London Charing Cross and is situated between Petts Wood and Chelsfield stations. It is in Travelcard Zone 6.

History[]

The station was opened on 2 March 1868 by the South Eastern Railway (SER),[3] when the SER opened its cut-off line between Chislehurst and Sevenoaks. Previously, trains between London and Tunbridge Wells had taken a circuitous route via Redhill. The line was widened and the station rebuilt in 1904, expanding to six platforms. Third rail electrification reached Orpington in 1925, and extended to Sevenoaks in 1935.[4]

About this time the Southern Heights Light Railway was proposed, which would have diverged from the main line south of Orpington and finished at Sanderstead.[5] Crofton Roman Villa was partly destroyed by a railway cutting in the late 1800s but was rediscovered in 1926 when work was carried out to the area to the west of the station entrance as an entrance to a new council building.

Platforms 7 and 8 were built in the early 1990s on the site of former carriage sidings. In 2008, the station became fully accessible following the opening of a new footbridge providing lift access to all platforms. As of 2013, the former steam locomotive shed (closed for steam in 1926; in use as sidings until 1960) is still standing, converted to offices (sited adjacent to platform 8). In 2014 the car park was rebuilt with 2 storeys to increase capacity.[6]

Layout[]

The station has eight platforms. Platform 1 is a bay platform which is only occasionally used for Thameslink services.

Platforms 2-5 are through platforms. Platform 2 is used for fast services to Charing Cross or Cannon Street. Platforms 3 and 4 are an island, 3 used by trains towards Ashford International or Tunbridge Wells and 4 by stopping services from Sevenoaks to Charing Cross or Cannon Street. Platform 5 hosts the Sevenoaks slows.

Bay platforms 6-8 are for stopping services towards Charing Cross, London Victoria, Cannon Street and Luton/Bedford. At the country end, the four tracks become two. At the London end there is a four-road sidings, where trains are stabled and cleaned.

There are two entrances, both containing ticket offices and ticket barriers. The main entrance is on the platform 1/2 side (Crofton Road), while the other entrance is on the platform 5-8 side (Station Approach and the bus interchange). Access to platforms 3 and 4 is available via an underground subway (inaccessible for wheelchair users) or via a bridge opened in 2008 which incorporates lift access to all platforms.

Services[]

Services at Orpington are operated by Southeastern and Thameslink using Class 375, 376, 465, 466 and 700 EMUs.

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

  • 2 tph to London Victoria via Herne Hill
  • 2 tph to Kentish Town via Catford (during the peak hours, these trains continue to Luton)
  • 6 tph to London Charing Cross (4 of these run non-stop to London Bridge and 2 are stopping services via Grove Park)
  • 2 tph to London Cannon Street via Grove Park and Lewisham (all stations)
  • 2 tph to Sevenoaks (all stations)
  • 2 tph to Tunbridge Wells
  • 2 tph to Hastings (1 semi-fast, 1 stopping)

During the peak hours and on Sundays, the station is also served by trains to Ashford International, Dover Priory and Ramsgate.

Preceding station National Rail National Rail Following station
London Bridge
Southeastern
Petts Wood   Southeastern
   Chelsfield or Terminus
SoutheasternTerminus
Thameslink

Connections[]

London Buses routes 51, 61, 208, 353, 358, B14, R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, R8, R9, R10, school routes 654, 684, night route N199 and Arriva Kent Thameside route 477 serve the station.[8]

References[]

  1. ^ "Southeastern wheelchair and scooter guide" (PDF). Southeastern. May 2009. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Estimates of station usage". Rail statistics. Office of Rail Regulation. Please note: Some methodology may vary year on year.
  3. ^ Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations. Yeovil: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 178. ISBN 1-85260-508-1. R508.
  4. ^ Southern Electric by G.T.Moody page 56
  5. ^ "Southern Heights Railway". The Times (45098). London. 11 January 1929. col D, p. 9.
  6. ^ "Southeastern adds 142 spaces to Orpington rail station car park". News Shopper. 9 February 2015. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  7. ^ Table 52, 195, 196, 199, 204, 206, 207 National Rail timetable, May 2020
  8. ^ "Buses from Orpington" (PDF). TfL. 5 December 2017. Retrieved 2 June 2020.

External links[]

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