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 mi measured from London Bridge. The station is managed by Southern, and the station is served by both Southern and Thameslink services.

History

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 mi 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. 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. In 1947 a train crash about 550 yd 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 yd north of the station, blocking the railway for 24 hours.

Platforms

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.

Services

Services at South Croydon are operated by Southern and Thameslink using and EMUs. The typical off-peak service in trains per hour is:

Connections

London Buses route 403, 412 and 433 serve the station.