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| Location | Crystal Palace |
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| Local authority | Bromley |
| Managed by | London Overground |
| Owner | Network Rail |
| Station code | CYP |
| Platforms in use | 4 |
| Fare zone | 3 and 4 |
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| National Rail annual entry and exit | |
| 2004/5 | 0.905 million[1] |
| 2005/6 | 1.038 million[1] |
| 2006/7 | 1.467 million[1] |
| 2007/8 | 1.580 million[1] |
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| 10 June 1854 | Opened (Crystal Palace) |
| 1856 | Through station |
| 1 November 1898 | Renamed (Crystal Palace Low Level) |
| 13 June 1955 | Renamed (Crystal Palace) |
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| List of stations | Underground · National Rail |
| External links | Departures • Layout |
| Facilities • Buses | |
Crystal Palace railway station is in the London Borough of Bromley in south London. It is located in the Anerley area between the town centres of Crystal Palace and Penge. It is one of two stations built to serve the site of the 1851 exhibition building, the Crystal Palace, when it was moved from Hyde Park to Sydenham Hill after 1851.
The station was opened on 10 June 1854 by the West End of London and Crystal Palace Railway (WEL&CPR) to take the crowds to the relocated Palace. It was formerly known as Crystal Palace (Low Level) to differentiate it from the nearby and now demolished Crystal Palace (High Level) railway station.
The station will become a terminus of the new East London Line from 2010, which will require redevelopment to the station.
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History
From the outset trains were operated by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LBSCR). Initially the station was the terminus of a spur line from Sydenham. In 1856 the station was able to take through train services to Clapham Junction via West Norwood and Streatham Hill, following the completion of the 746 yard (690 m) Crystal Palace Tunnel. Although relatively short, the tunnel was regarded as a major engineering achievement as it was cut "through the same treacherous material [clay], through the hill on which the Crystal Palace stands, and immediately under one of the great water towers, a superincumbent weight of 2,200 tons which taxed in its execution all the skill and workmanship of the eminent contractors."[2]
In 1857, an eastward connection was made to Norwood Junction (for the Brighton line to the south) and in 1858 the WEL&CPR was extended as far as Beckenham. From 1860 direct services were available from London Victoria.
The frontage of the station was rebuilt in 1875, and was described: "Although the Roman Catholic chapel room is no longer used the station still has a cathedral-like atmosphere as one passes from the period booking hall to the vault-like station and the stairs down to the original station area".[3]
This is a description of the station trainshed roof above the staircases at the west end. However, the rest of the station has no shelter from the elements between the vast brick retaining walls. Originally the whole length of the platforms beyond the bottom of the massive staircases was covered by an elegant dual bow-spring arch iron roof. This was removed as a precautionary measure shortly after the collapse of the similar structure at Charing Cross in 1905.
The line was electrified between Balham and Crystal Palace on 12 May 1911, using the LBSCR overhead system, in time for the Festival of Empire coinciding with the coronation of King George V. Electric trains from Victoria were advertised to complete the journey in fifteen minutes - a running time that has never been equalled.
The station is built on the junction of two lines: the old station platforms lying on the Sydenham route, and the more modest platforms on the southern spur to Beckenham Junction.
After World War II when the Palace itself no longer existed as a major attraction, there was a move of most services through the station to serve London-Croydon routes rather than running along the Outer South London Line. The southern platforms became the busier pair and the entrance to the station was moved to the south side of the building in the 1980s. The glazed ticket hall was constructed at this time, which echoes the profile the Crystal Palace with its arched roof structure.
The original station was partially refurbished in 2002 by Railtrack at a cost of £4 million. This included a substantial amount of work on the roof of the building and refurbishment of office space on the top floor.
The two outer bay platforms, which were used for trains terminating there, are no longer in use, although the track and buffers are extant (The third rail has been removed).
Transport for London were also proposing to extend Tramlink from Harrington Road through Anerley to the bus station on Crystal Palace Parade, with three possible routes.[4] However, Mayor Boris Johnson cancelled the £170 million project in November 2008.[5]
Services
Regular train services which serve Crystal Palace today comprise three different routes, each of which run two trains per hour in each direction. These run between:
- 1. London Victoria and West Croydon
- 2. London Victoria and London Bridge (the outer South London Line service)
- 3. London Bridge and Beckenham Junction
Alternative routes run at peak hours, and the latter two do not run during late evenings, when route 1 listed above is also extended to Epsom and Epsom Downs. This is also the only route to run during Sunday service, when it is extended to Sutton.
| Preceding station | National Rail | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gipsy Hill | Southern South London Line (Outer) |
Sydenham | ||
| Southern London Bridge to Beckenham Junction (via Crystal Palace) (Monday-Saturday) |
Birkbeck | |||
| Southern Brighton Main Line |
Norwood Junction | |||
Future developments
London Overground services
Crystal Palace will be one of the termini on the new southern extension of the East London Line that is due to open in 2010. The station will then be part of Transport for London's London Overground network.
| Preceding station | National Rail | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terminus | London Overground East London Line |
Sydenham | ||
Station redevelopment
To accommodate the additional East London Line services, and to provided disabled access to all platforms of the station, substantial works are required at the station. A planning application was submitted to Bromley Council in February 2009, which will include alterations to the Victorian booking hall building, removal of the current ticket office, removal of the pedestrian bridge over Platforms 1 and 2 and new stairs to Platform 1. The original entrance and ticket hall will be brought back into use, with three lifts installed to provide access to the platforms and a new canopy will be installed over platforms 3-7.[6]
The East London Line extension will terminate in one of the currently disused bay platforms and a new island platform will replace the removed sidings in the centre of the old station.
References
- ^ a b c d Annual passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Crystal Palace railway station from Office of Rail Regulation statistics
- ^ Illustrated London News, 1 November 1856
- ^ Railways of the Southern Region (PSL Field Guide, Geoffrey Body, 1984))
- ^ Transport for London - Croydon Tramlink Consultation
- ^ [1] BBC News TfL scraps projects
- ^ [2] Crystal Palace station redevelopment planning application to Bromley council
External links
- Train times and station information for Crystal Palace railway station from National RailCoordinates: 51°25′06″N 0°04′21″W / 51.4182°N 0.0726°W
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