Eynsford railway station
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General information | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Location | Eynsford, District of Sevenoaks England | ||||
Grid reference | TQ535649 | ||||
Managed by | Southeastern | ||||
Platforms | 2 | ||||
Other information | |||||
Station code | EYN | ||||
Classification | DfT category E | ||||
Key dates | |||||
1 July 1862 | Opened | ||||
6 January 1935 | Electrified | ||||
May 1962 | Closed (Goods) | ||||
Passengers | |||||
2014/15 | 0.169 million | ||||
2015/16 | 0.174 million | ||||
2016/17 | 0.182 million | ||||
2017/18 | 0.189 million | ||||
2018/19 | 0.187 million | ||||
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Eynsford railway station serves Eynsford in Kent, England. It is 20 miles 32 chains (32.8 km) down the line from London Victoria and is situated between Swanley and Shoreham. Train services are provided by Thameslink.
The ticket office, on the 'down' side, is situated in the substantial station building. This is manned only during part of the day; at other times a ticket machine may be used, which is located at the foot of the stairs leading from the car park to the Ashford-bound platform.
The platforms are connected by a concrete footbridge - a typical product of the Southern Railway concrete factory at Exmouth Junction. There is a small car park (charges apply) at the entrance to the station.
History
The Swanley to Sevenoaks Bat & Ball line was opened on 2 June 1862, by the London, Chatham and Dover Railway, initially with just a single track. The station at Eynsford came into use the following month, with two platforms and a passing loop; the second track came in 1863.
The main station building is on the "down" side, two storeys high, with chimney stacks and arched window frames. On the "up" side is a shelter with an elaborate valance and sides for protection from the weather. The track was crossed at ground level until a lattice footbridge was built in about 1910. The signal cabin was positioned at the southern end of the "up" platform.
Eynsford's goods yard was positioned on the "down" side, to the south of the main building, and comprised a pair of sidings, one of which passed over a wagon turntable through the pitched-roof goods shed. The platforms were extended twice, first in 1894 and again in 1932 when they were lengthened at their southern ends, requiring the demolition of the signal box. This was replaced by a porch on the ground floor of the station building's platform side.
Electric services between Bickley and Sevenoaks were introduced on 6 January 1935, when the station lost its lattice footbridge to a prefabricated concrete replacement. Goods traffic ceased in May 1962 and the goods shed was demolished soon after.
Approximately 1 km to the north west lie the remains of Lullingstone, built but never opened, as the development it was intended to serve never materialised. All that remains are the platforms (still in situ) and the platform canopies, now gracing Canterbury East station. Between the two, the line is taken over the River Darent by an impressive nine-arch red-brick viaduct.
Services
Off-peak, all services are operated by Thameslink. The typical off-peak service in trains per hour is:[1]
- 2 tph to London Blackfriars via Catford
- 2 tph to Sevenoaks
Southeastern services on the Maidstone East Line call here occasionally during times of service disruption.
Preceding station | National Rail | Following station | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Thameslink | ||||
Southeastern Maidstone East Line Limited Service | ||||
Historical railways | ||||
Lullingstone Line open, station closed |
Southern Railway Swanley to Ashford (via Maidstone East) Line |
Shoreham Line and station open |
Connections
Go Coach routes 2 (Mondays to Saturdays) and 429 (Sundays) serve the station.
References
- ^ "Timetable 03: London to Orpington and Sevenoaks" (PDF). Thameslink, December 2019.