131-548: The Epsom Downs Branch is a 3-mile-65-chain (6.1 km) railway line in Greater London and Surrey , England. It runs from Sutton to its southern terminus at Epsom Downs , with intermediate stations at Belmont and Banstead . With the exception of the northernmost 39 ch (780 m), the branch is single track. All stations are managed by Southern , which operates all passenger trains. Most services run between Epsom Downs and London Victoria via Selhurst . The line
262-623: A central authority for strategic functions. The London Traffic Act 1924 was a result of the commission. Reform of local government in the County of London and its environs was next considered by the Royal Commission on Local Government in Greater London , chaired by Sir Edwin Herbert , which issued the 'Herbert Report' after three years of work in 1960. The commission applied three tests to decide if
393-512: A circular service started from Euston via Willesden and Waterloo to London Bridge. The SER was clearly reluctant to encourage this service, and diverted it to Cannon Street. It struggled on until ceasing on 31 December 1867. A few van shunts, and also the Royal Train, were the only movements over the line after that. The SER decided to instead build its own station at Waterloo, now known as Waterloo East , requiring passengers to transfer to-and-from
524-489: A community should form part of Greater London: how strong is the area as an independent centre in its own right; how strong are its ties to London; and how strongly is it drawn outwards towards the country rather than inwards towards London. Greater London was created by the London Government Act 1963 , which came into force on 1 April 1965, replacing the administrative counties of Middlesex and London , including
655-598: A dedicated station on the south side of the LSWR station, opening it in 1854. It was independent of the LSWR, but it chartered daily funeral trains to from Waterloo to Brookwood for mourners and the deceased. First, second and third class accommodation was provided on the trains. The Necropolis Station was demolished and replaced by a new one beyond Westminster Bridge Road railway bridge; its new station had two platforms, and opened on 16 February 1902. The service continued until May 1941. The Charing Cross Railway (CCR), supported by
786-436: A dense suburban network and was pioneering in the introduction of a widespread suburban electrified passenger network. It was the prime mover of the development of Southampton Docks , which became an important ocean terminal as well as a harbour for cross channel services and for Isle of Wight ferries. Although the LSWR's area of influence was not the home of large-scale heavy industry, the transport of goods and mineral traffic
917-557: A heavily built-up area was expensive and slow. Four extra platforms were opened on 3 August 1860 on the north-west side of the original station, but separated from it by the cab road. These extended as far as what is today platform 16 and were always known as the Windsor station. There was an extra track between platforms 2 and 3 and this was the line connecting to the South Eastern Railway ; it opened on 1 July 1865. The South Station
1048-566: A hub for secondary routes. The London and Southampton Railway opened in 1838, part of the way, and in 1840 throughout. Its promoters wanted to make a branch line to Portsmouth, but in those early days the cost of a direct route was impossibly daunting. The company renamed itself the London and South Western Railway, and instead built a branch line from Bishopstoke (Eastleigh) to Gosport , opening on 7 February 1842. Portsmouth could be reached from Gosport by ferry. The importance of Portsmouth attracted
1179-472: A line from Pirbright Junction, on the main line near Brookwood, to a junction near Farnham via Aldershot. The new line opened in 1870. A curve was opened in 1879 at Aldershot Junctions enabling direct running from Guildford to Aldershot; the original line via Tongham declined as a result. The local network was electrified in 1937 and the Tongham line was closed to passengers at that time. The Bordon Light Railway
1310-402: A locomotive based at West Croydon and the passenger carriages were berthed at Sutton. The first records of goods services on the line are from the 1872 timetables and it is thought that the yards at Banstead and Belmont opened around 1880. No goods yard was provided at Epsom Downs. It is unclear how the branch was originally signalled. Until 1874, with the exception of racedays, only one train
1441-455: A population of between 12 and 13 million depending on the definition of that area. According to Eurostat, London has been the most populous city and metropolitan area of the European Union . The region covers an area of 1,579 square kilometres. The population density is 4,761 people per square kilometre, more than ten times that of any other British region. In terms of population, London is
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#17328763519231572-536: A rival port—at being given simply as branch and thereby a roundabout route to London, killed the prospects of such a line. Portsmouth people wanted their own direct line, but in trying to play off the L&;SR against the London and Brighton Railway they were unable to secure the committed funds they needed. The L&SR now promoted a cheaper line to Gosport , on the opposite side of Portsmouth Harbour , shorter and simpler than
1703-456: A short section of the northern end of the branch was electrified, to allow terminating electric trains to shunt between platforms at Sutton. The majority of services between London and Sutton via West Croydon were operated by electric trains. As a result, the Epsom Downs branch was mostly run as a self-contained shuttle, with only a few services running through to the capital at peak times. With
1834-550: A suburban network was developing, and this gathered pace in the following decades. The Chertsey branch line opened from Weybridge to Chertsey on 14 February 1848. The Richmond line was extended, reaching Windsor in 1849, while a loop line from Barnes via Hounslow rejoining the Windsor line near Feltham had been opened in 1850. In 1856 a friendly company, the Staines, Wokingham and Woking Junction Railway, opened its line from Staines to Wokingham , and running powers over
1965-420: A tight curve with a radius of 12 ch (240 m), were built at Sutton to serve the branch. The southern terminus had nine platforms and was designed to handle large volumes of passengers and trains on racedays. During the 1865 Epsom Derby period, 70,000 people travelled on the branch, but outside of racedays, traffic was very light. In 1892, the site of the terminus was described as "an absolute wilderness and
2096-406: A type of passenger carriage, known as a balloon trailer . The train would be driven from the locomotive in one direction and, in the other, from a driving position at the front of the carriage. Initially these services ran from West Croydon to Belmont, but from October 1909, they were used on the full length of the branch. By the end of that year, there were 37 return railmotor workings on weekdays on
2227-514: Is commonly regarded as a city in the general senses of a conurbation and a municipality. A Lord Lieutenant of Greater London is appointed for its area, excluding the City of London. For the purposes of the Lieutenancies Act 1997 , this area is defined as a county . The term "London" usually refers to region or to the conurbation, but not often to the ancient, tiny City of London. That small area
2358-564: Is divided into five sub-regions . Greater London is divided into 32 London Boroughs, each governed by a London Borough council. The City of London has a unique government dating back to the 12th century and is separate from the county of Greater London, although is still part of the region served by the Greater London Authority. All London Borough councils belong to the London Councils association. Three London Boroughs carry
2489-408: Is double track, including the platforms at Sutton, but the rest of the line was singled in the early 1980s. The maximum speed permitted on the branch is 60 mph (97 km/h) and the line is electrified using the 750 V DC third-rail system. Signalling is controlled from Three Bridges and Track Circuit Block is in operation. The steepest gradient on the line, on the approach to Belmont from
2620-710: Is explained by the quantity of independent schools getting good A-level results. The state school system is often bypassed at age 16 by the more able pupils. Some London boroughs need more good sixth form colleges. The region's 34 further education colleges are funded through the Skills Funding Agency and the Young People's Learning Agency . Large colleges include Kingston College , Havering College of Further and Higher Education , and Croydon College . London and South Western Railway The London and South Western Railway ( LSWR , sometimes written L&SWR )
2751-808: Is home to sizeable Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Muslim and Jewish communities. Many Muslims live in Tower Hamlets and Newham ; the most important Muslim buildings are the East London Mosque in Whitechapel and the London Central Mosque on the edge of Regent's Park . London's large Hindu community is in the north-western boroughs of Harrow and Brent, the latter containing one of Europe's largest Hindu temples, BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir London . Sikh communities are in East and West London, particularly Southall in
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#17328763519232882-531: Is often referred to as "the City" or "the Square Mile" and it forms the main financial district. Archaically, the urbanised area of London was known as the Metropolis . In common usage, the terms "London" and "Greater London" are usually used interchangeably. Greater London is officially divided for some purposes, with varying definitions, into Inner London and Outer London . For some strategic planning purposes, it
3013-489: Is only slightly smaller, with an area of 1,569 km (606 sq mi) and a population of 8,855,333 in 2022. The area is almost entirely urbanised and contains the majority of the Greater London Built-up Area , which extends into Hertfordshire, Essex, Kent, Surrey, and Berkshire and in 2011 had a population of 9,787,426. None of the administrative area, region, or ceremonial county hold city status , but
3144-612: Is responsible for Greater London's strategic planning and is required to produce or amend the London Plan each electoral cycle. The Mayor of London is a directly elected politician who, along with the London Assembly, is responsible for the strategic government of Greater London. For elections to the London Assembly , London is divided into 14 constituencies, each formed from two or three boroughs. The City of London forms part of
3275-543: The gauge wars . In the early days government held that several competing railways could not be sustained in any particular area of the country, and a commission of experts referred to informally as the "Five Kings" was established by the Board of Trade to determine the preferred development, and therefore the preferred company, in certain districts, and this was formalised in the Railway Regulation Act 1844 . The LSWR
3406-459: The Brighton Main Line in around nine minutes and arrive at London Victoria in about an hour. The earliest horse races on Epsom Downs are thought to have been held during the reign of James I , in the 17th century. The first formal races were run on an uphill course from Carshalton and were primarily a test of stamina rather than speed. The Oaks was established in 1779 and The Derby
3537-522: The City and East constituency. London is divided into 73 Parliamentary borough constituencies , formed from the combined area of several wards from one or more boroughs. Typically a borough is covered by two or three constituencies. The London Region does not have city status granted by the Crown. The Cities of London and Westminster within it have received formal city status. Despite this, Greater London
3668-538: The City of London , where the London County Council had limited powers, and absorbing parts of Essex , Hertfordshire , Kent and Surrey . Greater London originally had a two-tier system of local government, with the Greater London Council (GLC) sharing power with the City of London Corporation (governing the small City of London) and the 32 London Borough councils. The GLC was abolished in 1986 by
3799-411: The City of London Corporation . Greater London is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Hertfordshire to the north, Essex to the north-east, Kent to the south-east, Surrey to the south, and Berkshire and Buckinghamshire to the west. Greater London has a land area of 1,572 km (607 sq mi) and an estimated population of 8,866,180 in 2022. The ceremonial county of Greater London
3930-605: The European Union . Irish people, from both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, number about 200,000, as do the Scots and Welsh combined. In January 2005, a survey of London's ethnic and religious diversity claimed that there were more than 300 languages spoken and more than 50 non-indigenous communities with a population of more than 10,000. Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that in 2006 London's foreign-born population
4061-584: The Local Government Act 1985 . Its functions were devolved to the City Corporation and the London Boroughs, with some functions transferred to central government and joint boards. Greater London formed the London region in 1994. The 1998 London referendum established a public will to recreate an upper tier of government to cover the region. The Greater London Authority , London Assembly and
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4192-753: The London Assembly , and an executive head, the Mayor of London . The current Mayor (not to be confused with the Lord Mayor of London ) is Sadiq Khan . He is scrutinised by the elected London Assembly , which may amend his annual budget (by two-thirds majority) but otherwise lacks the power to block his directives. The headquarters of the GLA, previously at City Hall in Southwark , moved to The Crystal in Newham in January 2022. The Mayor
4323-415: The London region , containing most of the continuous urban area of London . It contains 33 local government districts : the 32 London boroughs , which form a ceremonial county also called Greater London , and the City of London . The Greater London Authority is responsible for strategic local government across the region, and regular local government is the responsibility of the borough councils and
4454-544: The South Eastern Railway (SER), opened from London Bridge to Charing Cross on 11 January 1864. Under the terms of the Charing Cross Railway Act 1859 ( 22 & 23 Vict. c. lxxxi), the CCR was required to build a spur from its line to the LSWR at Waterloo. The single-track connection ran through the station concourse between platforms 2 and 3 and there was a movable bridge to allow passengers to cross. On 6 July 1865
4585-598: The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ). The London postal district does not cover all of Greater London. Sadiq Khan ( L ) Statutory Deputy Mayor Joanne McCartney ( L/Co ) London Assembly Lord Mayor Peter Estlin London boroughs ( list ) Vacant Greater London is under the strategic local governance of the Greater London Authority (GLA). It consists of an elected assembly,
4716-592: The West London Extension Railway , then reaching the LCDR at Longhedge Junction. From there Ludgate Hill was accessible via Loughborough Junction. The Kingston to Malden link also opened on 1 January 1869; running through independently of the main line to Wimbledon, it joined the Epsom line at Epsom Junction, later Raynes Park station . The Kingston and Epsom lines ran to a separate station at Wimbledon at first; this
4847-463: The 1920s). It has now surpassed the previous 1939 peak, and is over 9 million. Figures here are for Greater London in its 2001 boundaries. Figures before 1971 have been reconstructed by the Office for National Statistics based on past censuses to fit the 2001 boundaries. Figures from 1981 onward are mid-year estimates (revised in August 2007), which are more accurate than the censuses, known to underestimate
4978-533: The 1969 transfers of Farleigh to Surrey and Knockholt to Kent. Others have included exchange of two Thames islands with Surrey and adjustments during the 1990s to parts of the boundaries of three boroughs near the M25 . The only part of Greater London outside the motorway is North Ockendon , the furthest land unit from its centre. The majority of Greater London forms the London Low Emission Zone (LEZ) and
5109-949: The 25th largest city and the 17th largest metropolitan region in the world. It is ranked 4th in the world in the number of US dollar billionaires residing in the city. It ranks as one of the most expensive cities in the world, alongside Tokyo and Moscow . In the 2001 UK Census, 71.15% of the population classed their ethnic group as White, including White British (59.79%), White Irish (3.07%) or "Other White" (8.29%, mostly Greek-Cypriot, Italian, Polish and Portuguese). 12.09% classed themselves as British Asian, including Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and "Other Asian" (mostly Sri Lankan, Arab and other Southern Asian ethnicities). 10.91% classed themselves as Black British (around 6% as Black African, 4% as Black Caribbean, 0.84% as "Other Black"). 3.15% were of mixed race; 1.12% as Chinese; and 1.58% as other (mostly Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese and other "British Orientals"). 21.8% of inhabitants were born outside
5240-541: The Belmont Rail Frequency Improvement project was awarded £14.1M to double the number of scheduled services on the northern part of the branch line. A new turnback siding will be constructed, allowing two trains per hour from London Victoria to terminate at Belmont, in addition to the two per hour that currently continue south to Epsom Downs. The scheme will improve access to the London Cancer Hub at
5371-586: The British armed forces in Germany. London has been a focus for immigration for centuries, whether as a place of safety or for economic reasons. Huguenots , Eastern European Jews, Cypriots and East African Asians are examples of the former; Irish, Bangladeshis and West Indians of the latter. The East End district around Spitalfields has been first home for several ethnic groups, which have subsequently moved elsewhere in London as they gained prosperity. The population of
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5502-614: The City and Southwark Cathedral south of the river are Anglican administrative centres, while the clerical head of the Church of England and the worldwide Anglican Communion , the Archbishop of Canterbury , has his main residence at Lambeth Palace in the London Borough of Lambeth . Important national and royal ceremonies are shared between St Paul's and Westminster Abbey . The Abbey is not to be confused with nearby Westminster Cathedral ,
5633-533: The City of London and City of Westminster separately do. The area was historically part of Middlesex , Essex, Surrey, Kent and Hertfordshire. The River Thames is the defining geographic feature of the area, entering it near Hampton in the west and flowing east before exiting downstream of Dagenham . Several tributaries of the Thames flow through the area, but are now mostly culverted and form part of London's sewerage system . The land immediately north and south of
5764-593: The City of London and the 32 London boroughs, since the 1990 enactment of the Education Reform Act 1988 . From 1965 to 1990, 12 Inner London boroughs and the City of London were served by the Inner London Education Authority . The introduction of comprehensive schools , directed by Circular 10/65 in 1965, was mostly followed in Greater London; however, 19 grammar schools have been retained in some Outer London boroughs, with Sutton having
5895-424: The City of London. The approaches to Ludgate Hill via Loughborough Junction were circuitous and slow, and inaccessible to passengers using main line trains, and outer suburban trains, at Waterloo. The City and South London Railway opened in 1890 as a deep level tube railway. Although it had limitations, it showed the idea to be practical and popular, and the LSWR saw that this was a way forward. The company encouraged
6026-472: The GDP of Outer London to be 103 billion euros in 2009 and per capita GDP of 21,460 euros. The largest religious groupings are Christian (48.4%), Muslim (8.4%), Hindu (8.0%), Jewish (1.8%), Sikh (1.5%), and Buddhist (1.0%), alongside those of no religion (21.7%). The United Kingdom has traditionally been Christian, and London has a large number of churches, particularly in the city. St Paul's Cathedral in
6157-453: The Gosport branch. It opened in 1894, but it never had through trains on to the LSWR. It closed to passengers in 1931 and completely in 1935. The LSWR opened a line from Guildford to Farnham in 1849, extending to Alton in 1852. At the time the establishment of the army garrison at Aldershot led to a massive increase in population there, and consequently demand for travel, and the LSWR constructed
6288-678: The Greater London Arterial Road Programme, devised between 1913 and 1916, and the Greater London Planning Region, devised in 1927, which occupied 1,856 square miles (4,810 km ) and included 9 million people. Although the London County Council (LCC) and County of London were created in 1889, the area did not cover all of London. London's built-up area, postal district , transport network and Metropolitan Police District, extended vastly beyond
6419-408: The L&SR included in its bill a change of name to the London and South Western Railway under section 2. Construction of the Gosport branch was at first quick and simple under the contractor Thomas Brassey . Stations were built at Bishopstoke (the new junction station; later renamed Eastleigh) and Fareham . An extremely elaborate station was built at Gosport , tendered at £10,980, seven times
6550-511: The LBSCR line there, was made. The LSWR route relied on running powers over the LBSCR route from Havant to Portcreek Junction. The LBSCR was very disputatious at this period, and there was an undignified stand-off at Havant before mature arrangements were agreed. The Portsmouth station was about a mile (about 1.5 km) from piers at which the Isle of Wight ferries might be boarded, and as the popularity of
6681-425: The LBSCR route from Brighton. The actual point of junction was on a spur near Cosham, and it was agreed that the line into Portsmouth from there would be jointly operated. This still fell short of the expectations of Portsmouth people, as the choice was via Brighton, reversing there, or via Bishopstoke. A branch line from Woking to Guildford and Godalming had been opened, and now a line from Godalming to Havant, joining
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#17328763519236812-400: The LBSCR three miles north of Streatham Junction. The LCDR connection gave direct access to Ludgate Hill, and friendly relations now existed between the LSWR and the LBSCR, such that running powers were agreed to bridge the gap. All the route sections were ready and LSWR trains started using the route on 1 January 1869. The LSWR continued to be concerned about the remoteness of Waterloo from
6943-474: The LSWR and the LBSCR. The purported object of this short line was to alleviate the transfer to the ferries; by this time the through trains from London ran through to Portsmouth Harbour, so the benefit of changing trains to get to another pier was non-existent, and the Southsea Railway was a commercial failure. In an attempt to arrest the decline, railmotors were built to operate the line; these were reputedly
7074-418: The LSWR on foot. The inconvenience of the location of Waterloo as a London terminal continued to exercise the Board of the LSWR. At this time the London, Chatham and Dover Railway was building its own line to the city, but was in financial difficulty having overreached itself. It therefore welcomed an approach from the LSWR to use its Ludgate Hill station in the City of London, when a financial contribution
7205-458: The North, a total area of 16 acres (6.5ha). Two more tracks were added down the main line from Waterloo to Nine Elms between 1886 and 1892; the seventh line was added on the east side on 4 July 1900, and the eighth in 1905. New platforms 1 to 3 were opened to traffic on 24 January 1909, followed by platform 4 on 25 July 1909 and platform 5 on 6 March 1910. New platforms 6 to 11 followed in 1913. In 1911
7336-607: The Pier Head in 1880. It was not operated by the mainland companies, but by the Isle of Wight's own lines, which used it as an extension of their own routes. In 1923, all the Island lines, including this, transferred to the new Southern Railway as part of the Grouping process. An independent Southsea Railway was promoted, from Fratton station, serving Clarence Pier on the south side of Portsea Island. It opened on 1 July 1885, operated jointly by
7467-606: The South West, the West of England, and even the West Midlands, and the LSWR and its allies continually fought the GWR and its allies to be the first to build a line in a new area. The GWR was built on the broad gauge of 7 ft 1 ⁄ 4 in or 2,140 mm while the LSWR gauge was standard gauge ( 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in or 1,435 mm ), and
7598-539: The UK, with "a huge majority of them living in London"). Though a Polish community has existed in London since the late-Middle Ages, it was not significant in the 2001 Census but has grown significantly since 2004, when Poland joined the European Union and by June 2010; London had 122,000 Polish residents. The German-born population figure may be misleading, however, because it includes British nationals born to parents serving in
7729-546: The World Wars, the area around Epsom Downs was used by the army and traffic on the branch increased as a result. During the Second World War, civilian passenger services were reduced to one per hour in each direction, to accommodate military trains. In 1940, the lineside south of Banstead was fortified with anti-tank obstacles and pillboxes . A bomb destroyed the buildings on the down platform at Belmont on 11 October 1940 and
7860-429: The allegiance of any proposed independent railway was made clear by its intended gauge. The gauge was generally specified in the authorising act of Parliament , and bitter and protracted competition took place to secure authorisation for new lines of the preferred gauge, and to bring about parliamentary rejection of proposals from the rival faction. This rivalry between the GWR and the standard gauge companies became called
7991-505: The best GCSE results in England, at A-level it is not even above average. Sutton gets the best A-level results in London and in England. Three of the schools in the top four at A-level in London are in Sutton. It has only one independent school. The few other boroughs with above-average A-level results are Havering, Barnet, Bexley, Redbridge, and Ealing. The poor A-level results in many London boroughs
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#17328763519238122-426: The best results for regions of England. Greater London is generally a prosperous region, and prosperous areas generally have good GCSE results. The City of London has no state schools, just two independent schools. Haringey and Kensington and Chelsea have the most people that pass no GCSEs. At A-level, the average results for LEAs are disappointing compared to their good GCSE results. Although Kingston upon Thames gets
8253-503: The best that could be managed, one hour before the departure of each train from Nine Elms, and called at several intermediate piers on the way. To take one hour and only get as far as the starting point of the train was clearly not good enough, not even 150 years ago. The "Metropolitan Extension" to a more central location had been discussed as early as 1836, and a four-track extension was authorised from Nine Elms to what became Waterloo station, at first called Waterloo Bridge station. Opening
8384-669: The boroughs. The Greater London Authority was formed in 2000. The term "Greater London" was used before it was established by statute in 1965. It referred to the Metropolitan Police District , the area served by the Metropolitan Water Board , the London Passenger Transport Area , and the area defined by the Registrar General as the "Greater London Conurbation". The term was also used for
8515-417: The boundaries of the new administrative county. Many of the LCC housing projects, including the vast Becontree Estates , were also outside its boundaries. The LCC pressed for an alteration in its boundaries soon after the end of the First World War , noting that within the Metropolitan and City Police Districts there were 122 housing authorities. A Royal Commission on London Government was set up to consider
8646-518: The branch on 17 June 1928. Services operated to London Bridge via West Croydon and ran up to three times per hour at peak times, with two trains per hour on weekdays in the off-peak. Electric services between Epsom Downs and London Victoria began on 4 May 1930. Electrification stimulated housebuilding in the local area and the Great Burgh and Nork Park estates were sold for development in the early 1930s. Annual passenger numbers more than doubled in eight years: from 329,779 in 1927 to 859,794 in 1935. During
8777-471: The control of a manager based at Sutton on 25 March 1973. Epsom Downs signal box was damaged beyond economic repair in a fire on 16 November 1981. A system of emergency working was introduced, in which a shuttle service between Epsom Downs and Sutton was run with one train on the up (northbound) track. Over the course of the next eleven months, the down line was prepared for permanent single-line working , and re-entered service on 4 October 1982. The majority of
8908-401: The course. The Banstead and Epsom Downs Railway (BEDR) was formed to promote a 4 mi (6.4 km) branch from the existing LBSCR station at Sutton to a southern terminus close to the racecourse. The LBSCR indicated its provisional support and parliamentary authorisation for the new line was granted on 17 July 1862. The BEDR began to appoint contractors to build the line, but errors made by
9039-406: The current area of Greater London rose from about 1.1 million in 1801 (when only about 850,000 people were in the urban area, while 250,000 were living in villages and towns not yet part of London) to an estimated 8.6 million in 1939, but declined to 6.7 million in 1988, before starting to rebound in the 1990s. By 2006, the population had recovered to the level of 1970 (and the level of population in
9170-407: The development of a tube railway from Waterloo to a "City" station, later renamed "Bank". The LSWR sponsored a nominally independent company to construct the line, and the Waterloo and City Railway Company was incorporated by an act of Parliament, the Waterloo and City Railway Act 1893 ( 56 & 57 Vict. c. clxxxvii), of 27 July 1893. The line was only the second bored tube railway in the world; it
9301-453: The directly elected Mayor of London were created in 2000 by the Greater London Authority Act 1999 . In 2000, the outer boundary of the Metropolitan Police District was re-aligned to the Greater London boundary. The 2000 and 2004 mayoral elections were won by Ken Livingstone , who had been the final leader of the GLC. The 2008 and 2012 elections were won by Boris Johnson . The 2016, 2021 and 2024 elections were won by Sadiq Khan . London
9432-411: The docks, which were also directly served by goods trains. The railway was immediately successful, and road coaches from points further west altered their routes so as to connect with the new railway at convenient interchange points, although goods traffic was slower to develop. The London and Southampton Railway promoters had intended to build a branch from Basingstoke to Bristol , but this proposal
9563-555: The earlier proposal, but requiring a ferry crossing. Approval had been given in 1838 for the construction of a so-called floating bridge, a chain ferry , which started operation in 1840. The ferry would give an easy transit across Portsmouth Harbour, and the L&SR secured its act of Parliament, the London and South Western Railway (Portsmouth Branch Railway) Act 1839 ( 2 & 3 Vict. c. xxviii) on 4 June. To soothe feelings in Portsmouth,
9694-636: The first in the United Kingdom. The line closed in 1914. The market town of Midhurst wished to secure a railway and the Petersfield Railway was formed to build a line. The LSWR absorbed the local company before construction was complete, and it opened as a simple branch of the LSWR on 1 September 1864. A landowner wished to develop an area on the coast west of Gosport, planning a high class watering place. A railway branch line was, he believed, essential, and he paid for one to be built, connecting with
9825-605: The first part of the Kingston loop line . A single-track Shepperton branch line was laid in 1864, reaching westwards up the Thames Valley. In 1869 the Kingston loop line was completed by the south-eastward extension from Kingston to Wimbledon, with its own dedicated track alongside the main line from Malden to Epsom Junction (Raynes Park), where it joined the former Wimbledon and Dorking Railway lines. The company's first London terminus
9956-489: The formation of the Southern Railway in 1923, a change in policy was announced, with the replacement of the LBSCR overhead AC system by third-rail DC electrification. A conversion programme began in 1925, the first phase of which included the electrification of the Epsom Downs line. In preparation for the new timetable, the platforms at Belmont and Banstead were lengthened for 8-coach trains. Electric trains began running on
10087-454: The freeholder of the required land. By late 1863, the BEDR was in severe difficulties and the LBSCR offered to take over the company and to complete the line. The amalgamation was authorised by parliament on 29 July 1864. The branch opened between Sutton and Epsom Downs on 22 May 1865. The line was double track from the outset and the intermediate stations opened on the same day. Two new platforms, on
10218-561: The home counties closed too in the 1960s and later, but much of the LSWR network continues in busy use to the present day. The London and South Western Railway arose out of the London and Southampton Railway (L&SR), which was promoted to connect Southampton to the capital; the company envisaged a considerable reduction in the price of coal and agricultural necessities to places served, as well as imported produce through Southampton Docks , and passenger traffic. Construction probably started on 6 October 1834 under Francis Giles, but progress
10349-534: The honorific title of Royal Borough : Kensington and Chelsea , Kingston , and Greenwich . Within the City of London are the liberties of Middle Temple and Inner Temple . With increasing industrialisation, London's population grew rapidly throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, and it was the most populated city in the world until overtaken by New York in 1925. Its population peaked at 8,615,245 in 1939. There were an estimated 7,753,600 official residents in mid-2009. London's wider metropolitan area has
10480-520: The inexperienced board resulted in contracts being drawn up improperly. The board expelled several directors, some of whom served writs on the company. Before agreeing terms to operate trains on the branch, the LBSCR insisted that the southern terminus should be built closer to the racecourse. However, attempts to relocate Epsom Downs station from its planned site were vigorously opposed by the Epsom Grand Stand Association and John Briscoe ,
10611-407: The island developed, the inconvenient transfer through the streets became increasingly prominent. Alternative piers on Portsea Island were built, failing to overcome the problem. A Stokes Bay branch was opened on 6 April 1863, connecting from the Gosport line; it offered direct transfer at its own ferry pier; but it was accessible via Bishopstoke, incurring a roundabout rail journey from London. It
10742-577: The issue. The LCC proposed a vast new area for Greater London, with a boundary somewhere between the Metropolitan Police District and the home counties . Protests were made at the possibility of including Windsor , Slough and Eton in the authority. The commission made its report in 1923, rejecting the LCC's scheme. Two minority reports favoured change beyond the amalgamation of smaller urban districts, including both smaller borough councils and
10873-565: The junctions on it were given grade-separation. It pioneered the introduction of power signalling. In the Boer War its connections at Aldershot , Portland , and on Salisbury Plain , made it a vital part of the war effort, and later during the First World War it successfully handled the huge volume of traffic associated with bringing personnel, horses and equipment to the English channel ports, and
11004-442: The largest Roman Catholic cathedral in England and Wales. Religious practice in London is lower than in any other part of the UK or Western Europe and is around seven times lower than American averages. Despite the prevalence of Anglican churches, weekly observance is low within that denomination , although in recent years church attendance , particularly at evangelical Anglican churches in London, has started to increase. London
11135-493: The line shared by the South Eastern Railway and the Great Western Railway gave access for LSWR trains over the remaining few miles from Wokingham to Reading . The Hampton Court branch line was opened on 1 February 1849. South of the main line, the LSWR wished to connect to the important towns of Epsom and Leatherhead . In 1859 the friendly Wimbledon and Dorking Railway opened from Wimbledon, running alongside
11266-466: The line – around a third ran to Epsom Downs, but the majority terminated short at either Banstead or Belmont. D1 class tank engines started to operate push-pull trains on the branch from June 1914, when the number of weekday services was increased to 41. Electrification of the line from West Croydon to Sutton, using a 6,600 V AC overhead line system, began in 1922 and was completed on 1 April 1925. Although services to Epsom Downs remained steam-hauled,
11397-454: The main line as far as Epsom Junction, at the site of the later Raynes Park station , then diverging to Epsom, joining there the Epsom and Leatherhead Railway , operated jointly with the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway . Parts of Kingston were three miles (4.8 kilometres) from Surbiton station but in 1863 a line from Twickenham to Kingston railway station (England) was opened, forming
11528-461: The majority of the branch has operated as a single line since 1981. The Epsom Downs branch line is a railway line in Surrey and Greater London , England. It runs for 3 miles 65 ch (6.1 km) from Sutton station to its southern terminus, Epsom Downs station , 18 mi 60 ch (30.2 km) down the line from London Bridge via West Croydon . The northernmost 39 ch (780 m)
11659-458: The most god-forsaken place in the world" and it was alleged that only 20–30 passengers used it on a normal day. In the 1890s, the annual surplus over working expenses on the branch (taken over the year as a whole, including racedays) barely exceeded £200. The initial passenger service was 14 trains each way between Sutton and Epsom Downs on weekdays and four each way on Saturdays, with a typical journey time of around 15 minutes. Trains were hauled by
11790-492: The most with five, followed by Bexley with four and others in five other boroughs. In these boroughs the state schools outperform the (relatively few) independent schools. In inner London, private schools always get the best results and are larger in number. At GCSE and A level , Outer London boroughs have broadly better results than Inner London boroughs. At GCSE, the best borough is Kingston upon Thames, closely followed by Sutton. Both boroughs have selective schools, and get
11921-545: The new Southern Railway, it showed the way forward for long-distance travel and outer-suburban passenger operation, and for maritime activity. The network continued without much change through the lifetime of the Southern Railway, and for some years following nationalisation in 1948. In Devon and Cornwall the LSWR routes duplicated former Great Western Railway routes, and in the 1960s they were closed or substantially reduced in scope. Some unsuccessful rural branch lines nearer
12052-418: The new four storey frontage block was ready; at last Waterloo had an integrated building for passengers' requirements, staff accommodation and offices. There was a new roof over platforms 1 to 15; platforms 16 to 21 retained their original 1885 roof. Other platforms were rearranged and renewed; beyond the cab road platforms 12 to 15 were allocated to main line arrivals, opening in 1916. The station reconstruction
12183-511: The new station. Residents of Richmond upon Thames observed the popularity of this facility, and promoted the Richmond Railway from Richmond to Waterloo. The LSWR took over the construction of the extension from Nine Elms to Waterloo itself, and the line from Richmond to Falcon Bridge, at the present-day Clapham Junction, opened in July 1846. The line became part of the LSWR later that year. Already
12314-593: The north, is 1 in 58. All four stations on the line are managed by Southern , which operates all services. Sutton and Belmont stations are in Zone 5 of the London fare zones ; Banstead and Epsom Downs are in Zone 6. Sutton has four operational platforms , of which only two are connected to the branch; the other three stations have one platform each. The off-peak service pattern is two trains per hour in each direction between Epsom Downs and London Victoria via Selhurst . Off-peak trains from Epsom Downs typically reach Sutton on
12445-625: The northeast between Sewardstonebury next to Epping Forest and Chingford and with the Mar Dyke between Bulphan and North Ockendon . Greater London is also bounded by Hertfordshire to the north, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire to the west, Kent to the southeast and Surrey to the south and southwest. The highest point is Westerham Heights, in the North Downs and on the boundary with Kent, at 245 m (804 ft). Central government has implemented small boundary changes . The greatest were
12576-608: The population of London. This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added (GVA) of Inner London at current basic prices published (pp. 240–253) by Office for National Statistics with figures in millions of British pounds sterling. Eurostat data shows the GDP of Inner London to be 232 billion euros in 2009 and per capita GDP of 78,000 euros. This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added of Outer London at current basic prices published (pp. 240–253) by Office for National Statistics with figures in millions of British pounds sterling. Eurostat data shows
12707-468: The railway. Reaching Bath and Bristol via Newbury was an early objective. The Great Western Railway (GWR) also planned to reach Bath and Bristol, and it obtained its act of Parliament, the Great Western Railway Act 1835 ( 5 & 6 Will. 4 . c. cvii) on 31 August 1835, which for the time being removed those cities from the LSWR's immediate plans. There remained much attractive territory in
12838-485: The repatriation of the injured. It was a profitable company, paying a dividend of 5% or more from 1871. Following the Railways Act 1921 the LSWR amalgamated with other railways to create the Southern Railway , on 1 January 1923, as part of the grouping of the railways. It was the largest constituent: it operated 862 route miles, and was involved in joint ventures that covered a further 157 miles. In passing its network to
12969-428: The rival London, Brighton and South Coast Railway , which sponsored the construction of a route from Brighton to Portsmouth via Chichester. This opened on 14 June 1847. Portsmouth could now be reached from London via Brighton The LSWR had realised how unsatisfactory its approach to Portsmouth was, and made a connecting line from Fareham. Initially intending to build its own line to Portsmouth, it compromised and joined
13100-494: The river is flat, but rises to low hills further away, notably Hampstead Heath , Shooter's Hill , and Sydenham Hill . The area's highest point is Westerham Heights (245 m (804 ft)), part of the North Downs . In the north-east the area contains part of Epping Forest , an ancient woodland. The City of London has had its own government since the Anglo-Saxon period. The first London-wide directly elected local government
13231-571: The southern campus of the Royal Marsden Hospital . Infrastructure works are expected to be completed in March 2026 and the enhanced timetable will begin in May of that year. Download coordinates as: 51°20′11″N 0°12′00″W / 51.3365°N 0.2000°W / 51.3365; -0.2000 Greater London Greater London is an administrative area in England, coterminous with
13362-401: The station, the locomotive was detached and the carriages were allowed to roll into one of the platforms while the guard controlled the brake. The Nine Elms site became dedicated to goods traffic and was much extended to fill the triangle of land eastwards to Wandsworth Road. Over the rest of the LSWR's existence Waterloo station was gradually extended and improved. Expanding its footprint in
13493-517: The tender price for Bishopstoke. However, there was a tunnel at Fareham, and on 15 July 1841 there was a disastrous earth slip at the north end. Opening of the line had been advertised for 11 days later, but the setback forced a delay until 29 November; the ground slipped again four days later, and passenger services were suspended until 7 February 1842. With train services to Gosport operating, Isle of Wight ferry operators altered some sailings to leave from Gosport instead of Portsmouth. Queen Victoria
13624-599: The top 21 countries of birth of residents in 2011. These figures do not give a fair indication of the total population of the specific ethnic groups associated with each country. For example, Londoners of Greek origin (from both Greece and Cyprus) number 300,000, since an organised Greek community has been established for nearly two centuries. The same can be said for Italian and French Londoners whose communities have been here for centuries (the French Embassy estimates there are between 300,000 and 400,000 French citizens living in
13755-421: The top two average GCSE results in England for LEAs. Next is Kensington and Chelsea, the third best in England, then Redbridge , Hammersmith and Fulham, Bromley, Barnet and Harrow. Only ten boroughs have GCSE results under the England average, and some inner-London boroughs have surprisingly good results considering where they lie on the scale of deprivation, e.g. Lambeth. Overall at GCSE in 2009, Greater London had
13886-460: The town: the terrain prevented a closer approach to the steamer berth. As leisure traffic developed this became increasingly, objectionable, and the mitigation provided by the horse drawn street running trams of the Ryde Pier Company from 1871, requiring two transfers for onward travel, was hardly sufficient. The LSWR and the LBSCR together built an extension line to the pier, and it opened to
14017-442: The track between Banstead and Epsom Downs was damaged on 28 May 1941. There was a decline in traffic on the Epsom Downs branch between the 1960s and early 1990s. The goods yard at Belmont closed on 6 January 1969 and the signal box at the station closed on 21 December the same year. On 1 May 1972, the terminus at Epsom Downs was reduced to two platforms. Stationmasters were removed from the southernmost three stations, which came under
14148-399: The train to Surbiton. In 1857, the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LBSCR) opened a line to Epsom Town and, in 1859, the London and South Western Railway (LSWR) opened its own line from London to a separate station at Epsom . Although Epsom was now served by two railway companies, each with its own station, racegoers were still required to walk around 1 mi (1.6 km) to
14279-482: The up line was subsequently lifted and a new signalling system, controlled from London Victoria, was commissioned in June 1983. At the end of the 1980s, Epsom Downs station was sold for development. A single platform, around 350 yd (320 m) to the north of the original buffer stops , was opened on 14 February 1989 and a housing estate was built on the remainder of the site by the developer, Charles Church . In 2023,
14410-522: The western borough of Ealing, which is also home to the largest Sikh temple in the capital. The majority of British Jews live in London, with significant communities in Stamford Hill (the most Orthodox Jewish area outside New York City and Israel) and St. John's Wood , Golders Green , and Edgware in North London. Publicly funded education has been administered through 33 LEAs , which correspond to
14541-856: Was 2,288,000 (31%), up from 1,630,000 in 1997. The 2001 UK Census showed that 27.1% of the population were born outside the UK, and a slightly higher proportion were classed as Non-White. In the 2011 UK Census, 59.79% of the population classed their ethnic group as White, including White British (44.89%), White Irish (2.15%) or "Other White" (12.65%, mostly Greek-Cypriot, Italian, Polish, Spanish, Colombians and Portuguese). 18.49% classed themselves as British Asian, including Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and "Other Asian" (mostly Sri Lankan, Arab and other Southern Asian ethnicities). 13.32% classed themselves as Black British (7% as Black African, 4.22% as Black Caribbean, 2.08% as "Other Black"). 4.96% were of mixed race; and 3.44% as other (mostly Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese and other "British Orientals"). The table shows
14672-462: Was a major activity, and the company built a large marshalling yard at Feltham . Freight, docks and shipping business provided almost 40 per cent of turnover by 1908. The company handled the rebuilding of London Waterloo station as one of the great stations of the world, and the construction of the Waterloo & City line , giving access to the City of London. The main line was quadrupled and several of
14803-548: Was a railway company in England from 1838 to 1922. Originating as the London and Southampton Railway , its network extended to Dorchester and Weymouth , to Salisbury , Exeter and Plymouth , and to Padstow , Ilfracombe and Bude . It developed a network of routes in Hampshire , Surrey and Berkshire , including Portsmouth and Reading . The LSWR became famous for its express passenger trains to Bournemouth and Weymouth, and to Devon and Cornwall. Nearer London it developed
14934-465: Was absorbed by the LSWR in 1871 and struggled on until 1915 when part of it ws requisitioned by the Admiralty. This issue of access to steamers was finally resolved in 1876, when the existing joint line at Portsmouth was extended to a Portsmouth Harbour station, where direct transfer was at last possible. In 1864 the Isle of Wight Railway was opened, starting out from a Ryde station on the south-east of
15065-417: Was allowed on the line at any one time. A signal box was opened at Belmont around 1877, and a new box opened at Epsom Downs in May 1879, to increase the capacity of the branch for racedays. An intermediate signal box, between Banstead and Belmont, was opened in 1901, but was only used on racedays, and a box opened at Banstead in 1903. When it opened in May 1865, Belmont station was called "California". The name
15196-406: Was at Nine Elms on the southwestern edge of the built-up area. The wharf frontage on the Thames was advantageous to the railway's objective of competing with coastal shipping transits, but the site was inconvenient for passengers, who had to travel to or from London either by road or by steamer. Passenger steamboats left from Old Swan Pier, Upper Thames Street, not very close to the City centre but
15327-609: Was brought into use on 16 December 1878; it had two new tracks and a double sided platform; the original station now became known as the Central station, while in November 1885 the North Station was opened by extending from the Windsor station towards York Road. It had six new platform faces, so that the total was now 18 platforms, two in the South, six in the Central, four in the Windsor, and six in
15458-634: Was covered by a single Parliamentary constituency in the European Parliament before Brexit . Greater London includes the most closely associated parts of the Greater London Urban Area and their historic buffers and includes, in five boroughs, significant parts of the Metropolitan Green Belt which protects designated greenfield land in a similar way to the city's parks. The closest and furthest boundaries are with Essex to
15589-538: Was electrified, and was 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (3 km) in length; it opened to the public on 8 August 1898. The LSWR absorbed it in 1907. The LSWR's dominant route to Portsmouth was what became the Portsmouth Direct Line, its importance enhanced by the development of leisure travel to the Isle of Wight. Alton followed, later encouraging a local network for the Aldershot military depots, and itself forming
15720-490: Was eventually finished in 1922; the cost of the reconstruction had been £2,269,354. It was officially opened by Queen Mary on 21 March 1922. Following the cholera outbreak of 1848–1849 in London, it was clear that there was a scarcity of burial plots in suburban London. The London Necropolis Company was established in 1852; it set up a cemetery in Brookwood served by a short branch line off the LSWR main line. At Waterloo it built
15851-530: Was first run the following year. The first railway to be used by racegoers was the London-Woking section of the South West Main Line , which opened in May 1838. The nearest station to Epsom was Kingston (now Surbiton ), an 8 mi (13 km) walk from the racecourse. On Derby Day that year, Nine Elms station , the temporary London terminus, was overwhelmed with around 5,000 people intending to catch
15982-551: Was fond of travelling to Osborne House on the island, and on 13 September 1845 a 605 yd (553 m) branch to the Royal Clarence Victualling Establishment , where she could transfer from train to ship privately, was opened for her convenience. Between the first proposal for a railway from London to Southampton and the construction, interested parties were considering rail connections to other, more distant, towns that might be served by extensions of
16113-501: Was integrated into the main Wimbledon station during 1869. The platforms used by those trains were also to be connected to the Tooting, Merton and Wimbledon Railway which was under construction. The Tooting line connected into the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway at Streatham Junction, and the LCDR was building a connection from its Herne Hill station to Knights Hill Junction, on
16244-518: Was on offer. Trains from the direct Richmond line via Barnes could access the Longhedge line at Clapham Junction, running through to Ludgate Hill by way of Loughborough Junction . This route became available on 3 April 1866. On 1 January 1869, the Kensington and Richmond line of the LSWR was ready: this ran from Richmond by way of Gunnersbury and Hammersmith to Kensington . Trains ran from there via
16375-847: Was planned for 30 June 1848, but the Board of Trade inspector Captain Simmonds was concerned about the structural stability of Westminster Bridge Road Bridge, and required a load test. This was carried out on 6 July 1848, and was satisfactory. The line opened on 11 July 1848, together with the four tracks from Nine Elms in to Waterloo. Waterloo station occupied three-quarters of an acre (0.3ha); there were two centre lines, and four other lines serving roofed platforms 300 ft (91m) long, soon after extended to 600 ft (182m). They were located approximately where platforms 9 to 12 are today. Only temporary buildings were provided at first, but permanent structures opened in 1853. At first incoming trains stopped outside
16506-469: Was primarily built for racegoers attending Epsom Downs Racecourse and was promoted by the Banstead and Epsom Downs Railway. Authorisation was granted by parliament in July 1862 and construction was completed by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway . The branch opened as a double track line on 22 May 1865. It was electrified by the Southern Railway using the 750 V DC third-rail system in 1928 and
16637-642: Was rejected by Parliament in favour of the competing route proposed by the Great Western Railway . The parliamentary fight had been bitter, and a combination of resentment and the commercial attraction of expanding westwards remained in the company's thoughts. A more immediate opportunity was taken up, of serving Portsmouth by a branch line. Interests friendly to the L&SR promoted a Portsmouth Junction Railway, which would have run from Bishopstoke ( Eastleigh ) via Botley and Fareham to Portsmouth . However antagonism in Portsmouth—which considered Southampton
16768-455: Was slow. Joseph Locke was brought in as engineer, and the rate of construction improved; the first part of the line opened to the public between Nine Elms and Woking Common on 21 May 1838, and it was opened throughout on 11 May 1840. The terminals were at Nine Elms, south of the River Thames and a mile or so southwest of Trafalgar Square , and a terminal station at Southampton close to
16899-489: Was taken from a nearby public house that had been owned by a man who had returned from the gold rush with some money. Owing to confusion on the part of goods consignors, the station was given its current name on 1 October 1875. The settlement that subsequently grew up in the surrounding area, took its name from the renamed station. Railmotors were introduced to the Epsom Downs branch line in June 1906. These push-pull trains consisted of an A1 class tank engine coupled to
17030-470: Was the London County Council , established for the County of London in 1889, which covered the core of the urban area. In 1965 the county was abolished and replaced by Greater London, a two-tier administrative area governed by the Greater London Council , thirty-two London boroughs, and the City of London Corporation. The Greater London Council was abolished in 1986, and its responsibilities largely taken over by
17161-462: Was the second British railway company to begin running a commuter service, after the London and Greenwich Railway , which opened in 1836. When the LSWR opened its first main line, the company built a station called Kingston, somewhat to the east of the present-day Surbiton station , and this quickly attracted business travel from residents of Kingston upon Thames . The availability of fast travel into London encouraged new housing development close to
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