116-786: The Spa Road Junction rail crash was an accident on the British railway system which occurred during the peak evening rush hour of 8 January 1999 at Spa Road Junction in Bermondsey , in South East London. On a dark and wet evening, a Connex South Eastern train from Dover Priory to Charing Cross collided with a Thameslink train from Brighton to Bedford causing derailment to both trains. The accident resulted in no fatalities and four injuries. The British Transport Police reported that eight passengers had been taken to hospital with minor bumps, bruises and whiplash but none were detained. One of
232-472: A centre for manufacturing, particularly in relation to tanning . More recently it has experienced regeneration including warehouse conversions to flats and the provision of new transport links. Bermondsey may be understood to mean Beornmund ' s island; but, while Beornmund represents an Old English personal name, identifying an individual once associated with the place, the element "-ey" represents Old English eg , for "island", "piece of firm land in
348-574: A fen", or simply a "place by a stream or river". Thus Bermondsey need not have been an island as such in the Anglo-Saxon period, and is as likely to have been a higher, drier spot in an otherwise marshy area. Though Bermondsey's earliest written appearance is in the Domesday Book of 1086, it also appears in a source which, though surviving only in a copy written at Peterborough Abbey in the 12th century, claiming "ancient rights" unproven purporting to be
464-462: A four-coach Class 411 (411602) EMU and a four-coach Class 423 EMU. The class 411 unit was repaired at Eastleigh Works and became the only class 411 EMU in Connex livery as a result. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) concluded that the accident was caused by the Connex train passing a signal at danger (red). The HSE concluded that this was probably due to human error as no evidence of malfunction
580-524: A high street ribbon (the modern Bermondsey Street), leading from the southern bank of the Thames, at Tooley Street, up to the abbey close. The Knights Templar also owned land here and gave their names to one of the most distinctive streets in London: Shad Thames (a corruption of "St John at Thames"). Other ecclesiastical properties stood nearby at Tooley Street (a corruption of " St Olave's "), owned by
696-626: A pudding mixer at Peek Freans . He is usually credited as the first British rock and roll player. The first 'Bermondsey' is that known as the location of an Anglo-Saxon monastery , and known from later charters to be the area around the post-Conquest Bermondsey Abbey and its manor, which was in turn part of the medieval parish. References in the Parliamentary Rolls describe it as "in Southwark".[ ] A later, Victorian civil parish of Bermondsey did not include Rotherhithe or St Olave's; this
812-475: A rake of Mark 4f coaches and a Class 414 (2-HAP) driver motor brake unit. The journey was timetabled to take 30 minutes and seven trainsets were required to operate the service. In the first seven months of the service, the number of passengers travelling by rail to Gatwick Airport went up by 38% and revenue on the route increased by 52%. Responsibility for running the Gatwick Express was transferred to
928-521: A short distance behind (Connex South Central service from London Bridge to Guildford train) were initially left unsupervised, and had to find their own way to evacuate themselves in the inclement weather. Some were evacuated via the disused Spa Road railway station buildings, the former terminus of the South East & Chatham Railway. Trains were still running on the south eastern side, some 30 to 40 ft (9 to 12 m) away from passengers evacuating
1044-505: A transcription of a letter of Pope Constantine (708–715), in which he grants privileges to a monastery at Vermundesei , then in the hands of the abbot of Medeshamstede , as Peterborough was known at the time. Bermondsey appears in the Domesday Book as Bermundesy and Bermundesye , in the Hundred of Brixton within the County of Surrey. It was then held by King William , though a small part
1160-426: A two-track bypass of this section of line. The new line, which included two new tunnels and extensive cuttings, was authorised by parliament on 20 July 1894. A second act, permitting minor changes to the route, was given royal assent on 20 July 1896. The Quarry Line, as the bypass became known, opened to freight services on 5 November 1899 and to passenger trains on 1 April the following year. Five stations opened on
1276-564: Is St Mary Magdalen Church in Bermondsey Street , completed in 1690 (although a church has been recorded on this site from the 13th century). This church survived the 19th-century redevelopment phase and the Blitz unscathed. It is an unusual survivor for Bermondsey as buildings of this period are relative rarities in Inner London in general. In the 18th century, the discovery of a spring from
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#17328557990441392-672: Is 70 mph (110 km/h) on the fast lines and 60 mph (97 km/h) on the slow lines. Signalling is controlled from Three Bridges rail operating centre . The Brighton Main Line between Windmill Bridge Junction and Balcombe Tunnel Junction is 21 mi 26 ch (34.3 km) long and has twelve stations in total. Gatwick Airport station is managed by Gatwick Express, but the other stations are managed by Southern. Gatwick Airport has seven operational platforms, East Croydon and Purley have six, South Croydon and Three Bridges have five, Purley Oaks , Redhill and Horley have four, and
1508-717: Is 70 mph (110 km/h) on the fast lines and 60 mph (97 km/h) on the slow lines. Signalling is controlled from Three Bridges rail operating centre . The London Bridge to Windmill Bridge Junction section of the Brighton Main Line is 9 mi 61 ch (15.7 km) in length and has nine stations in total. London Bridge station is managed by Network Rail and has 15 platforms. All other stations ( New Cross Gate , Brockley , Honor Oak Park , Forest Hill , Sydenham , Penge West , Anerley and Selhurst ) are managed by London Overground. Both New Cross Gate and Norwood Junction have five operational platforms, but
1624-559: Is 90 mph (140 km/h). There are four tunnels on this section of the line: Balcombe tunnel is 1,141 yd (1,043 m) long; Haywards Heath Tunnel is 249 yd (228 m) long; Clayton Tunnel , at the summit of the line, is 1 mi 499 yd (2.066 km) long; Patcham Tunnel is 1 mi 492 yd (2.059 km) long. There are two viaducts on this part of the Brighton Main Line: The 22 ch (1,500 ft; 440 m) Ouse Valley Viaduct crosses
1740-623: Is a district in southeast London, part of the London Borough of Southwark , England, 2.5 miles (4.0 km) southeast of Charing Cross . To the west of Bermondsey lies Southwark , to the east Rotherhithe and Deptford , to the south Walworth and Peckham , and to the north is Wapping across the River Thames . It lies within the historic county boundaries of Surrey . During the Industrial Revolution Bermondsey became
1856-402: Is also a substantial surviving building of the leather trade. The Exchange building had a fine private club, effectively a gentlemen's club for the leading merchants and manufacturers. In 1703 they had acquired a royal charter from Queen Anne to gain a monopoly of trading and training of apprentices for within 30 miles (50 kilometres) of the ancient parish, similar to a City livery company ,
1972-416: Is also an interchange served by London Overground, Southeastern, Thameslink and Southern, with direct trains to London Victoria station . While Queens Road Peckham station is in-between Peckham Rye and South Bermondsey stations providing London Overground and Southern services. London Buses routes 1 ; 42 ; 47 ; 78 ; 188 ; 381 ; C10 and P12 and night routes N1 ; N47 ; N199 and N381 all serve
2088-645: Is around 50 mi (80 km) and the line is electrified using the 750 V DC third-rail system. The London Victoria to Windmill Bridge Junction section of the Brighton Main Line is 10 mi 2 ch (16.1 km) in length and has nine stations in total. Victoria and Clapham Junction stations are managed by Network Rail and have 19 and 17 operational platforms respectively. The other stations ( Battersea Park , Wandsworth Common , Balham , Streatham Common , Norbury , Thornton Heath and Selhurst ) are managed by Southern and have four operational platforms each. Train services that use this section of
2204-547: Is maintained by both Transport for London (TfL) and Southwark Council. Most routes run through Bermondsey in an east–west direction. Terminus: Fishguard , West Wales Terminus: Greenwich , London Terminus: Galway, Ireland Terminus: Moscow, Russia Terminus: Waterloo Bridge Terminus: Greenwich Brighton Main Line The Brighton Main Line is a railway line in southern England linking London to Brighton . It starts at two termini in
2320-551: Is served by Southern trains from London Bridge to South London , with direct connections to Beckenham Junction , Crystal Palace and Croydon . Rotherhithe , Canada Water and Surrey Quays are all served by London Overground trains. These stations link Bermondsey with Dalston and Highbury & Islington to the north. To the south, Bermondsey is linked directly to New Cross , West Croydon , Crystal Palace, and Clapham Junction . Queens Road Peckham & Peckham Rye stations, just south of Bermondsey, Peckham Rye
2436-545: The Bermondsey tanners . Peek, Frean and Co was established in 1857 at Dockhead, Bermondsey by James Peek and George Hender Frean. They moved to a larger plant in Clements Road in 1866, leading to the nickname 'Biscuit Town' for Bermondsey, where they continued baking until the brand was discontinued in 1989. Bermondsey, specifically Blue Anchor Lane, was also the location of the world's first food canning business, established in 1812, by Donkin , Hall and Gamble. To
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#17328557990442552-728: The Borough of Lewisham . The nearest railway station is at South Bermondsey , which is a five-minute walk away. There are several railway stations in and around Bermondsey. Bermondsey is in London Zone 2, but nearby London Bridge and Borough stations are in travelcard Zone 1. Oyster Cards can be used for travel from stations in Bermondsey to other stations in the London region. The Jubilee line passes through Bermondsey, calling at Bermondsey and Canada Water stations. London Bridge station on
2668-586: The Brighton Main Line onto the London Bridge Up Loop Line, and the signal then cleared. The Connex train, which was approaching from behind, passed a preliminary caution (double yellow) signal then a caution (yellow) signal and then a danger (red) signal. It continued for 283 metres (309 yards) past the red signal until the point where the two lines converged. It was travelling at an estimated speed of 39 mph (63 km/h) when it collided with
2784-617: The East London Line to Dalston Junction . The Thameslink franchise, which included services from Brighton to Bedford, was awarded to Govia in 1997. It was initially due to end in 2004, but delays in the Thameslink 2000 project resulted in the company being awarded a two-year extension to 2006. The new franchise, also incorporating services on the Great Northern Route , was awarded to FirstGroup , which began operating trains under
2900-566: The First Capital Connect brand on 1 April 2006. The company introduced 12-car trains to the Brighton Main Line in December 2011. The South Central franchise was terminated two years early in 2014, allowing Southern- and Gatwick Express-branded services to be combined with those run by First Capital Connect, to create the Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern franchise . Awarded to Govia,
3016-706: The InterCity sector of British Rail in April of the following year. A service from Reading to Gatwick via Guildford and Redhill, later branded the North Downs Line , was introduced in May 1980. A third new route launched by Network SouthEast was the Bedford –Brighton Thameslink service via the Snow Hill tunnel under central London, which began on 16 May 1988. Two major stations on
3132-554: The London Docklands Development Corporation during the 1980s. They have now been converted into a mixture of residential and commercial accommodations and have become some of the most upmarket and expensive properties in London. In 1997, US President Bill Clinton and Prime Minister Tony Blair visited the area to dine at the Le Pont de la Tour restaurant at Butler's Wharf. At the same time more everyday housing
3248-496: The London and Greenwich Railway (L&GR) around 1.75 mi (2.82 km) east of London Bridge station and the L&;CR would have running powers into the terminus. Passenger trains began running on the L&GR between Deptford and its temporary London terminus at Spa Road on 8 February 1835. London Bridge station, the first permanent terminus in the capital, opened on 14 December
3364-621: The River Ouse on 37 brick arches and the shorter Vale Viaduct is 3.5 ch (230 ft; 70 m) long. The first part of the Brighton Main Line to be constructed was the section between London Bridge and Croydon. It was proposed in 1834 by the London and Croydon Railway (L&CR) company. Much of the route, surveyed by Joseph Gibbs , followed the course of the Croydon Canal , the southern terminus of which would be used for Croydon station (now West Croydon ). The line would diverge from
3480-466: The River Thames , opening Victoria station on 1 October that year. Although LB&SCR trains could access Victoria station via Crystal Palace, John Rastrick advised that a shorter route to the West End of London would be "most desirable". The company therefore decided to build a "cut-off" line between Croydon and Balham via Streatham Common. The proposal was authorised by parliament on 3 July 1860 and
3596-535: The Shadow Strategic Rail Authority decided to re-tender the franchise in 2000. In October that year, the competition was won by Govia , which took over the running of trains in August 2001, having bought out the final two years of Connex's contract for £30M. Govia's ten-year franchise formally began in May 2003, when it introduced the "Southern" brand name. The agreement required the company to retire
Spa Road Junction rail crash - Misplaced Pages Continue
3712-542: The West End of London and Crystal Palace Railway in 1848. The Brighton Main Line was completed in December 1862, when the LB&;SCR opened the direct route between Croydon and Victoria via Thornton Heath . The Brighton Main Line is electrified using the 750 V DC third-rail system and the majority of the route has four tracks. There are seven tunnels, including two on the Quarry Line, which allows express services to bypass
3828-566: The railways . London's first passenger railway terminus was built by the London to Greenwich Railway in 1836 at London Bridge . The first section to be used was between the Spa Road Station and Deptford High Street. This local station had closed by 1915. The industrial boom of the 19th century was an extension of Bermondsey's manufacturing role in earlier eras. As in the East End , industries that were deemed too noisome to be carried on within
3944-445: The river Neckinger in the area led to the development of Bermondsey Spa , as the area between Grange and Jamaica Roads called Spa Road commemorates. A new church was built for the growing population of the area, and named St John Horsleydown . It was from the Bermondsey riverside that the painter J. M. W. Turner executed his famous painting of The Fighting "Temeraire" Tugged to her Last Berth to be Broken Up (1839), depicting
4060-537: The 2010 changes). Millwall Football Club was originally formed in 1885, in Millwall on the Isle of Dogs , East London . They retained the name, even though they moved across the river to New Cross , South East London in 1910. In 1993 they moved to their current stadium, The Den . The team has a strong local following, but has never been based in Bermondsey. The stadium lies right on the border of Southwark , but falls under
4176-706: The A2; the A200; the A202. The local authority say that vehicle exhaust fumes are the main source of air pollution in Southwark. Roadside air pollution levels are monitored by the local authority in Bermondsey. Results from 2017 suggest that Bermondsey has some of the highest nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) levels in the Borough. NO 2 concentration was particularly high near the Rotherhithe Tunnel, along Jamaica Road and on Old Kent Road: All
4292-531: The Bermondsey Community Council area. Bermondsey's parliamentary representation has fluctuated with its population. Since at least the 13th century, it had formed part of the Surrey County seat until the 1868 Reform Act when it became part of Southwark constituency . From 1885 to 1918, a separate Bermondsey constituency existed, which included part of the older Southwark constituency. 1918 saw
4408-465: The Bermondsey and South Bermondsey area. Several of London's arterial routes pass through Bermondsey, including: Bricklayer's Arms is a busy road junction between the London Inner Ring Road (A100/A202) and the A2, where routes from London Bridge meet with routes towards the East End , Surrey and Kent . The southern portal of the Rotherhithe Tunnel (A101) is in Bermondsey. The Tunnel
4524-599: The Brighton Main Line and the majority of the Southern Region of British Railways, became part of the new "London & South Eastern" sector of British Rail. Four years later, on 10 June 1886, the sector was rebranded to become Network SouthEast . In the early 1980s, a major resignalling project was undertaken that involved the closure of the majority of the signal boxes on the line and the transfer of control to Victoria and Three Bridges signalling centres. London Bridge panel box, which had opened in 1975, retained control of
4640-435: The Brighton Main Line are: With the exception of the line between Victoria and Battersea Park, this part of the Brighton Main Line has four parallel tracks. The fast lines for longer-distance express services are on the western side of the formation and the slow lines are to the east. In general fast services stop at Victoria and Clapham Junction and do not make scheduled calls at the other stations. The maximum permitted speed
4756-508: The Brighton Main Line in the 1870s and 1880s. Brockley opened on 6 March 1871 to serve a new area of residential development. Norbury was built on a speculative basis, with one third of the cost being contributed by developers, and opened on 1 January 1878. Similarly, the cost of Honor Oak Park station, which opened on 1 April 1886, was also part-paid by developers. On 1 August that year Wivelsfield opened and trains began calling at Coulsdon South on 1 October 1889. The final station to be built on
Spa Road Junction rail crash - Misplaced Pages Continue
4872-439: The Brighton Main Line to be built was the section from London Bridge to Croydon, which was opened by the London and Croydon Railway (L&CR) in 1839. Two years later, a separate company, the London and Brighton Railway (L&BR), extended the line to the south coast. In 1846, the L&CR and the L&BR merged to form the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR), which began to run trains to London Victoria via
4988-501: The Brighton Main Line were rebuilt in the early 1990s. A new circular station building at Redhill station, designed by the architecture firm, Troutham & Macasum, was completed towards the end of 1990. East Croydon station, designed by Alan Brookes Associates, opened on 19 August 1992. The Gatwick Express franchise was one of the first parts of the UK rail network to be transferred to a private operator, when National Express began running
5104-543: The Brighton Main Line. Haywards Heath has four platforms and Preston Park has three. The other four stations ( Balcombe , Wivelsfield , Burgess Hill and Hassocks ) have two operational platforms each. Train services that use this section of the Brighton Main Line are: Between Balcombe Tunnel Junction and Brighton, the Brighton Main Line generally has two tracks, signalled for bi-directional working. There are short three- and four-track sections at Preston Park and Haywards Heath stations respectively. The maximum line speed
5220-579: The Greater London reorganisation of 1965. For elections to the Greater London Council, Bermondsey was part of the Southwark electoral division until 1973 and then the Bermondsey electoral division until 1986. Southwark London Borough Council has divided the borough into a number of community council areas. The wards of London Bridge and West bermondsey, North Bermondsey and South Bermondsey form
5336-516: The Guildford bound train. The driver of the Connex train had already passed a signal at danger without authority on a previous occasion, and was still under special supervision because of this. Following the accident, he was permanently removed from driving duties. There was no history of previous Category A SPADs at this signal. Spa Road Junction is a busy ladder-crossover, located a short distance south east of London Bridge station. It controls
5452-509: The Jubilee and Northern lines, and Borough on the Northern line are also nearby. The Jubilee line provides a direct link from Bermondsey to Canary Wharf and Stratford in London's East End , and to Waterloo , the West End , Baker Street and north west London towards Willesden and Stanmore . The Northern line from London Bridge links the area to Kennington , Clapham and Morden in
5568-478: The Quarry Line, which provides a bypass route to avoid the junctions at Redhill. There are changes in track mileage on both the fast and slow lines to the south of Redhill. The maximum speed on this section of the Brighton Main Line is 90 mph (140 km/h). The Brighton Main Line passes in tunnel beneath the North Downs . The slow lines run through the 1 mi 71 yd (1.674 km) Merstham Tunnel and
5684-654: The SER opened on 26 May 1842. In 1839, anticipating that disputes might arise over the use of the line north of Redhill, parliament instructed the L&BR to sell the Coulsdon–Redhill section to the SER. A price of £340,000 was agreed and the transfer of ownership took place in July 1845. On 27 July 1846, parliamentary authority was granted to merge the L&CR and L&BR to form the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR). A branch line from Sydenham to Crystal Palace
5800-520: The Thameslink train which was estimated to be travelling at around 31 mph (50 km/h). Both trains were derailed and damage was caused to most of the carriages. Disruption was caused to other rail services, although trains continued to run past the accident site on the Cannon Street lines. The emergency services struggled to access the accident scene but eventually 282 people were evacuated from these two trains. Some 200 people from another train
5916-587: The UK, with 48.5 million passenger entries and exits in 2017–18. Services from London Bridge are provided by Southeastern , Thameslink and Southern . London Bridge connects Bermondsey directly to destinations in Central London, including Waterloo , Charing Cross , Cannon Street , Farringdon and St Pancras International . Beyond London, trains travel direct to Gatwick and Luton airports, and destinations including Bedford , Brighton , Cambridge , Dover , Peterborough and Sevenoaks . South Bermondsey
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#17328557990446032-449: The above sites failed to meet national air quality objectives. A monitoring site on Old Kent Road registered an annual mean 22 μg/m-3 in 2017 for PM10 (particulates often found in exhaust), which meets national air quality objectives. Bermondsey is well connected to the London and National Cycle networks, with several signed routes passing through the area. With several routes passing through Bermondsey, cycling infrastructure
6148-457: The area until 2015 when he was defeated by the Labour candidate Neil Coyle . At the 1983 general election that took place several months after the by-election, a new Southwark and Bermondsey constituency was created, becoming North Southwark and Bermondsey in 1997, and in 2010 Bermondsey and Old Southwark (although a small part of south east Bermondsey is transferred to Camberwell and Peckham in
6264-519: The banks of Jacob's Island. Bermondsey vestry hall was built on Spa Road in 1881 but was severely damaged by bombing during the Blitz in 1941. It was demolished soon thereafter. The original vestry hall was extended to create the Bermondsey Town Hall in 1930. The area was extensively redeveloped during the 19th century and early 20th century with the expansion of the river trade and the arrival of
6380-409: The capital, London Victoria and London Bridge , and the branches from each meet at East Croydon , from where the route continues southwards via Gatwick Airport to the coast. The line serves the suburbs of South London , as well as the towns of Redhill , Horley , Crawley , Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill . The distance from the London termini to Brighton is around 50 mi (80 km) and
6496-641: The centuries, Bermondsey underwent some striking changes. After the Great Fire of London , it was settled by the well-to-do, and took on the character of a garden suburb especially along the line of Grange Road and Bermondsey Wall East as it became more urbanised. A pleasure garden was constructed during the Restoration period in the 17th century, commemorated by the Cherry Garden Pier. Samuel Pepys once visited here. A rare surviving building from this period
6612-421: The crossing movements to and from London Bridge (High Level) station, and at the time of the collision in 1999 the line configuration was: All signals in the vicinity of Spa Road junction are 4 aspect colour light signals . The signalling method is Track circuit Block , controlled by London Bridge signalling centre which is located nearby, adjacent to platform 16 at London Bridge station. The Thameslink train
6728-408: The defunct Croydon, Merstham and Godstone Railway in order to use part of its abandoned trackbed for the new railway. The first construction contracts were let in 1838 and the first track was laid at Hassocks on 4 February the following year. The engineer was John Urpeth Rastrick and the stations were designed by David Mocatta . In total, around 6000 navvies are thought to have worked to build
6844-460: The east of Tower Bridge, Bermondsey's 3 + 1 ⁄ 2 mi (5.6 km) of riverside were lined with warehouses and wharves, of which the best known is Butler's Wharf . They suffered severe damage in World War II bombing and became redundant in the 1960s following the collapse of the river trade. After standing derelict for some years, many of the wharves were redeveloped under the aegis of
6960-434: The engineers Robert Stephenson and Nicholas Cundy preferred longer, but cheaper routes via Dorking and Shoreham-by-Sea . The London and Brighton Railway (L&BR) company, formed to promote Rennie's more direct route, received parliamentary approval for its scheme on 15 July 1837. The line was to leave the L&CR about a mile from its southern terminus, to head southwards towards Brighton. The L&BR purchased
7076-473: The entire line was completed on 1 January 1933, when the section between Three Bridges and Brighton was commissioned. A major resignalling project on the southern part of the Brighton Main Line was undertaken in 1932. Colour light signalling was commissioned between Coulsdon North and Balcombe Tunnel Junction on 4 June 1932. Six signal boxes were closed and control of this section of line was transferred to Three Bridges. In October 1932, colour light signalling
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#17328557990447192-437: The excavation of the cutting at New Cross, meant that an additional £216,000 was required. The route originally surveyed by Gibbs was also modified to ease curves and to reduce the maximum gradient from 1 in 80 to 1 in 100. The official opening ceremony for the L&CR took place on 1 June 1839, although passenger trains for the general public did not start until four days later. Since the area between New Cross and Croydon
7308-450: The fast lines pass through the longer, 1 mi 353 yd (1.932 km) Quarry Tunnel. There is one additional tunnel on the Quarry Line, Redhill Tunnel , which is 649 yd (593 m) long. The section of the Brighton Main Line from Balcombe Tunnel Junction to Brighton is 19 mi 21 ch (31.0 km) long. All seven stations on this section are managed by Southern. Brighton has eight platforms, of which six are connected to
7424-426: The fastest end-to-end journey time is about an hour. A variety of passenger services runs on the line, including limited-stop airport expresses, semi-fast regional and outer-suburban trains, and shorter-distance commuter services. These are operated by Govia Thameslink Railway ( Gatwick Express , Southern and Thameslink ) , Transport for London ( London Overground ) and Great Western Railway . The first part of
7540-530: The final slam-door trains, achieved in 2005, and to invest £853M in new rolling stock. The Gatwick Express and Southern franchises were merged in May 2008, to allow capacity increases and better use of train paths on the Brighton Main Line. The new arrangement allowed Gatwick Express services to be extended to Brighton, initially during peak periods, but required the replacement of the ten Class 460s with seventeen Class 442 units. The third South Central franchise, awarded again to Govia, began in 2009 and required
7656-497: The first all-electric Pullman trains in the world. Initially, three return trips ran each day, but the service was increased to four in 1963. The Class 403 sets were withdrawn on 30 April 1972. The Beehive , the original terminal building at Gatwick Airport , opened in mid-1936. It was served by Tinsley Green station, which had opened in September the previous year and which was renamed Gatwick Airport on 1 June 1936. The station
7772-439: The following year. The L&CR was authorised by act of parliament on 12 June 1835 and a second act, permitting the company to build its own terminus at London Bridge, was given royal assent on 14 July 1836. The line between the capital and Croydon was built by the engineer, William Cubitt , and construction began in 1838. The cost of the line was originally estimated to be around £400,000, but difficulties encountered during
7888-409: The intermediate stations have two platforms each, which serve the slow lines only. Train services that use this section of the Brighton Main Line are: The Brighton Main Line between London Bridge and Windmill Bridge Junction has four parallel tracks. The fast lines for longer-distance express services are in the centre of the formation and the slow lines are to the outside. The maximum permitted speed
8004-457: The junction) being at Danger. However the driver did not respond to the signals and failed stop his train at the Danger signal, continuing until his train collided with the Thameslink train at the trailing points. The Thameslink train was an eight-coach train consisting of two Class 319 four-coach electric multiple units (EMUs). The Connex South Eastern was also an eight-coach train consisting of
8120-631: The junctions at Redhill station. The most serious accident on the Brighton Main Line occurred in October 1947, when two trains collided in fog near South Croydon station , killing 32 people. The listed structures on the route include the Ouse Valley Viaduct , the north portal of Clayton Tunnel and all three termini. The Brighton Main Line is a railway line in southern England. It links the capital to Brighton and passes through Greater London , Surrey and West Sussex . It serves Gatwick Airport and
8236-486: The line as far south as Coulsdon North was completed in April 1925, but in August the following year, the company decided that all future electrification projects would use the DC third-rail system and that the existing overhead wire system would be replaced. The conversion of the existing electrified sections was completed in September 1929 and third-rail electrification reached Three Bridges in July 1932. The electrification of
8352-400: The line in the 19th century was Purley Oaks, which opened on 5 November 1899. Work to quadruple the Brighton Main Line continued in the first decade of the 20th century. Two additional tracks were brought into use between Streatham Common and Windmill Bridge Junction (north of Croydon) in July 1903. The line between Redhill and Three Bridges was quadrupled in 1907 and from Three Bridges to
8468-529: The line north of Norwood Junction. Remodelling of Windmill Bridge Junction was undertaken, with the creation of an additional flyover to eliminate conflicting movements between trains on the slow lines. The arrangement of the tracks at East Croydon was changed to route all fast services through platforms 1, 2 and 3 on the west side of the station. Gatwick Express services were launched by Network SouthEast on 14 May 1984 using 90 mph (140 km/h) capable Class 73 locomotives in push-pull mode, each hauling
8584-464: The line: five Sharp, Roberts and Co. and two J. and G. Rennie 2-2-2 engines were used to haul trains and two 0-4-2 locomotives were used as banking engines for the steep climb to New Cross from the junction with the L&GR. In the early 1830s, several different routes for a railway between London and Brighton were proposed. John Rennie the Younger favoured a line via Merstham and Horley, while
8700-660: The narrow confines of the City of London had been located here – one such that came to dominate central Bermondsey, away from the riverfront, was the processing and trading of leather and hides . Many of the warehouse buildings from this era survive around Bermondsey Street, Tanner Street, Morocco Street and Leathermarket Street including the huge Leather Market of 1833 and the Leather, Hide and Wool Exchange of 1878; virtually all are now residential and small work spaces or offices. Hepburn and Gale's tannery (disused as of early 2007) on Long Lane
8816-646: The new double-track line opened on 1 December 1862 with intermediate stations at Thornton Heath and Streatham Common. A further act of parliament was passed on 18 July 1864 authorising a link between the Victoria and London Bridge arms of the Brighton Main Line that allowed trains to travel between Norwood Junction and Thornton Heath without a reversal. Selhurst station, on the Victoria arm, opened on 1 May 1865 and South Croydon opened that September. A third track had been laid between New Cross and Croydon in August 1844 for atmospheric trains . This method of train propulsion
8932-466: The new franchise took the form of a management contract , reducing the risks to the operator arising from the introduction of new services as part of the Thameslink programme. During the lifetime of the franchise, the Bermondsey dive-under was constructed, reducing the conflict between Southern trains departing from London Bridge and northbound Thameslink services heading towards London Blackfriars, and an extensive refurbishment of London Bridge station
9048-607: The next year, following London government reorganisation, this was merged with Rotherhithe and part of Deptford to form, with Bermondsey civil parish, the Metropolitan Borough of Bermondsey . The Borough's first Mayor was Samuel Bourne Bevington (1832–1907), leather producer and one of the area's largest employers; his statue still stands in Tooley Street. This borough was incorporated into the London Borough of Southwark, in
9164-473: The number of signal boxes on the line was reduced and new boxes were commissioned at Balham, Norwood Junction, Gloucester Road Junction and Purley. The South Terminal at Gatwick Airport was opened on 9 June 1958. The new terminal was directly linked to a new railway station on the Brighton Main Line, which had opened on 27 May that year. The former airport station, located close to the redundant Beehive terminal, had closed on 18 May 1958. On 4 January 1982,
9280-530: The operator to increase capacity on its routes by 10% by December 2013. In 2014, 700 more services were running on the South Central network on weekdays than at privatisation in 1996. In May 2010, London Overground began running stopping services on the Norwood Junction–New Cross Gate section of the Brighton Main Line, allowing trains that had previously terminated at London Bridge to run via
9396-504: The priors of Lewes , St Augustine's , and Canterbury , as well as the abbot of Battle . These properties are located within the Archbishop of Canterbury's manor of Southwark , where wealthy citizens and clerics had their houses. King Edward III built a manor house close to the Thames in Bermondsey in 1353. The excavated foundations are visible next to Bermondsey Wall East, close to the famous Angel public house. As it developed over
9512-564: The railway. The line, which required five tunnels and a viaduct over the Ouse valley, cost £2.63M (around £57,000 per mile). Completion was delayed due to bad weather during the winter of 1840-41 and the first section, from Croydon to Haywards Heath, did not open until 12 July 1841. The initial timetable included four trains each way on weekdays between the capital and Haywards Heath, with intermediate calls at Red Hill, Horley and Three Bridges (calls were made at other stations on request). The journey time
9628-468: The remaining stations ( Coulsdon South , Merstham , Earlswood and Salfords ) have two platforms each. Train services that use this section of the Brighton Main Line are: Between Windmill Bridge Junction and South Croydon there are five parallel tracks, but for the remainder of this section there are four parallel tracks. Between Stoats Nest Junction and the south of Redhill station, the fast and slow lines diverge. The fast tracks are generally known as
9744-627: The rest of London poorer in the late Twentieth Century. This was improved in 2000 with the opening of Bermondsey Underground station on the London Underground 's Jubilee Line Extension and the East London Line extension as part of the London Overground . The Blue serves as the central market place for Bermondsey as a whole. Wee Willie Harris , known as "Britain's wild man of rock 'n' roll ", came from Bermondsey and had worked as
9860-538: The seat split between two new constituencies: Rotherhithe and Bermondsey West , both of which were in place until the 1950 general election when the old Bermondsey seat was recreated. In 1983, the area played host to a famous Bermondsey by-election in which Labour 's Peter Tatchell lost the previously safe Labour seat to the Liberal Simon Hughes on a swing of 44%, which remains the largest by-election swing in British political history. Hughes represented
9976-471: The signal at danger although the existing Automatic Warning System was working. Following this and other similar accidents Railtrack was given six months to develop a plan to roll out the new Train Protection & Warning System which would automatically apply the brakes if a train passed a red signal. The Thameslink train had been held at a danger (red) signal until the route was set for it to cross from
10092-514: The slime beneath; windows, broken and patched, with poles thrust out, on which to dry the linen that is never there; rooms so small, so filthy, so confined, that the air would seem to be too tainted even for the dirt and squalor which they shelter; wooden chambers thrusting themselves out above the mud and threatening to fall into it—as some have done; dirt-besmeared walls and decaying foundations, every repulsive lineament of poverty, every loathsome indication of filth, rot, and garbage: all these ornament
10208-432: The south west. Northbound services travel through the City of London , King's Cross St Pancras and Camden Town , towards Edgware or High Barnet . The East London line , South London line and South Eastern Main Line all pass through Bermondsey, providing frequent rail connections to Central London and South East England . London Bridge is the busiest station in the locale, and fourth busiest station in
10324-403: The southern limit of four-tracking at Balcombe Tunnel Junction in 1911. The first parts of the Brighton Main Line to be electrified, were the approaches to London Bridge and Victoria stations. The chosen system used overhead wires, energised to 6,700 V AC, and multiple units equipped with pantographs for current collection. The new infrastructure allowed electric trains to start running between
10440-574: The station offices at Victoria on 12 June 1944. Further bomb damage occurred at Forest Hill on 23 June 1944. Under the Transport Act 1947 , the Brighton Main Line became part of the Southern Region of British Railways . During the 1950s, work continued to modernise the signalling system, which included the installation of colour lights between Selhurst and East Croydon in March 1954. In the same decade,
10556-614: The town in 1933, replacing the previous facility which had been built in 1884. Further upgrades to enable larger volumes of mail to be handled at the station were undertaken in 1935 and 1938. Rail transport of Post Office mail ceased following the opening of the Willesden postal rail hub in 1996. A Pullman dining service between London and Brighton, nicknamed the Brighton Belle , was launched on 29 June 1934. It used five-car 75 mph (121 km/h) capable Class 403 (5-BEL) units,
10672-463: The towns of Redhill , Horley , Crawley , Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill , as well as the South London suburbs. The line starts at two central London termini : the western branch runs from London Victoria while the eastern branch originates at London Bridge . The two branches join at Windmill Bridge Junction, to the north of East Croydon station. The distance from London Victoria to Brighton
10788-600: The trains on 28 April 1996. The company introduced Class 460 units to their services in 1999, although the final locomotive-hauled trains were not withdrawn until 2005. Connex was awarded a seven-year franchise in 1996 to operate passenger trains on the Brighton Main Line as Connex South Central . The company introduced a Gatwick Airport– Rugby service, which ran via the West London Line , and also deployed Class 319 units to Victoria–Brighton express services. Following concerns over Connex's management and performance,
10904-543: The two termini via the South London Line on 1 December 1909. On 12 May 1911, the electrification was extended from Battersea Park to Crystal Palace via Balham and to Norwood Junction and Selhurst on 3 March 1912. During the First World War, the Brighton Main Line was the target of two Zeppelin attacks. The line at the south end of East Croydon station was damaged on 13 October 1915 and Streatham Common station
11020-513: The uninjured passengers complained that the Train Operating Companies had failed to provide support after the crash. He was awarded compensation in a court case but commented "And there I believe the matter will rest until the next rail crash when we the long-suffering passengers should be aware that unless we are carted off to hospital we will have to fend for ourselves wherever we are dumped". Connex Rail admitted that its driver passed
11136-400: The veteran warship being towed to Rotherhithe to be scrapped. By the mid-19th century factories sprang up, most notably Alaska chocolate , Salt, cheese and Hartley's Jam. Parts of Bermondsey, especially along the riverside, had become notorious slums with the arrival of industrial plants, docks and immigrant housing. The area around St. Saviour's Dock, known as Jacob's Island , was one of
11252-458: The worst in London. It was immortalised in Charles Dickens 's novel Oliver Twist , in which the villain, Bill Sikes , meets his end in the mud of 'Folly Ditch', in reference to Hickman's Folly, which surrounded Jacob's Island. Dickens provides a vivid description of what it was like: ... crazy wooden galleries common to the backs of half a dozen houses, with holes from which to look upon
11368-416: Was abandoned by the LB&SCR in 1847, but the extra track was retained to provide additional capacity for northbound locomotive-hauled trains. A fourth track, used for southbound services, was added to this section of line by 1854. Between Stoats Nest and Redhill, the Brighton Main Line was owned by the SER. Congestion at the junctions at the south end of Redhill station prompted the LB&SCR to propose
11484-641: Was approaching London Bridge from New Cross Gate on the Up Fast line of the Brighton Main Line , and had been signalled to cross on to the Up Passenger Loop of the South Eastern Main Line at Spa Road junction. The Connex South Eastern train was approaching Spa Road from New Cross and had received the correct signalling sequence of a Preliminary Caution (two yellow aspect signal) and Caution (single yellow aspect signal) prior to L154 (the signal protecting
11600-458: Was built to Bricklayers Arms and opened on 1 May that year. The South Eastern Railway (SER) company was formed to promote a railway from London to Dover . Under the terms of the act of parliament passed on 21 June 1836, the company was empowered to build a line that left the L&CR at Penge, but the following year, parliament permitted the company to instead form a connection to the L&BR at Redhill. The Redhill to Tonbridge section of
11716-421: Was closed two years later. A station was opened at Stoats Nest (later Coulsdon North) in the spring of 1842 to cater for racegoers at Epsom . Work to widen the shared section of the L&GR viaduct was completed on 10 May that year. The new L&CR London Bridge station, designed by Henry Roberts , opened in 1844. Since the new terminus was not designed to handle freight, a spur line primarily for goods trains
11832-402: Was commissioned between Balcombe Tunnel Junction and Brighton. Haywards Heath station was rebuilt with two island platforms, each with two platform faces able to accommodate 12-car trains. Platforms 3 to 6 at Brighton were also lengthened as part of the same project. Redhill station was substantially rebuilt in 1932 as part of the electrification programme. A new sorting office was opened in
11948-704: Was completed in 1908 and carries vehicle traffic from Bermondsey directly to the East End. In 2003, the Tunnel was rated the tenth most dangerous tunnel in Europe , owing in parts to its age and lack of safety features. The London Borough of Southwark maintains most roads, particularly residential streets, but Transport for London (TfL) manages certain routes: the A100; the A101 (Rotherhithe Tunnel);
12064-461: Was completed. Govia was heavily criticised for the poor implementation of a new timetable in May 2018, which routed additional services from the Brighton Main Line via the Thameslink core. The company was also criticised for its role in the 2016–2019 United Kingdom railway strikes . In 2022, Govia was awarded a three-year extension to its management contract, which took effect on 1 April that year. There are 13 listed structures associated with
12180-512: Was constructed in the areas north of the Old Kent Road, including several council estates. Bermondsey was served by London's first railway, from Spa Road railway station , as part of the London Bridge to Greenwich line, and the junction of lines from Croydon and Kent at South Bermondsey . However, reorganisation of lines and temporary closure of stations left Bermondsey's transport links with
12296-582: Was displaying a green aspect). However the HSE report concluded that the Automatic Warning System (AWS) on both trains was probably working correctly, and that the shock of the collision had caused the electro-mechanical indicator to change. In any case, even if the AWS had given a wrong indication this would not have absolved the driver of the Connex train of his duty to observe and obey the signals. The conclusion
12412-431: Was found in any equipment tested. The investigation of the accident found "deficiencies" in the training and experience of staff in dealing with emergency situations. The cause of the accident was concluded to be driver error due to poor staff training. One anomaly was that the "Sunflower" display in the cab of the Connex train was showing the all-black "clear" indication (meaning that the last signal which had been passed
12528-520: Was hit by a bomb in September 1916. Salfords station was opened on 8 October 1915 initially for the use of workers at the nearby Monotype Corporation factory. It continued to operate as a private halt after the war and was not opened to the general public until 1932. Under the Railways Act 1921 , the Brighton Main Line became part of the Southern Railway in 1923. The overhead electrification of
12644-510: Was in the hands of Robert, Count of Mortain , the king's half brother, and younger brother of Odo of Bayeux , then earl of Kent. Its Domesday assets were recorded as including 13 hides , 'a new and handsome church', 5 ploughs , 20 acres (8 hectares) of meadow , and woodland for 5 pigs. It rendered £15 in total. It also included interests in London, in respect of which 13 burgesses paid 44d (£0.18). The church mentioned in Domesday Book
12760-628: Was opened on 10 June 1854 by the West End of London and Crystal Palace Railway (WELCPR). The company extended its line to Balham on 1 December 1856 and to Pimlico in March 1858. A west–south spur linking Crystal Palace and Norwood Junction stations was opened in 1857, allowing trains from Brighton to reach the Pimlico terminus. The LB&SCR purchased the WELCPR in 1859. In 1860, the Victoria Station and Pimlico Railway constructed Grosvenor Bridge across
12876-466: Was presumably the nascent Bermondsey Abbey , which was founded as a Cluniac priory in 1082, and was dedicated to St Saviour. Monks from the abbey began the development of the area, cultivating the land and embanking the riverside. They turned an adjacent tidal inlet at the mouth of the River Neckinger into a dock, named St Saviour's Dock after their abbey. But Bermondsey then was little more than
12992-516: Was relocated northwards to its current site at the South Terminal on 27 May 1958. During the Second World War, the Brighton Main Line was a target for enemy bombing. Bombs caused damage to the tracks at Norbury on 19 October 1940 and outside Victoria station on 21 December that year. Both London termini were damaged in a raid on 11 May 1941 and a V-1 flying bomb caused extensive damage to
13108-427: Was sparsely populated and largely undeveloped countryside, the majority of passenger journeys on the line were between the two termini. Nevertheless, when the line opened, intermediate stations were provided at New Cross (now New Cross Gate), Dartmouth Arms (now Forest Hill), Sydenham, Penge (now Penge West), Anerley Bridge (now Anerley) and Jolly Sailor (now Norwood Junction). Initially nine steam locomotives operated on
13224-674: Was that the Train Protection & Warning System might have stopped or at least slowed the Connex train down if it had been installed. The Railway Safety Regulations 1999 were introduced in the August, which stipulated that train protection must be implemented throughout the network by the end of 2003. The regulations stopped short of requiring Automatic Train Protection (ATP) to be installed. 51°29′24″N 0°3′16″W / 51.49000°N 0.05444°W / 51.49000; -0.05444 Bermondsey Bermondsey ( / ˈ b ɜːr m ə n d z i / BUR -mənd-zee )
13340-540: Was the arrangement under the Metropolis Management Act 1855 . The Southwark parishes of St Olave's and St John's Horsleydown (the latter a 'daughter' of the former) with St Thomas's formed a parish union ('District Board of Works') known as 'St Olave's' from that date. This was the arrangement within the London County from 1889. In 1899 St Olave and St Thomas's District was created as a single civil parish and
13456-524: Was two hours from London and a coach , taking a further two hours to reach Brighton, was provided for onward travel. The final section of the Brighton Main Line, between Haywards Heath and Brighton, opened on 21 September 1841. The initial service on the whole line was six trains per day in each direction, with most trains taking 2 + 1 ⁄ 4 hours to complete the journey and one non-stop service in each direction taking 1 + 3 ⁄ 4 hours. The station at Merstham opened on 1 December 1841, but
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