The Addiscombe Line in south east

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

ran between

Elmers End Elmers End is an area of south-east London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley, Greater London and formerly part of the historic county of Kent. It is located south of Beckenham, west of Eden Park, north of Monks Orchard and east of An ...

(

London Borough of Bromley The London Borough of Bromley () is the southeasternmost of the London boroughs that make up Greater London, bordering the ceremonial county of Kent, which most of Bromley was part of before 1965. The borough's population is an estimated 332,336 ...

) and

Addiscombe Addiscombe is an area of south London, England, within the London Borough of Croydon. It is located south of Charing Cross, and is situated north of Coombe and Selsdon, east of Croydon town centre, south of Woodside, and west of Shirley. Et ...

(

London Borough of Croydon The London Borough of Croydon () is a London borough in south London, part of Outer London. It covers an area of . It is the southernmost borough of London. At its centre is the historic town of Croydon from which the borough takes its name; ...

History

The line was built by the South Eastern Railway (SER) as part of its extensive competition with

London, Brighton and South Coast Railway The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR; known also as the Brighton line, the Brighton Railway or the Brighton) was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1846 to 1922. Its territory formed a rough triangle, with London at its ...

(LBSCR). A proposed extension to Redhill was opposed by the LBSCR, therefore it was dropped. In 1885, Woodside opened. The branch line was

electrified Electrification is the process of powering by electricity and, in many contexts, the introduction of such power by changing over from an earlier power source. The broad meaning of the term, such as in the history of technology, economic history ...

by the Southern Railway (SR) in February 1926 at 660 V (later 750 V) DC third rail. The line between Woodside and

Selsdon Selsdon is an area in South-East London, England, located in the London Borough of Croydon, in the ceremonial county of Greater London. Prior to 1965 it was in the historic county of Surrey. It is located south of Coombe and Addiscombe, west o ...

reopened in 1935 with the electrification. All services started or terminated at a London terminus until the Second World War, when a shuttle to Elmers End commenced. Through weekday trains were reinstated in 1948, but passenger traffic was starting to decline. In 1983, the line from Woodside to Selsdon was closed and the following year Woodside signal box was abolished. By the early 1990s the line went into decline, starting with the closure of the carriage depot at Addiscombe in 1993. Shortly afterwards, the stations at Addiscombe and Woodside became unstaffed. In 1996, the line was reduced from double to single track following Addiscombe signal box being destroyed by fire. The line permanently closed in 1997 for

Tramlink London Trams, previously Tramlink and Croydon Tramlink, is a light rail tram system serving Croydon and surrounding areas in South London, England. It began operation in 2000, the first tram system in the London region since 1952. It is manage ...

construction from Elmers End and

Beckenham Junction Beckenham Junction is the main railway and tram station in Beckenham in the London Borough of Bromley, south London. The railway stop is on the Chatham Main Line, down the line from and situated between and . The tram stop is one of the east ...

Wimbledon Wimbledon most often refers to: * Wimbledon, London, a district of southwest London * Wimbledon Championships, the oldest tennis tournament in the world and one of the four Grand Slam championships Wimbledon may also refer to: Places London * ...

via the

West Croydon to Wimbledon Line West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some ...

, also an under-used line which closed on the same day as the Addiscombe line. The track was removed in 1998 and Addiscombe station was demolished in 2001. The route between Woodside and Addiscombe has now become

Addiscombe Railway Park Addiscombe Railway Park, also known as the Addiscombe Linear Park, is a park in Addiscombe, South London, managed by the London Borough of Croydon. The first section of the park was opened on 26 May 2007, with the second stage opened on 15 Ma ...

and the site of Addiscombe station has become the East India Way housing development.

References

Transport in the London Borough of Croydon Closed railway lines in London Railway lines closed in 1997 Standard gauge railways in England {{England-rail-transport-stub