Station code CHE Accessible Yes Address Sutton, United Kingdom | DfT category D Fare zone 5 Number of platforms 2 | |
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Similar Ewell East railway station, Ashtead railway station, Box Hill & Westhumble railway st, Carshalton railway station, Carshalton Beeches railway st | ||
Cheam railway station serves Cheam in the London Borough of Sutton. It is located on the Sutton & Mole Valley Lines section from Sutton to Epsom with trains to London Victoria and London Bridge both via Mitcham Junction and West Croydon.
Contents
History
In 1844 Cheam was on the planned route for the London to Portsmouth atmospheric railway. The section of line between Croydon and Epsom was part of the London & Croydon Railway company who promoted the Clegg and Samuda atmospheric principle, utilizing a 15 in (380 mm) pipe. This project failed, and Cheam station became part of the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway on 10 May 1847.
The station is almost 16 miles (26 km) from London Bridge station. Over the years Cheam station expanded, and was rebuilt and the rail bed widened in preparation for the installation of AC overhead electric services, which would have included the building of an additional central platform island. Due to the outbreak of the First World War, the full planned expansion was cancelled and was never completed. Nevertheless, the through lines were still in place until 1978 after the Bognor Regis and Portsmouth express services were withdrawn from the Sutton and Dorking route to serve an expanding Gatwick Airport. The wide space between the tracks still remains and shows where the fast lines had been laid prior their removal. The brick main buildings are on the down side of the station.
Unfulfilled plans
Plans for the Wimbledon & Sutton Railway, to have been operated by the District Railway, were granted in 1910 and included a penultimate station, just north of Cheam Road, Sutton, which was intended to serve Cheam, to the west. This station was not built when the Southern Railway completed the line in the 1920s.
Services
The typical off-peak service pattern is as follows:
At peak times, services also run to other destinations including London Bridge and Guildford. After 7pm, services via Norbury are diverted via Crystal Palace.
Connections
London Buses route 470 serves the station.