Station code FOH Accessible Yes Opened 1839 Number of platforms 2 | DfT category C2 Fare zone 3 | |
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Similar Anerley railway station, Penge West railway st, Honor Oak Park railway st, Brockley railway station, Sydenham (London) railway st | ||
Forest Hill railway station is a railway station in Forest Hill, part of the London Borough of Lewisham. The station is adjoins a road which serves as part of the South Circular Road (A205).
Contents
The station is operated by London Overground, with London Overground and Southern trains serving the station. Thameslink and some Southern services pass through the station and it is in Travelcard Zone 3.
There are four tracks through the station, although only the slow lines (the two outer tracks) have platforms. It lies on the Brighton Main Line between Honor Oak Park and Sydenham stations.
There are two entrances, the main one being on platform 1 at the bottom of the South Circular Road, and a side entrance on platform 2 on Perry Vale. The ticket office is placed in the main entrance, although there are ticket machines outside both entrances.
History
The station was opened by the original London & Croydon Railway (L&CR) on 5 June 1839, as Dartmouth Arms (the name of the local inn).
The line was also used by the London and Brighton Railway from 1841 and the South Eastern Railway (SER) from 1842. In 1844, the station was chosen by the L&CR as the northern terminus for Phase 1 of an experimental Atmospheric railway to West Croydon. A pumping station was also constructed at the station. The L&CR and the L&BR merged to form the London Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR) in July 1846; the following year "atmospheric" working was abandoned. In 1845 the station became Forest Hill for Lordship Lane.
The LB&SCR moved the Down platform during the early 1850s when the line was quadrupled, and extended the island platform around 1864.
The LB&SCR station buildings were destroyed by bombing during World War II and have been replaced by a more modern system-built structure. The short narrow island platform serving the fast lines was demolished in the early 1960s.
Services
Forest Hill is served by 8 trains in each direction off peak, with additional Southern services at peak hours. Southern operates 4 to 8 car trains throughout the day, with 10 carriage trains at peak hours.
Off-peak frequencies are:
Proposals
In a rail meeting in Sydenham, Southern said Thameslink trains may stop here after the Thameslink Programme is completed in 2018.
Connections
London Buses routes 122, 176, 185, 197 and 356 serve the station.