Location Orpington DfT category C2 Fare zone 6 Address Orpington, United Kingdom Number of platforms 8 | Station code ORP Accessible Yes 2011–12 5.105 million Managed by Southeastern | |
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Similar Sevenoaks railway station, Bromley South railway st, London Waterloo East railw, Otford railway station, Cannon Street station | ||
Orpington railway station is on the South Eastern Main Line, serving the town of Orpington in the London Borough of Bromley, south-east London. It is 13 miles 65 chains (22.2 km) down-line from London Charing Cross and is situated between Petts Wood and Chelsfield stations. It is in Travelcard Zone 6.
Contents
The station has eight platforms. Platform 1 is a bay platform which is rarely used. Platform 2 is used for fast services to Charing Cross or Cannon Street . Platforms 3 and 4 are an island, 3 used by trains towards Ashford International or Tunbridge Wells and 4 by stopping services from Sevenoaks to Charing Cross or Cannon Street. Platform 5 hosts the Sevenoaks slows with platforms 6-8 being bay platforms used by services starting at Orpington towards Charing Cross, London Victoria, Cannon Street and Luton/Bedford. At the country end, the four tracks become two. At the London end there is a stabling and servicing area for trains.
There are two entrances, both with ticket offices and ticket barriers, the main one on the platform 1/2 side (Crofton Road), the other on the platforms 5-8 side (Station Approach and the bus interchange). Access to platforms is via an underground subway (unsuitable for wheelchair users) or via a new bridge opened in 2008 which incorporates lift access to all platforms.
History
The station was opened on 2 March 1868 by the South Eastern Railway (SER), when the SER opened its cut-off line between Chislehurst and Sevenoaks. Previously, trains between London and Tunbridge Wells had taken a circuitous route via Redhill. The line was widened and the station rebuilt in 1904, expanding to six platforms. Third rail electrification reached Orpington in 1925, and extended to Sevenoaks in 1935. About this time the Southern Heights Light Railway was proposed, which would have diverged from the main line south of Orpington and finished at Sanderstead. Crofton Roman Villa was partly destroyed by a railway cutting in the late 1800s but was (re)discovered in 1926 when work was carried out to the area to the west of the station entrance as an entrance to a new council building. Platforms 7 and 8 were built in the early 1990s on the site of former carriage sidings. In 2008, the station became fully accessible following the opening of a new footbridge providing lift access to all platforms. In 2013 the former steam locomotive shed (closed for steam in 1926 in use as sidings until 1960) is still standing converted to offices (sited adjacent to platform 8). In 2014 the car park was rebuilt with 2 stories to increase capacity.
Services
Most train services from the station are operated by Southeastern and link to London at Victoria, London Bridge and Charing Cross. Access to international services for Europe is provided by interconnecting service at Ashford International. The domestic services are operated by Class 375 & 376 Electrostar and Class 465 & 466 Networker EMUs. The typical off-peak service from the station is:
This is supplemented by services to Luton via London Blackfriars in the morning peak, operated by Thameslink dual voltage Class 319s.
Bus connections
The station is served by bus routes 51, 61, 208, 353, 358, 477, 654, R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, R8, R9, R10 and night route N199.