Battersea Park railway station

Battersea Park is a suburban railway station in the London Borough of Wandsworth, formerly known as York Road. It is situated at the junction of the South London Line and the Brighton Main Line between Victoria and Clapham Junction. It is close to Battersea Park, and is not far from Battersea Power Station. Few trains stop at Battersea Park due to the larger station at being in close proximity to the station.

Description
The station has an attractive polychrome brick Venetian Gothic facade. Access to the 5 platforms is via steep wooden staircases, and are unusable by infirm or physically disabled passengers. Platform 1 is made completely from wood and ceased to be used from December 2012, while Platform 5 is rarely used, with through services passing towards Clapham Junction. It is a Grade 2 listed building.

History
The London Brighton and South Coast Railway opened a new high level line between Pouparts Junction and Battersea Pier Junction 1 May 1867 as a means of reducing congestion at Stewarts Lane. York Road (Battersea) station was opened at this time. The station was renamed Battersea Park and York Road 1 January 1877 and Battersea Park 1 June 1885.

The South London line through the station to London Bridge were electrified in 1907, and those to Crystal Palace in 1910 by means of the LB&SCR 'Elevated Electric' overhead system.

At the end of August 2009, electronic ticket gates were installed and are now in use. There is some staffing provision but the station will be fully staffed from first to last train as part of the new Southern Franchise stating in September 2009.

With the redevelopment of Battersea Power Station into "The Power Station London", the railway station is due a complete refurbishment.

Services
Services are operated by Southern and London Overground. Queenstown Road (Battersea) is around the corner, within easy walking distance and provides access to South West Trains services, though transfer at Clapham Junction is more common.

The typical off peak service is (tpd trains per day) (tph trains per hour)
 * 10 trains per hour (tph) to London Victoria
 * 6 tph to Sutton
 * One of these trains continues to Epsom
 * Another of these trains continues to Epsom Downs
 * 2 tph to Caterham
 * 2 tph to London Bridge
 * 1 tpd to Highbury & Islington

Until December 2012 Southern operated a twice hourly service from London Victoria to London Bridge via Denmark Hill. This ceased when London Overground's Clapham Junction to Dalston Junction service commenced. London Overground commenced operating one early morning service from and a late night service to Battersea Park in December 2012, being the 22:17 from Highbury & Islington, arriving at 22:59, and the 6:18 to Highbury & Islington.

Accidents
On 24 December 1881, a train hauled by LBSC Terrier No.70 Poplar collided with the rear of the 11:35pm from London Bridge due to a fogman's error.

On 2 April 1937, two electric passenger trains collided just south of the station; ten people were killed and seventeen seriously injured. The signalman at Battersea Park, believing there to be a fault with his equipment, overrode the electrical interlocking and allowed the second train into the occupied section.

Motive Power Depots
The West End of London and Crystal Palace Railway opened an engine shed off what is now Prince of Wales Drive 29 March 1858. It was closed in 1877.

The London Brighton and South Coast Railway built a roundhouse a few yards north of the station at the lower level in 1869. This was extended with a second adjoining roundhouse in 1870 and a third in 1889. The depot closed 15 July 1934, but remained in use as a road transport depot until demolished in 1986.