Hither Green railway station



Hither Green is a railway station located in Hither Green in the London Borough of Lewisham, in southeast London, United Kingdom. Hither Green is a busy commuter station with services to several London termini (Cannon Street, Charing Cross, and London Bridge) and destinations to other parts of southeast London and the southeast (Orpington and Sevenoaks on the South Eastern Main Line, and Dartford and Gravesend on the Dartford Loop Line). It is in Travelcard Zone 3 and very close to Hither Green Traction Maintenance Depot (TMD), Grove Park Traction and Rolling Stock Maintenance Depot, and Grove Park Safety Training Centre.

The station and all trains are operated by Southeastern.

History
Hither Green station was opened on 1 June 1895, by the South Eastern Railway (SER). It was built at Hither Green junction which had been formed some thirty years earlier. Originally there was a booking hall in Springbank Road which was built to serve the St. Germans Estate. The red brick gateposts are still visible outside the site, which was occupied by a timber merchant for many years, but is now being redeveloped for residential use. The original stationmaster's house survives, at 69 Springbank Road. The main station building was built in Staplehurst Road. Since 1974, access to the new booking hall, located between platforms 4 and 5, has been up a ramp from a foot tunnel which runs between Staplehurst Road and Maythorne Cottages.

In 1899 the SER entered a working relationship known as the South Eastern and Chatham Railway, which managed the station until 1 January 1923, when it became part of the Southern Railway. The Southern Region of British Rail was responsible from nationalisation in 1948 until the regions were completely abolished at the end of 1992.

On 5 November 1967, an express train from Hastings to Charing Cross derailed between Grove Park and Hither Green station, close to where the railway crosses St. Mildred's Road. Forty-nine passengers were killed.

Facilities and exits
There are two exits from Hither Green Station: Fernbrook Road and Springbank Road. The Fernbrook Road exit may be used to reach Hither Green village, the 273 bus route towards Petts Wood or Lewisham, and routes towards Lee Green. There is also a passageway leading out to Maythorne Cottages, which links with Nightingale Grove. The Springbank Road exit may be used for Hither Green Lane, and for the 225 bus route towards Canada Water, private hire cabs, and routes towards Brownhill Road and St. Mildreds Road. The exit towards the southeast end of platform 4 is an exit for authorised personnel only via Hither Green Traction Maintenance Depot (TMD). Unauthorised personnel can be fined up to £1000 for trespassing on railway property.

While the station has a ticket office, it is not open at all times. Ticket machines are available at all times at the Fernbrook Road exit, between platforms 4 and 5, and - for the Springbank Road exit - halfway along on platform 1. There is a coffee shop on platform 5, and a newsagent near the main ticket office, but again these are not open at all times. The station also has toilets, which are locked and can only be opened by a staff member during manned hours to travellers with a valid ticket.

Destinations
Rail services operate from Hither Green station to:
 * Lewisham, St Johns, New Cross, London Bridge, Cannon Street, Waterloo East and Charing Cross
 * Grove Park (for Sundridge Park and Bromley North), Elmstead Woods, Chislehurst, Petts Wood, Orpington, Chelsfield, Knockholt, Dunton Green, and Sevenoaks
 * Lee, Mottingham, New Eltham, Sidcup, Albany Park, Bexley, Crayford, Dartford, Stone Crossing, Greenhithe (for Bluewater), Swanscombe, Northfleet and Gravesend.
 * Slade Green, Erith, Belvedere, Abbey Wood, Plumstead, Woolwich Arsenal, Woolwich Dockyard, Charlton, Westcombe Park, Maze Hill, Greenwich, and Deptford.

Frequency
The typical Monday to Saturday off-peak service from the station is:


 * 4 trains per hour (tph) to London Cannon Street, calling at all stations
 * 4 tph to London Charing Cross, running fast to London Bridge
 * 2 tph to London Cannon Street via Sidcup and Woolwich Arsenal
 * 2 tph to Gravesend via Sidcup and Dartford
 * 2 tph to Orpington via Chislehurst
 * 2 tph to Sevenoaks via Orpington

Trains do not operate to and from Cannon Street on Sundays, nor do they operate after 19:30 Monday to Saturday.

Connections
Bus 181 serves Lewisham. Hither Green (Hither Green Lane), Torridon Road, Catford, Lower Sydenham, Downham and Grove Park operated by Metrobus for London Buses. Bus 225 starts at Hither Green (Springbank Road) and reaches Lewisham, Canada Water (newly extended Lewisham - Hither Green). The buses are operated by Go-Ahead London Central for London Buses. Bus 273 serves Lewisham, Hither Green (Fernbrook Road), Lee Green, Chislehurst, Petts Wood and is operated by Selkent for London Buses.

Freight yards and motive power depot
The nearby freight yard is an important strategic location for cross-London freight trains. A former motive power depot opened by the Southern Railway in 1933 was closed in 1961 and converted to the Hither Green Traction Maintenance Depot.