Bexley railway station

(Redirected from Bexley derailment)

Bexley railway station is in the London Borough of Bexley in south-east London, in Travelcard Zone 6. It is 13 miles 69 chains (22.3 km) down the line from London Charing Cross. The station, and all trains serving it, is operated by Southeastern.

Bexley National Rail
Bexley is located in Greater London
Bexley
Bexley
Location of Bexley in Greater London
LocationBexley
Local authorityLondon Borough of Bexley
Managed bySoutheastern
Station codeBXY
DfT categoryD
Number of platforms2
Fare zone6
National Rail annual entry and exit
2018–19Increase 1.302 million[1]
2019–20Increase 1.310 million[1]
2020–21Decrease 0.303 million[1]
2021–22Increase 0.768 million[1]
2022–23Increase 0.954 million[1]
Key dates
1 September 1866Opened
Other information
External links
WGS8451°26′25″N 0°08′52″E / 51.4403°N 0.1479°E / 51.4403; 0.1479
 London transport portal

Trains from the station run eastbound to Dartford and Gravesend and westbound to London Charing Cross via Lewisham.

It was the scene of the Bexley derailment in 1997 when a freight train derailed very near the station.

History edit

 
Bexley Station in 1961

Bexley station was opened in September 1866. It had five sidings on the down side, to the west of the station building with a row of coal stacks. Farm produce formed much of the goods traffic in the station's early years, much of it grown in local fields. The station had an SER-designed two-storey timber signal box which came into use about twenty years after the station opened. In 1955 the platforms were extended to accommodate ten carriage trains. The goods sidings closed in 1963 and the signal box closed in 1970. The clapboard buildings of the original station are well preserved.[2][3]

The station will have a new footbridge and lifts added during 2023[4]

Bexley derailment edit

The Bexley derailment was an accident which occurred on 4 February 1997 when an eastbound EWS freight train derailed near to Bexley station on the Dartford Loop Line.[5] Railtrack plc, SEIMCL and STRCL were each convicted of various offences under section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 resulting in fines totalling £150,000 and £41,768. In his sentencing remarks, the judge said that it "was merciful that nobody was killed although four people were injured". The Inspectorate report describes it as "fortunate" that nobody was killed. The primary cause of the accident was found to be very poor track maintenance, contributed to by an overloaded wagon.

Location edit

Bexley station is at the heart of Bexley Town centre (known as Bexley Village).

Facilities edit

 
The subway between the two platforms

A subway links the two platforms. The station has ticket gates. There is a 259-space car park.

Services edit

 
Station building of Bexley

All services at Bexley are operated by Southeastern using Class 376, 465, 466 and 707 EMUs.

The typical off-peak service in trains per hour is:[6]

During the peak hours, the station is served by an additional half-hourly circular service to and from London Cannon Street via Lewisham in the clockwise direction and Woolwich Arsenal and Greenwich in the anticlockwise direction.

The station is served by a single early morning service to London Blackfriars.

Preceding station   National Rail Following station
Albany Park or Sidcup   Southeastern
  Crayford

Connections edit

London Buses routes 132 and 229 and night route N21 serve the station.

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e "Estimates of station usage". Rail statistics. Office of Rail Regulation. Please note: Some methodology may vary year on year.
  2. ^ "Bexley".
  3. ^ London Suburban Railways - Lewisham to Dartford by Vic Mitchell and Keith Smith (Middleton Press 1991)
  4. ^ "Bexley station getting step-free access". ianVisits. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
  5. ^ Railway Accident at Bexley: A Report into the Derailment of a Freight Train at Bexley on the Dartford Loop line of Railtrack Southern Zone on 4 February 1997 Railways Archive; retrieved 21 April 2017
  6. ^ Table 200 National Rail timetable, May 2023

External links edit