Mitcham Eastfields railway station


Mitcham Eastfields is a railway station in London, United Kingdom, which opened on 2 June 2008. The station is located at Eastfields Road level crossing, in an area previously poorly served by public transport. The nearest station was Mitcham Junction, which along with Mitcham tram stop, was over from the district. It is in fare zone 3.

History

Proposals for the station have apparently existed since the 1930s. Planning permission was granted by the London Borough of Merton in August 2007. Construction started in October 2007. Following consultation, there were hopes to have the station open by December 2007.
The opening was originally scheduled for 19 May 2008 but that date was subsequently put back because Network Rail did not feel the station would be ready until early June. The opening was then planned for the morning of Monday 2 June 2008, but in the event it was delayed till the afternoon by safety inspections. It finally opened at 16:00 and the first train called at 16:11.

Design

The station cost £6 million, and was the second station to be built to a modular design developed by Network Rail, which is also used at Corby railway station and Greenhithe railway station which was the first to be constructed. The platforms are long, with a building on the up platform. Each platform is situated downstream of the level crossing, allowing the crossing to be reopened while trains are stopped at the station, minimising the disruption to road traffic. However this means that passengers must cross Eastfields Road if they wish to purchase a ticket on the northbound side and then travel southbound. The footbridge on the southbound side only allows safe movement over the railway and not the road.

Services

operates northbound services to London Victoria and southbound services to Epsom. Thameslink run a figure of six service, running northbound to Luton and southbound to Sutton.
In peak hours, trains run northbound to London Bridge and southbound to Dorking and Horsham.
This station is an interchange for those wishing to connect from Southern destinations served on northbound London Victoria services, such as Balham to London Bridge linked stations such as Tulse Hill.

Connections

routes 152 and 463 serve the station.