Brockley Station (BCY)

Address: Coulgate Street, Brockley, London SE4 2RW
Opened: 6th March 1871
Station Code: BCY
Fare Zone: 2

London Overground Line(s) Served:

East London Line

Service Pattern(s):

8 trains per hour to Highbury & Islington
4 trains per hour to Crystal Palace
4 trains per hour to West Croydon

Interchange(s)

Southern

Station History

Although a railway line was constructed through the area by the London and Croydon Railway in 1839, no station was provided here due to the lack of passenger traffic.

Indeed it was not until after the London & Croydon Railway merged with the London & Brighton Railway to form the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway on 27th July 1846 that any plans for a station were even entertained.

Under the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway a major scheme to extend and enhance its lines was commenced, and in 1853 the line through the area was quadrupled to allow an increase in the number of services operated.

At this time, the level of housebuilding in the area had also dramatically increased and this led to the LB&SCR constructing a station on the site, opening on 6th March 1871.

From the original planning stage, the station was only designed to serve local trains via platforms on the outer lines, with express services passing straight through the middle. A Stationmaster’s house and timber station building were erected on the Up direction platform.

No goods facilities were provided at the station, mainly due to New Cross yard being only a quarter of a mile away, although a signal box was constructed here.

The passing of the Railways Act 1921 saw the LB&SCR absorbed with other companies to form the Southern Railway on 1st January 1923, before the Transport Act 1947 saw Southern become British Railways Southern Region as a result of Nationalisation on 1st January 1948.

British Railways embarked on a program to replace the existing semaphore signalling system and on 8th October 1950 Brockley Signal Box was closed as colour light signals, controlled from other boxes were introduced.

Further change occurred in the early 1970s when the (now run down) station buildings were demolished and replaced by the current prefabricated concrete structures.

1982 saw the Southern Region of British Railways sectorised, becoming the London & South Eastern sector, and later renamed to Network Southeast on 10 June 1986.

Privatisation of the Railways following the Railways Act 1993 saw the station and its lines franchised to Connex, who operated them under their South Central subsidiary. A further management change occurred on 26th August 2001, when the new franchisee of the line Govia bought out the remaining two years of the Connex agreement to assume services early.

The final management change thus far happened on 27th April 2010 when London Overground assumed operation of the new East London Line, although services did not commence until the 23rd May.