Surbiton railway station

File:Surbiton train station.id.jpg

The London and Southampton Railway intended its line to go via Kingston but Kingston Corporation objected, fearing a harmful impact on their coaching trade, and the railway passed about {{convert|1.5|mi|1|abbr=on}} south of the town with the first Kingston station opening in 1838 on the west side of Ewell Road. In either 1840{{cite magazine |magazine=The Railway Magazine |date=July 1958 |page=447 |first=J. Spencer |last=Gilks |title=Railway Development at Kingston-upon-Thames—I |editor-first=B.W.C. |editor-last=Cooke |publisher=Tothill Press |location=Westminster |issue=687 |volume=104 }} or in 1845Chronology of London Railways by H.V.Borley it was resited {{convert|0.5|mi|km|1}} west to Surbiton, then little more than a farm. The Hampton Court Branch was built in 1849, the New Guildford Line which diverges at the same point opened in 1885.

Successive renamings of the station were Kingston Junction in late 1852, Surbiton and Kingston in 1863 when the present Kingston railway station opened on the branch line, and Surbiton in 1867. The station was completely rebuilt in 1937 by the Southern Railway with two island platforms with Southern Railway designed canopies. The buildings were designed by James Robb Scott in an art deco style.{{cite web|url=http://www.scottisharchitects.org.uk/architect_full.php?id=202994|title=Dictionary of Scottish Architects - DSA Architect Biography Report (May 7, 2018, 2:39 pm)|first=David|last=Goold|website=www.scottisharchitects.org.uk|access-date=7 May 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160820103446/http://www.scottisharchitects.org.uk/architect_full.php?id=202994|archive-date=20 August 2016}} In 1984/85 a large mural titled 'Passengers'{{cite web |url=http://www.commissionaportrait.com/media_viewer.asp?id=1119&all=true |title=Passengers - Surbiton Mural by Graeme Willson |access-date=11 November 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721195059/http://www.commissionaportrait.com/media_viewer.asp?id=1119&all=true |archive-date=21 July 2011 }} Retrieved 11 November 2010 was painted in the booking hall by artist Graeme Willson. It has since been removed.

The station had a moderately sized goods yard which was situated on the eastern side of the station platforms. Two additional sidings were located on the western 'up' side of the station and were served by a short loading platform. In addition to local goods facilities, the main yard was also used as the loading point for the short lived Surbiton – Okehampton car carrier service that ran between 1960 and 1964.{{citation needed|date=April 2024}}

The main goods yard finally closed in 1971 with all localised freight operations then being moved to the nearby goods yard at Tolworth on the Chessington branch. The former goods yard site at Surbiton ultimately became the main station car park although some land was also subsequently developed into residential flats. One of the two 'up' sidings remains in place and still sees occasional use with civil engineering stock.{{citation needed|date=April 2024}}

A major incident occurred on 4 July 1971 when a freight train derailed on the points at the London end of platforms 3 & 4. Unaware of the incident, the driver continued through the station with the result that two derailed wagons eventually toppled over south of the platforms and obstructed the down fast through line. At the same time, a down express passed through the station and collided with the derailed wagons at a speed that caused the front of the express to derail and topple over. The leading coach finally came to rest as it struck the road bridge that passes under the line south of the station. There were no fatalities and the cause of the initial derailment was eventually attributed to overloading of some of the ballast wagons in the freight train which resulted in buffer locking when the train initially left Clapham Junction yard that day.{{cite web |url=http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/docsummary.php?docID=1128 |title=Report on the Derailment and subsequent Collision that occurred on 4th July 1971 at Surbiton in the Southern Region British Railways |first=A.G. |last=Townsend-Rose |date=12 May 1972 |work=The Railways Archive |publisher=Her Majesty's Stationery Office |location=London |page=6 |access-date=3 September 2011 }}

In October 2021, Network Rail commenced work to relieve congestion by adding a new deck and staircase to the footbridge at the London end of Platforms 3 and 4.{{cite web |url=https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/our-routes/wessex/surbiton-congestion-relief-scheme/ |title=Surbiton congestion relief scheme |access-date=27 May 2024 }} The work was officially completed on 17 May 2024.{{cite web |url=https://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/stairway-to-surbiton-complete-with-overcrowding-delays-set-to-reduce |title=Stairway to Surbiton complete with overcrowding delays set to reduce|date=17 May 2024 |access-date=27 May 2024 }}

South Western Railway operate all services at Surbiton using Class 450 and 455 EMUs. Until 2022, Class 456 trains were often attached to the latter to form ten carriage trains, but these units were withdrawn on 17 January with the introduction of a new timetable.

{{cite magazine |title=SWR withdraws '456s' following service cuts |magazine=Rail |issue=949 |date=26 January 2022 |pages=10–11}}

The station is served by both inner and outer suburban South Western Railway services.

The typical off-peak service in trains per hour is:{{NRtimes|May 2020|152, 155}}

• 4 tph to {{stn|London Waterloo}} (fast, 2 of these run non-stop and 2 call at {{stnlnk|Clapham Junction}} only) with services from Alton/Basingstoke making an additional call at Wimbledon on Sundays.
• 4 tph to London Waterloo (semi-fast)
• 2 tph to London Waterloo (all stations except Queenstown Road)
• 2 tph to {{stnlnk|Hampton Court}}
• 2 tph to {{stnlnk|Woking}} (all stations)
• 2 tph to {{stnlnk|Guildford}} via Cobham & Stoke d'Abernon
• 2 tph to {{stnlnk|Basingstoke}} (semi-fast)
• 2 tph to {{stnlnk|Alton}} (semi-fast)

{{rail start}}

{{rail line|previous={{stnlnk|Berrylands}}|route=South Western Railway
{{smalldiv|Hampton Court Branch Line}}|next={{stnlnk|Thames Ditton}}|col={{SWR colour}} }}

{{rail line one to two|previous={{stn|Wimbledon}}|route1=South Western Railway
{{smalldiv|Waterloo to Woking}}|route2=South Western Railway
{{smalldiv|New Guildford Line}}|next1={{stnlnk|Esher}}|next2={{stnlnk|Hinchley Wood}}|col={{SWR colour}} }}

{{rail line one to two|previous={{stnlnk|Clapham Junction}}
or
{{stn|London Waterloo}}|route1=South Western Railway
{{smalldiv|Waterloo to Basingstoke}}|route2=South Western Railway
{{smalldiv|Alton Line}}|next1={{stnlnk|Walton-on-Thames}}|next2={{stnlnk|West Byfleet}}|col={{SWR colour}} }}

{{s-end}}

File:File-Surbiton St 2.JPG

The station has four platforms on two islands, all of which can be accessed by 12 carriage trains.

{{cite web|url=http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/service/ldbboard/dep/SUR|title=Live Departure Boards - National Rail Enquiries|last=Thales|website=ojp.nationalrail.co.uk|access-date=7 May 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171031115141/http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/service/ldbboard/dep/SUR|archive-date=31 October 2017}}

• Platform 1: for most services to London Waterloo.
• Platform 2: for some services to London Waterloo, mostly in the early morning and late evening. Non-stopping up trains use its track.
• An additional track for non-stopping down trains lies between Platforms 2 and 3.
• Platform 3: for trains to Basingstoke and the Alton Line. Trains to Woking, the Hampton Court Branch and the New Guildford Line occasionally use this platform.
• Platform 4: for trains to Woking, the Hampton Court Branch and the New Guildford Line

London Buses routes 71, 281, 465, K1, K2, K3 and K4 and non-TFL routes 514 and 515 serve the station.

The station was used for filming of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in October 2007. Filming began in the early hours to avoid disruption.{{cite news |url=http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/1839369.harry_potter_film_on_location_in_surbiton/ |title=Harry Potter film on location in Surbiton |access-date=19 October 2007 |date=16 November 2007 |publisher=This is Local London |first=Helen |last=Husbands |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090122070512/http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/1839369.harry_potter_film_on_location_in_surbiton/ |archive-date=22 January 2009 }}

Surbiton station also appears in Agatha Christie's Poirot: "The Adventure of the Clapham Cook",{{Cite episode |title=The Adventure of the Clapham Cook |series=Agatha Christie: Poirot |network=ITV |date=8 January 1989 |season=1 |number=1 |minutes=38:28}} a TV adaptation of the short story by Agatha Christie and the first episode of the 1989 ITV series. Having been set in the 1930s{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/Agatha-Christies-Poirot-Collection-DVD/dp/B000BAZDKQ|title=Agatha Christie's Poirot - Collection 1|date=21 November 2005|access-date=7 May 2018|via=Amazon|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305000136/http://www.amazon.co.uk/Agatha-Christies-Poirot-Collection-DVD/dp/B000BAZDKQ|archive-date=5 March 2016}} Art Deco period and external shots of Hercule Poirot's fictional residence Whitehaven Mansions being filmed at Florin Court,{{cite web|url=http://www.agathachristie.com/insight/christie-news/2011/06/16/poirots-apartment/|title=Film and TV|website=agathachristie.com|access-date=7 May 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120905232157/http://agathachristie.com/insight/christie-news/2011/06/16/poirots-apartment/|archive-date=5 September 2012}} the station assists in maintaining the authenticity of the programme and was built within a year of Florin Court.

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{{Commons category}}

{{stn art lnk|SUR|KT70PD}}

• [http://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/assets/downloads/Kingston.pdf London Transport Museum: Kingston – The growth of London through transport – with 1875 map]

{{Transport in London}}

{{UK railway stations}}

{{SWT Stations|Hampton Court=y|GuildfordN=y|Woking=y|Alton=y|SWML Local=y|IL None=y|Main line None=y}}

Category:Art Deco architecture in London

Category:Railway stations in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames

Category:Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1845

Category:Former London and South Western Railway stations

Category:Railway stations served by South Western Railway

Category:Art Deco railway stations

Railway station

Category:James Robb Scott buildings

Category:Grade II listed buildings in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames

Category:Grade II listed railway stations

Category:Modernist architecture in London