Demolished it may be but Coulsdon North still whispers tales of bustling platforms. It once connected Londoners to the south coast. Imagine it. A hive of activity until its closure in 1983.
Coulsdon North started as Stoats Nest and Cane Hill in 1899. The London Brighton and South Coast Railway or LBSCR opened it. The name came partly from Cane Hill asylum. It also came from nearby Stoats Nest village.
There was an earlier Stoats Nest station. The London Brighton and South Coast Railway opened it in 1841. It closed in 1856. The new Stoats Nest station was the second in the area. Coulsdon South opened in 1889.
The LBSCR built Coulsdon North. It opened with the widening of tracks south of South Croydon. The Quarry Line also opened then. This fast track let South Coast expresses bypass Redhill.
Stoats Nest station had four platforms. Two were on the Quarry Line. Two were terminal platforms. They had through access only to sidings. It served services from London Victoria to Brighton. It was also a terminus for services from Victoria. These went via Streatham Common or Crystal Palace.
The station had a six-road carriage storage area. An engine shed opened south of the station in 1900. It was initially called Stoats Nest.
The Railways Act 1921 ordered a grouping. The Southern Railway changed the station’s name. It became Coulsdon West on 9 July 1923. But this name only lasted 22 days. On 1 August 1923 it became Coulsdon North.
Coulsdon North lost its regular services on the Brighton Main Line. The Southern Railway extended the LBSCR’s AC overhead electric system. It was powered at 6700V. This happened in 1925.
A year later, they announced all AC lines would convert to 660V DC. This was used by the London and South Western Railway. Coulsdon North converted to third rail in September 1929. It was one of the last to move from the old overhead system. The Coulsdon North engine shed closed in June 1929.
Coulsdon North was on the Quarry Line’s fast lane. This caused pathing problems. The route had to prioritize South Coast services. Through services to the coast were withdrawn. The fast platforms saw occasional use for special trains. Smitham opened in 1904. This created three stations in the area. By the 1960s, decline set in.
Only the terminal platforms were regularly used. They served stopping trains from Victoria or London Bridge. Weekend passenger services stopped in 1965. The goods yard closed on 7 October 1968. From May 1970, passenger services ran only at peak hours on weekdays.
The station closed in 1983. This was part of the Brighton main line’s resignalling. The last passenger train ran on 30 September 1983. It was a special to East Croydon. The station and sidings closed on 3 October 1983. The station was soon demolished.
Up to closure, the station had changed little. It had a large station building. There were four platforms. Three had large canopies. A subway connected them.
An archaeological dig in March 1994 found the arched foundation brickwork of the station subway. Small industrial units now occupy the station buildings’ site. The A23 Coulsdon Relief Road was built through the site in 2006. Only the station approach road remains. A few sections of railway fencing mark its former site.
So, while Coulsdon North is gone, remember its story. It was once a vital part of London’s rail network. A bustling hub connecting people and places. Now, only echoes remain.