Did Gatwick Express close Coulsdon North?

[MidnightFlyer]

I have heard that when the GX was first introduced, the 4 clear paths in each direction it needed via the Quarry Lines forced Coulsdon North's closure. I know that since the 1970s the designated Fasts have been rerouted via the Quarry Lines rather than via Redhill. Is this what killed it off the station instead, or was the station's usage not enough to warrant it remaining open?

Cheers

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Low usage and very poor condition .....

 

[Polarbear]

As I recall, it was closed when the Brighton main line was re-signalled in the 1980's. It wasn't in a very good state of repair when it closed.

However, I think that the main reason for closure was the resignalling, as this created more paths & the trains that terminated at Coulsden South were diverted elsewhere to enhance capacity, (it was an issue even then on the Brighton line). Some of the terminating services were diverted to (what was) Smitham on the Tattenham Corner branch.

Gatwick Express started in 1984. I don't think it directly caused the closure of Coulsden North, but it may have idirectly influenced things.

 

[Greenback]

For a few years prior to closure, wasn't there only a limited, peak hours service at Coulsdon North? Or am I confuisng it with the Sanderstead branch?

 

[Buttsy]

For a few years prior to closure, wasn't there only a limited, peak hours service at Coulsdon North? Or am I confuisng it with the Sanderstead branch?

You are correct. My 75-76 GBTT shows only peak hour terminators.

 

[Greenback]

I thought my 1981 showed that too, but it's not to hand at the moment!

 

[swt_passenger]

Weren't the only platforms in use just before closure off the main lines to the west anyway, ie it was a six platform station?

Also operations north of Stoats Nest Jn were somewhat different before the resignalling, IIRC the fast and slow pairs were the other way round between there and Windmill Bridge at least, but it's a route I wasn't too familiar with back then...

 

[4SRKT]

You are correct. My 75-76 GBTT shows only peak hour terminators.

Ahem! Your 75-76 BRTT......

 

[yorksrob]

Weren't the only platforms in use just before closure off the main lines to the west anyway, ie it was a six platform station?

Also operations north of Stoats Nest Jn were somewhat different before the resignalling, IIRC the fast and slow pairs were the other way round between there and Windmill Bridge at least, but it's a route I wasn't too familiar with back then...

Coulsdon North only had 4 platforms - two on the Quarry (fast) line and two to the West for terminating. The Quarry line was built by the LB&SCR to bypass the section of the Brighton Mainline (between Coulsdon and Redhill) which was owned by the South Eastern Railway (which originally shared the mainline between Redhill and London Bridge). When Coulsden North was opened it was in competition with the (now) SE&CR's station at Coulsdon South on the original mainline (the slow lines) hence why there were never any platforms on the slow lines.

I wouldn't know for sure but I think its highly likely that the need for terminating trains to use paths on the fast line to get to the terminating platforms would have precipitated closure.

 

[swt_passenger]

Ah thanks for clearing that up - I just remembered that there were definitely two platforms off to the side - so thought there might have been 6 altogether at one time, hence the question mark.

 

[Buttsy]

Ahem! Your 75-76 BRTT......

Actually, the front of it just says Passenger Timetable, so PTT!!!

 

[Smudger105e]

I was under the impression that it was closed because of crossing over the slow services to Coulsdon North and the GatEx sevices around the Purley area would have caused major pathing issues.

 

[Buttsy]

It was closed at the time of the Brighton Line resignalling in 1983. Gatwick Express started in 1984. I would say that the use of the station was minimal bearing in mind the closeness of Coulsdon South and Smitham (as was) stations and removing this from the Quarry route would (and did) enhance capacity. The frequency of services on alternative routes, plus a number of peak hour additional services to the alternatives would have meant that it was unlikely that commuters were unduly disadvantaged.

 

[John Webb]

Information on Coulsdon North, including photos before and after closure, can be found at http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/c/coulsdon_north/index.shtml.

 

[radamfi]

After demolition, how long were there only two lines through the area? Presumably all trains had to go through Redhill, didn't that cause significant disruption to service for quite a while?

 

[swt_passenger]

After demolition, how long were there only two lines through the area? Presumably all trains had to go through Redhill, didn't that cause significant disruption to service for quite a while?

Demolition woudn't affect the number of tracks in use surely? They'd just use overnight closures to crane away the big stuff, like they do now - except they'd probably have taken about two nights then rather than six months under Network Rail...

 

[radamfi]

Demolition woudn't affect the number of tracks in use surely? They'd just use overnight closures to crane away the big stuff, like they do now - except they'd probably have taken about two nights then rather than six months under Network Rail...

If you look at the photo post demolition, they removed the track as well as demolishing the buildings. So presumably it took some time to completely remove the debris and put the lines back.

 

[swt_passenger]

If you look at the photo post demolition, they removed the track as well as demolishing the buildings. So presumably it took some time to completely remove the debris and put the lines back.

I think the trackless formation in most of the pictures is between platforms 1&2, but the fast (Quarry) lines went through platforms 3&4, and the Redhill lines would be somewhat further away behind P4. The two pairs of lines are starting to separate at that point, so where they show the fast lines taken from P3 in this shot:

http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/c/coulsdon_north/index42.shtml

then the machinery is on the site of P4, and the slow lines may be over the far left side out of sight?

 

[Bedpan]

If I remember rightly there were a number of carriage sidings there too, accessed beyond the terminal platforms, it could well have been them that kept the station open for starting/terminating services in peak hours in the station's latter years, and so as others have said, it was probably due to pathing difficulties that the sidings (and so the station) were closed. It was only 300 yards or so away from Smitham as the crow flies.

 

[Old Timer]

The London Brighton and South Coast Railway Company, opened the station as Stoats Nest and Cane Hill. It was provided with four platforms serving both as a through station and a terminus.

Following an accident at the station in January 1910, it was renamed Coulsdon and Smitham Downs in 1911.

The Southern Railway renamed the station Coulsdon West on 9.7.1923 but that name only lasted 22 days as it was renamed Coulsdon North on 1.8.1923.

Weekend passenger services were withdrawn from September 1965 and the goods yard closed in 1968.

Off-peak passenger services were withdrawn from May 1970 and the station only opened from Monday to Friday for the morning and evening peak periods.

Coulsdon North Station finally closed in conjunction with the Brighton line modernisation and re-signalling scheme of the early 1980s