East Croydon: Network Rail purchase derelict Royal Mail depot adjacent to station

[mirodo]

The old Royal Mail building and Volkswagen site next to East Croydon Station have been bought by Network Rail, as part of plans, as they put it, “to unblock the London-to-Brighton railway bottleneck”.

The former sorting office site has had planning permission for a mixed used development, including more than 200 flats, since 2015. But, as with so many schemes around Croydon, the Hyde Group, the developers who originally acquired the site from Royal Mail, have failed to progress with their scheme.

Network Rail’s purchase of the building opens the way for two new platforms to be built at the busy commuter hub, and for the possibility of demolishing the “Bridge to Nowhere” and building over the railway tracks to the north of the station

https://insidecroydon.com/2019/03/29/network-rail-buys-derelict-royal-mail-depot-at-east-croydon/

https://goo.gl/maps/HyFx2QBNvxR2

"Network Rail’s purchase of the building opens the way for two new platforms to be built at the busy commuter hub, and for the possibility of demolishing the “Bridge to Nowhere” and building over the railway tracks to the north of the station"

How does this work? Surely the depot is in the wrong position (too far to the east?) for the new platforms? I thought they were intend to go to the west of the existing platforms 1 & 2, where space for them was left when the footbridge was constructed?

 

[yorksrob]

It looks as though the original developers have been sidelined by the law of "p*** or get off the pot".

 

[Mikey C]

Good news, even if nothing happens soon at least the work can happen at some point

 

[hwl]

https://insidecroydon.com/2019/03/29/network-rail-buys-derelict-royal-mail-depot-at-east-croydon/

https://goo.gl/maps/HyFx2QBNvxR2

"Network Rail’s purchase of the building opens the way for two new platforms to be built at the busy commuter hub, and for the possibility of demolishing the “Bridge to Nowhere” and building over the railway tracks to the north of the station"

How does this work? Surely the depot is in the wrong position (too far to the east?) for the new platforms? I thought they were intend to go to the west of the existing platforms 1 & 2, where space for them was left when the footbridge was constructed?

Exactly it isn't for track or platforms.

The Station will be moving further North with CARS so decent entrance not on the weak over-bridge deck (the entrance building roof is suspended from either side of the track) and being able to move the current Taxi rank would be good.

It also allow a decent laydown area for station construction that can later be redeveloped into high rise post construction.

 

[felixthebadger]

The other site it mentions is the VW van franchise, SMG. That is a very large plot looking on Google Earth. The entrance is in Landsdowne Road.

 

[westcoaster]

They have already cleared one plot of land just south off SMG, i guess this was purchased then cleared.

 

[hwl]

They have already cleared one plot of land just south off SMG, i guess this was purchased then cleared.

Some of it next to the NR engineering area south of SMG might just have been leased (former goods yard).

(2 plots nearer Windmill Bridge already purchased a while ago)