Kingston (London) railway station

Kingston
Kingston Location of Kingston in Greater London
Location	Kingston upon Thames
Local authority	Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames
Managed by	South West Trains
Station code	KNG
DfT category	C1
Number of platforms	3
Fare zone	6
National Rail annual entry and exit
2010–11	5.276 million[1]
2011–12	5.618 million[1]
2012–13	5.865 million[1]
2013–14	5.987 million[1]
2014–15	6.187 million[1]
Key dates
1 July 1863	Opened (Kingston New)
1 January 1869	Opened (Kingston High Level)
1935	Two stations amalgamated and renamed "Kingston"
Other information
Lists of stations	DLR Underground National Rail Tramlink
External links	Departures Layout Facilities Buses
London Transport portal UK Railways portalCoordinates: 51°24′46″N 0°18′04″W / 51.4127°N 0.3012°W

Kingston railway station is in Kingston upon Thames in South West London. The station and all trains serving it are operated by South West Trains. It is in Travelcard Zone 6.

History

The station opened on 1 July 1863 as "Kingston Town", to distinguish it from the earlier Kingston station (which became Surbiton) on the South West Main Line. It was then the terminus of the London & South Western Railway branch line from Twickenham.^[2] The platforms built when the line was prolonged in 1869 to connect to the South West Main Line were named "Kingston High Level".

The Southern Railway rebuilt and unified the station in 1935. In August 2010 it was refurbished, with the entrance, but not the concourse, moving a few metres to face Wood Street instead of being at the corner formed by Wood Street and Richmond Road, and the independent shop was replaced by a WHSmith and a Costa Coffee shop.

In common with the 16 hourly off-peak closer commuter services to/from London Waterloo calling at Earlsfield railway station (more during peak) and all intermediate London stations all managed by South West Trains,^[3] trains must stop at every intermediate station. There are no fast services available to mid distance destinations, which gives overcapacity towards the more suburban termini due to the longer journey time and overcrowding during the inner city phase of journeys.^[4] This situation can be contrasted to certain other routes to destinations just outside Greater London in certain other directions.^[5] However, due to its location on the Kingston Loop Line, passengers can also travel from Kingston to London via Twickenham.

Ticket barriers are in operation.

Station layout

The two northern platforms are on the through tracks while the third, at the south, is a long west-facing bay which has been used for past curtailments of the Shepperton service and allows reversal of trains coming via Twickenham when there is a closure east of Kingston of either the loop or the main line. Stairs and lifts give access to the platforms.

Services

The typical off-peak weekday service at Kingston in trains per hour is: ^[6]

• 6 to Waterloo, of which:
  • 4 run via Wimbledon
  • 2 run via Richmond and Twickenham
• 2 to Shepperton

Connections

Although no buses stop at the station entrance, Kingston Cromwell Road bus station is 100 metres (330 ft) east and Kingston Fairfield bus station lies 200m (660 ft) to the south past the Rotunda and Old London Road telephone boxes statue. More than thirty bus routes pass through Kingston.^[7]

References

1. "Station usage estimates". Rail statistics. Office of Rail Regulation. Please note: Some methodology may vary year on year.
2. Gilks, J. Spencer (July 1958). Cooke, B.W.C., ed. "Railway Development at Kingston-upon-Thames—1". The Railway Magazine. Vol. 104 no. 687 (Westminster: Tothill Press Ltd). p. 450.
3. Namely:
   
   • 4tph to Guildford (2 via Cobham and 2 via Epsom) (ie excluding the fastest Portsmouth service)
   • 2tph to Chessington South
   • 2tph to Dorking
   • 2tph to Hampton Court
   • 2tph to Shepperton
   • 2tph to Woking
   • 2tph to Waterloo on thh Kingston Loop
4. "10-car SWT hangs in balance". Modern Railways (London): p. 52. December 2010.
5. e.g. New Southern Railway's Tonbridge, Reigate and East Grinstead services which until leaving London only call at Clapham Junction and at East Croydon.
6. Kingston Loop and Shepperton to London Waterloo South West Trains Retrieved 15 March 2013
7. Buses from Kingston, Transport for London, Retrieved 15 March 2013

External links