Catford railway station

Catford railway station is one of two stations in the London suburb of Catford. Mainly used by commuters, it is in Travelcard Zone 3 and on the Catford Loop Line between Crofton Park and Bellingham. It is served mainly by Thameslink trains between West Hampstead Thameslink, and Sevenoaks. Connections to London Victoria are available at Peckham Rye. Catford is 8 mi measured from Victoria.

It is adjacent to, and on a higher level than, Catford Bridge railway station on the Mid-Kent Line. The two stations are separated by the site of the former Catford Stadium. Interchange on one ticket is allowed between the two stations.

There is only a small shelter, a ticket machine, a few lamp-posts and a stairway on each of the two otherwise bare platforms, unlike the more ornate Catford Bridge station, which has retained most of its original architecture. Each platform has customer information screens.

Services
All services at Catford are operated by Thameslink using Class 700 EMUs.

The typical off-peak service in trains per hour is:


 * 2 tph to London Blackfriars
 * 2 tph to Sevenoaks via Swanley

During the peak hours, additional services between Orpington, Kentish Town and Luton call at the station. In addition, the service to London Blackfriars is extended to and from Welwyn Garden City via Finsbury Park.

1945 derailment
On 23 September 1945, a Victoria to Ramsgate train derailed on its approach to the station, much of it falling down the embankment towards Catford Stadium. One passenger was killed, and many others were injured (the train had been carrying 377 passengers). The enquiry concluded that it was probably caused by an unnoticed track defect that perhaps arose from heavy rainfall in the preceding days.

In the media
The second episode of the 1979 London Weekend Television comedy series End of Part One includes the main characters watching a film called "The Life of Christopher Columbus". In the film, Columbus goes to a tube station and asks for a train to America, but is told he can only go as far as Catford. Part of a modified tube map is shown with the fictitious tube stations Lewisham, Ladywell, Edge of the World and Catford on the East London section of the Metropolitan line south from New Cross tube station. This is based on the main line railway line serving Catford Bridge railway station.

Connections
London Buses routes 75, 124, 171, 181, 185, 202, 284 and night route N171 serve the station.