Banstead railway station

London stations| name = Banstead |
| start=1865 | platforms=1
raillowexits0405 = 93,069
raillowexits0506 = 96,173
raillowexits0607 = 96,248
railcode=BAD

Banstead railway station serves the one-time village, now extensive London suburb, of Banstead in the Borough of Reigate and Banstead in Surrey. The station, and all trains serving it, is operated by Southern, and is on the Epsom Downs line, part of the Sutton & Mole Valley Line services.

Banstead is situated just 100 metres beyond the boundary of Greater London and since January 2006 has been included in Travelcard Zone 6. The station lies some distance to the north-west of the High Street, on the edge of "Banstead Downs".

tation buildings

The station was opened by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway, as part of the Epsom Downs branch line, on 22 May 1865. The branch was originally laid as double track because of the race traffic, and was electrified on 17 June 1928. In the 1940s the station's name was painted in large letters on the roof, in order to help as a navigation tool for pilots coming in to Croydon Airport. Due to the destruction by fire of the Epsom Downs signal box in November 1981, the branch was singled for most of its length in October 1982, and trains stopping at Banstead now use only the Down platform, where there is a shelter, although the Up platform still exists.

Train services

The typical off-peak service from the station is one train per hour to London Victoria via Sutton, West Croydon and Norbury, and one train per hour to Epsom Downs. After 7pm these services run via Crystal Palace rather than Norbury.

Recently, an electronic display showing upcoming arrivals has been added to the station, although the train station still has no way to sell tickets.

External links

* [http://www.southernrailway.com/route_info/maps/mole_valley.shtml Map includes Epsom Down Line]
* [http://www.wymann.info/EpsomDowns/index.html The Epsom Downs branch website]
* [http://www.bansteadhistory.com/places_az.html#RAI Station name on the roof]

###@@@KEYEND@@@###