Camberwell Station could be reopened after 100 years to solve 'travel misery'

Pic:Camberwell Station has been shut off to passengers for 101 years
Staff reporter(wp/es):
An abandoned railway station last used over a century ago could be reopened to alleviate travel misery for thousands of commuters in south east London.

Camberwell Station, which sits on the Thameslink line between Loughborough Junction and Elephant and Castle, last served passengers in 1916 before it closed amid wartime constraints.

MPs said that reopening the stop, which is now hidden entirely by nature, would be a major boost for residents who “have suffered poor transport links for years”.

Harriet Harman (for Camberwell and Peckham) and Helen Hayes (for Dulwich and West Norwood) wrote an open letter to Transport Secretary Chris Grayling to discuss their proposal.

It reads: “The reopening of the station would come as much needed relief to residents of Camberwell who have suffered from poor transport links for years, especially following the disappointment of the proposal for the Bakerloo Line extension to only serve Old Kent Road, and with the ongoing disruption to Southern Rail services.

“The proposal is supported by nearby King’s College Hospital, which employs thousands of staff and for whom constraints in local public transport capacity create significant issues in getting staff, patients and visitors to the hospital.”

Opened in 1862, Camberwell Station has been shut off to passengers for 101 years and its ticket office has for years been a mechanic’s garage. The platforms are completely covered in bushes.

Ms Harman told the Weastar Times: “This is so important for Camberwell residents who have endured terrible transport links for years, even more so following the disappointment of the proposal for the Bakerloo Line extension to not go through Camberwell, and with the unending Southern Rail misery.”

Southwark Council said it hopes to “work with TfL” on reopening the station.

Former mayor of London Boris Johnson said at a Mayor’s Question Time in 2016 that reopening the station would be “possible” if timetable changes could be made to accommodate it.

Located on Camberwell Station Road, the stop served the mainland City line from Herne Hill to Farringdon Street when it first opened. The line also served another forgotten station, Borough Road, which closed in the early 20th century.

There have been extensive plans to develop the station area into a vibrant cluster of small to medium businesses, making use of the railway arches.

A Department of Transport spokesman said they would not comment on the reopening of the station until plans had been submitted.

“We are committed to improving access to rail services for passengers and are happy to support proposals for new stations where these are viable and deliver the quality service passengers want,” he said.