Abbey Wood railway station

Abbey Wood is a major National Rail and Elizabeth line interchange station in Abbey Wood, south-east London, England. It lies between Template:Stnlnk and Template:Stnlnk on the North Kent Line, Template:Convert from Template:Rws. Services run via the Greenwich and Lewisham routes into central London, while Elizabeth line services operate to Template:Rws, Heathrow Airport and Template:Rws via Template:Rws and Template:Rws. It is in London fare zone 4.

The station is managed by Transport for London and served by Southeastern, Thameslink and the Elizabeth line.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It is the nearest station to Thamesmead, linked by local bus services. The station entrance is located within the London Borough of Bexley, while the platforms are in the Royal Borough of Greenwich.

History

Station platforms in 2006, looking eastbound

Abbey Wood station opened on 30 July 1849 under the South Eastern Railway.<ref name="kentrail">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 1899 it came under the control of the South Eastern and Chatham Railway, before becoming part of the Southern Railway at the 1923 grouping. Following nationalisation in 1948 it was operated by the Southern Region of British Railways, and later by Network SouthEast until the privatisation of British Rail.

During the 1860s, William Morris regularly travelled from Abbey Wood to his home, Red House in Bexleyheath, often with guests from the Arts and Crafts movement.

The station was equipped with the APTIS ticketing system by November 1986, making it among the first in the country to use the technology.Template:Citation needed

In the 2000s, the station was identified as an interchange on the planned Greenwich Waterfront Transit, but the project was cancelled in 2009 due to funding constraints.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Elizabeth line

An Elizabeth line Class 345 (left) alongside a Thameslink Class 700 at Abbey Wood in 2022

Abbey Wood is the eastern terminus of one of the two Elizabeth line branches. It provides an interchange between the Elizabeth line and national rail services on the North Kent line.

Station buildings

Construction of the new station, 2017

The original 1849 station was a brick building typical of the South Eastern Railway, with metal platform canopies.

The station has been rebuilt twice in the last 50 years.<ref name="kentrail" /> A replacement station opened in 1987.Template:Cn This was itself demolished in 2014 to make way for the current station, built by Network Rail for Crossrail. The new station opened on 23 October 2017,<ref name="New Station Opening">Template:Cite news</ref> designed by architects Fereday Pollard. It provides step-free access throughout and an integrated bus interchange on Harrow Manorway.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Passenger volume

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CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Year	Entries and exits
2019–20	3,825,206
2020–21	1,412,638
2021–22	2,638,456
2022–23	7,118,664

Services

Southeastern and Thameslink

Services are operated using Classes Template:Brc, Template:Brc, Template:Brc, Template:Brc and Template:Brc electric multiple units.

The typical off-peak service is:<ref>Template:NRtimes</ref>

• 4 Template:Abbr to London Cannon Street (2 via Template:Stn, 2 via Template:Stn)
• 2 tph to Template:Stnlnk via Greenwich
• 2 tph to Template:Stnlnk, returning to Cannon Street via Template:Stnlnk and Lewisham
• 2 tph to Template:Stnlnk
• 2 tph to Template:Stnlnk via Template:Stnlnk

Elizabeth line

Services are operated using Template:Brc electric multiple units.

The typical off-peak service is:<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

• 4 tph to Template:Stnlnk (2 continuing to Template:Stnlnk)
• 4 tph to Template:Stnlnk

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Connections

Abbey Wood is served by several London Buses routes, including night service N1.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Future

London Overground

An extension of the London Overground from Barking across the Thames to Thamesmead and Abbey Wood was proposed in 2015.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The section from Barking to Barking Riverside opened in 2022,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> but further extension is not currently planned.

Instead, in 2019, Transport for London and the Greater London Authority proposed a Docklands Light Railway extension to Thamesmead and Abbey Wood, citing higher benefits, lower cost and more suitable gradients for Thames crossing compared to an Overground link.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Elizabeth line

Safeguarding exists for an eastward extension from Abbey Wood towards Gravesend and Hoo Junction.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Proposals have also been made to extend services to Template:Stnlnk, though capacity constraints on existing lines present challenges.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

References

Bibliography

• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite book

External links

• Image of the remodelled station exterior at Crossrail, London
• Fereday Pollard – Abbey Wood station project
• Abbey Wood station on navigable Ordnance Survey map