Southern - Bromley North review 1

Grove Park railway station

Grove Park to Bromley North

Dept: Grove Park 11.55  Arrive: Bromley North 12.05

Journey time: 10 mins

Distance:   miles  Weather:  cloudy

Train type: 2 car EMU( double track all the way)

Railway company: South Eastern

Frequency of trains - one every half hour

Grove Park is on the mainline from London to Ashford and has plenty of express trains passing through its five platforms. The train to Bromley waits in platform 1 which is "cut off" from the other platforms by a set of railings, which almost hide it from the other trains. It is a shuttle train that runs up and down the double track, having a steady stream of passengers all through the day. My train leaves its bay right on time and pulls away in a southeasterly direction, leaving the mainline on the left straightaway. Soon we are looking down to houses on the left below us and to houses on the right above us! Then we pass allotments on the left and some high-rise blocks of flats on the right. We then enter a short cutting before stopping at Sundridge Park, the only station on the route. It has its original yellow brick station building on the western platform. We stay in the cutting for a little while more, before emerging to a sight of terraced houses on the right and office buildings on the left. We slowly come into Bromley North station which has two platforms, covered by a large canopy. As you leave the platform area you enter a small courtyard, which has a café and a coin/medal shop in its precincts.

Summary: A short but busy branch line in the London suburbs, which will always be busy. MC