The Anonymous Widower

A Trip To Bromley

I like to explore and when I saw the Bromley North Branch on the Tube and Rail Map, I just had to visit.

One sub-theme that percolates through this post is that everything I wanted to buy seemed to be unavailable.

It started at the Co-op outside Dalston Junction station, where all copies of The Times had been sold.

I took a train to New Cross station, where the charming newsagent sold me my paper and I had a chat and a moan with a web designer called Ben about the lack of seats on platform C/D on the station to sit in the sun.

At least if it had started to rain, I wouldn’t have got wet!

From New Cross I took a train to Grove Park station.

This Google Map also shows Grove Park station

Note that Platform 1 is to the south side of the station and the Bromley North Branch Line goes out of the South East corner of the map

From Platform 1, I got a train to Bromley North station.

This Google Map shows the station.

It would appear that there isn’t much space to extend the line from Bromley North station.

I then walked down to Bromley South station.

It was a fairly easy walk as it was generally downhill.

My ability to buy a drink was restricted though, as all tables in the sun were busy.

At Bromley South station, i took a train to Victoria.

In the Wikipedia entry for Bromley North station, there is a section called Future Proposals, where this is said.

Proposals have been put forward by Transport for London and the London Borough of Bromley for the Bromley North Line to be extended and connected to either the Docklands Light Railway via a link south of Lewisham, to the Tramlink system from Beckenham Junction, or to an extension of the Bakerloo line from Elephant and Castle. These schemes have not been taken beyond the proposal stage and recommendations are expected to be published around 2017.

Additionally, it has been suggested that the Bromley North Line could be connected to London Overground via an extended service from New Cross, although the problems of line capacity make this seem an unlikely solution.

This map from carto.metro.free.fr shows the lines in the area.

Grove Park station is beyond Sunbridge Park station.

This Google Map shows the two Bromley stations.

Note.

• Bromley North station is in the North and Bromley South station is in the South, as would be expected.
• The only surface routes between the two stations would be through the Town Centre along the High Street or along the A21.
• Building along both would probably be highly controversial and extremely difficult.
• Creating any connection between a tram or train to the lines through Bromley South station would need a lot of land and possibly some demolition.

So I think that it is unlikely that there will be any connection between the two stations, unless it is in a tunnel.

The Germans, who have had this sort of problem in cities like Kassel would probably do something like this.

• Use  tram-trains starting in Platform 1 at Grove Park station, running as trains to Bromley North station.
• At Bromley North station, they would switch to tram operation, cross under the main road at the station and run towards the Town Centre.
• Alternatively, they could cross the main road under control of traffic lights, as is done in Nottingham.
• The trams would run to Bromley South station down the middle of the High Street.

As I believe there isn’t enough space for trams or tram-trains to join the railway to go to Beckenham Junction station, they would probably just go round a loop with a couple of stops to return to Bromley North station.

There is also the problem of building tram-trains that work on railways with third-rail electrification. I believe it is technically possible, but it could be complicated and have safety issues.

Quite frankly, I think it is unlikely any surface transport solution will be added to Bromley North station.

A much better and safer solution could be to use several small electric buses, that shuttled between the two stations through the Town Centre.

April 12, 2016 - Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Bromley, New Cross Station, Trains, Tram-Train