Rail upgrade offers a look at Eltham Park station which closed in the 1980s
A £55 million rail upgrade this weekend has seen Network Rail reveal pictures of Eltham Park station which closed in 1985.
The infrastructure company showed a number of pictures of staff working around the old station and platforms. The station closed along with Eltham Well Hall when the current Eltham station opened in 1985 alongside the adjacent Rochester Way relief road.
The current station building remains though not in the best condition with signage falling off:
One side of the former station is in use by Pottery on the Parade, a cafe which offers pottery and painting classes. I’d originally passed this spot a number of times unaware a station formerly existed here and wondered why so many shops appeared to be located in a spot relatively close to the High Street. Seems obvious now.
The other station that closed in 1985 was Eltham Well Hall located a couple of hundred metres west of the current station. It is known as the spot of a rail crash in 1972 caused by a drunk driver. Accounts of the incident show the radically different safety culture back then. Five died and 126 were injured as a 20 mph corner was taken at an estimated 60-65mph.
The extensive work being carried out in the area, which has caused the closure of both the Eltham and Woolwich lines, will be covered in a subsequent post.
I’m running an Easter appeal to help with the site. Info here. Many thanks to those who have helped.
For very many years the only off licence on the large and adjacent Corbett Estate was, in one of these shops as being owned by British Rail it wasn’t subject to the restrictive covenant against alcohol sales which was applied by Corbett. (and I think may now have become time expired)
I think it wa shame to close Eltham Park Station back in 1985 when I was a teenagerand I still feel the same today. This was a nice quaint little Station in the heart of South East London, which was very well used by local residents.. It was also located not far from the lovely Eltham Park.
I like the parade of shops on Westmount Road and have seen many businesses trade from these shops over the years. Many of the business owners where here for years up until their retirements and had seen many changes in the area.
It would be nice to see the old Eltham Station building restored before the UK loses more of its heritage.
With the country’s finance as it is, it wouldn’t surprise me if Eltham Station and the bus station was sold off to developers and the station is moved back to Eltham Park. The existing car park could be used for the bus station instead.The land the station, car park and bus station occupies is relatively large (looking at Google maps).
On a different note, I’ve always wondered why they don’t open a new entrance situated at the car park at Eltham station. It would be so much more convenient to board trains using the length of the platform rather than having to walk so far down it (especially if you’re coming from the east side of the station).
Pottery on the Parade sadly had to close down last year. I don’t think any other business has moved in.