South Central Rail Services

The geology of South London made tunnelling for the underground very difficult which means Sydenham has to rely on suburban trains for fast access to Central London. Sydenham has three stations on three different lines:

Sydenham is the main station at the junction of Sydenham Road and Kirkdale and is 15 minutes from London Bridge with links to Charing Cross and the City. The trains operate a 10 minute frequency into London. Trains stop at Forest Hill, Honor Oak, Brockley and New Cross Gate (connecting to the East London Line). Southbound trains route to East Croydon for Caterham, West Croydon and up to two trains an hour loop round via Crystal Palace and Clapham Junction to London Victoria. In the evening the service is reduced to half hourly and can be overcrowded and uncomfortable. This line was laid over the route of old Canal and was, for a brief Victorian time, an experimental' pneumatic railway powerecd by a vacuum created by the Forest Hill pumping stations.

Sydenham Station looking towards Forest Hill on a busy Sunday lunchtime.

Lower Sydenham is off Kangley Bridge Road at Bell Green. Trains run four times an hours weekdays to London Bridge taking 19 minutes.

Sydenham Hill is 'over the hill' on the toll road down to Dulwich College and Village. Trains usually run half hourly from Penge East (serving the Newlands Road area of Sydenham) to London Victoria taking 13 minutes. This line also carries the EuroStar trains to Paris & Brussels from Waterloo

Penge East looking towards the tunnel under Lawrie Park to Sydenham Hill. Just before the tunnel is the bridge carrying the London Bridge to East Croydon mainline between Sydenham & Penge West stations.

For train times click here to go to the National Rail website.