Clapham Junction railway station facts for kids
South West (Brighton Yard) entrance
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| Location | Battersea |
|---|---|
| Local authority | London Borough of Wandsworth |
| Managed by | Network Rail |
| Station code | CLJ |
| DfT category | B |
| Number of platforms | 17 |
| Accessible | Yes |
| Fare zone | 2 |
| Cycle parking | Yes – external |
| Toilet facilities | Yes – behind gateline |
| Key dates | |
| 2 March 1863 | Opened |
| Other information | |
| Lists of stations | |
| Other websites |
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Clapham Junction railway station is a very busy train station in Battersea, a part of London. It is located on St. John's Hill in the southwest of Battersea. This station is famous for being one of the busiest in Europe, with hundreds of trains passing through every hour!
Contents
About Clapham Junction Station
Clapham Junction is not just a station; it's a huge hub where many train lines meet. It's like a giant crossroads for trains in London. The station first opened its doors on March 2, 1863, and has been a vital part of London's transport system ever since.
What Trains Use the Station?
Almost all trains heading to London Waterloo and many going to London Victoria pass through Clapham Junction. This includes trains from companies like South West Trains, Gatwick Express, and Southern.
Trains also travel north from Clapham Junction along the West London line. These services, run by London Overground, go through places like West Brompton and Kensington (Olympia), all the way to Willesden Junction and Watford Junction.
During busy times, about 110 trains pass through the station every hour. That's one train every 30 seconds! These trains go to many different places across London and the south of England.
Station Facilities
Clapham Junction has 16 active platforms, numbered 2 to 17. Platform 1, which is the furthest north, is not used anymore. However, there are plans to potentially use it again if the East London line is extended to Clapham Junction.
The main way to enter the station is from St. John's Hill. You walk into a long tunnel that goes under all 17 platforms. This tunnel is about 4.6 meters (15 feet) wide. It can get very crowded, especially during the morning and evening when lots of people are traveling to and from work or school.
There is also a covered footbridge that connects the platforms at the western end of the station. This footbridge is only for moving between platforms and does not have an exit to the outside.
The Junction Name
The station is called Clapham Junction because it's very close to where many major train lines join together. Even though the station is named after a "junction," the actual joining points of the tracks have different names. Some of the nearby rail junctions include:
- Falcon Junction
- Ludgate GW Junction
- Latchmere Junctions
- West London Junction
- Pouparts Junction
Images for kids
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A British Rail Class 73 with track workers maintaining the railway in 1986 under British Rail.
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A 1912 Railway Clearing House map of lines around Clapham Junction.
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The subway at Clapham Junction during the night.
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Clapham Junction in 2001.
See also
In Spanish: Estación de Clapham Junction para niños
