Mitcham Eastfields | |
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Station building, to the north of the level crossing on Eastfields Road (platforms staggered)
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Location of Mitcham Eastfields in Greater London
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Location | Eastfields and Mitcham |
Local authority | London Borough of Merton |
Managed by | Southern |
Station code | MTC |
DfT category | E |
Number of platforms | 2 |
Accessible | Yes |
Fare zone | 3 |
National Rail annual entry and exit | |
2011–12 | 0.620 million |
2012–13 | 0.751 million |
2013–14 | 0.862 million |
2014–15 | 0.922 million |
2015–16 | 1.539 million |
Railway companies | |
Original company | Network Rail |
Key dates | |
2 June 2008 | Opened |
Other information | |
Lists of stations | |
External links | |
WGS84 | 51°24′28″N 0°09′17″W / 51.4077°N 0.1547°WCoordinates: 51°24′28″N 0°09′17″W / 51.4077°N 0.1547°W |
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Mitcham Eastfields (initially known as Eastfields during planning and construction) is a railway station in London, United Kingdom, which opened on 2 June 2008. The station is located at Eastfields Road level crossing, in an area previously poorly served by public transport. The nearest station was Mitcham Junction, which along with Mitcham tram stop, was over 1 mile (1.6 km) from the district. It is in fare zone 3.
Proposals for the station have apparently existed since the 1930s. Planning permission was granted by the London Borough of Merton in August 2007. Construction started in October 2007. Following consultation, there were hopes to have the station open by December 2007.
The opening was originally scheduled for 19 May 2008 but that date was subsequently put back because Network Rail did not feel the station would be ready until early June. The opening was then planned for the morning of Monday 2 June, but in the event it was delayed till the afternoon by safety inspections. It finally opened at 16:00 and the first train called at 16:11.
The station cost £6m, and was the second station to be built to a modular design developed by Network Rail, which is also used at Corby railway station and Greenhithe railway station which was the first to be constructed. The platforms are 170 m long, with a building on the up (northbound) platform. The platforms are arranged so that each is situated beyond the level crossing in the direction of travel, allowing the crossing to be reopened while trains are stopped at the station, minimising the disruption to road traffic. However this means that passengers must cross Eastfields Road (no controlled crossing at present) if they wish to purchase a ticket on the northbound side and then travel southbound. The footbridge on the southbound side only allows safe movement over the railway and not the road.
Mitcham Eastfields station is served by Southern trains to and from Victoria, and by Thameslink trains on the Sutton Loop Line. The current journey time on this line between Mitcham Junction station and Streatham is six minutes. London Victoria can be reached in approximately 19 minutes.