The time between Christmas Day and New Year's Day is often referred to as the 'Awkward Week', a period when leftover Christmas dinner becomes a dietary staple and the days of the week blur into obscurity. However, that was not the case for me on Friday 29th December 2023, when I opted to explore the wonders of London's rail network as a freedom from the ennui.
Equipped with a Zones 1-6 day travelcard, I arrived at London's Euston station in the middle of the morning rush-hour. Except, on this occasion, the usual throng of commuters rushing towards the Underground entrance was replaced by a steady flow of suitcase-laden leisure travellers, huddling around the new departure screens with eager anticipation. A people-watching opportunity arose as I indulged in a hearty (and pricey) breakfast, observing, in amusement, a stampede of passengers-to-be suddenly sweeping across the concourse and disappearing down the ramp, a sight perhaps reflected in nature by a herd of buffalos upon sight of a predator.
Breakfast scoffed, I amble down the ramp and espy a London Overground Class 710, opting for a short journey to South Hampstead. Rattling over the plethora of points choking the entrance to the London terminal, the train, which is the only route to operate on third rail at this point, soon dives into the earth, the tell-tale lights of Primrose Hill tunnel flashing past the windows.
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| London Overground's 710377 arrives at South Hampstead |
South Hampstead station is a fantastic spot to observe trains, with the West Coast Main Line nestled in a deep cutting and the Chiltern lines from London Marylebone passing overhead in a brief respite from the twin tunnels that deliver the line through the affluent St John's Wood. After a 40-minute period of filming movements on both lines, I opt to head back into Euston's dreary, brutalist terminus for the next stage of my journey.
The temporary population of Euston's wide concourse had seemingly grown in my absence, as I briskly headed through the crowds to the Underground station. A brief trip on the Bank branch of the Northern Line allowed me to glimpse the new concourse at the namesake station, widened by excavating a new, third tunnel to improve passenger flows.
Emerging at ground level within London Bridge station and strolling through the impressively-repurposed vaults, I found myself dwarfed by the cavernous concourse beneath the platforms, which were seemingly suspended in the air. With a destination selected from the ever-updating screens, I was lifted into the air and delivered onto the platforms.
The distinctive cab of a 'Networker' squealed around the corner and to a stop, inviting me to board and be whisked away. Whilst the Class 465s have garnered fans and cynics alike, their importance to revitalising the railways of the former Network South East region cannot be understated, allowing a withdrawal of the ageing fleet of slam-door stock. Gathering speed along one of my favourite stretches of track, we race a pair of Southern Class 377 units until they peeled off, disappearing into clusters of apartments and offices squeezed into any remaining space the grand viaduct hadn't already commanded.
Just eight minutes later, I alight at St John's, leaving the Networkers to continue to Gravesend. I scope out the station, deeming it ideal for filming more trains. No sooner than I had fumbled around in my rucksack for my camera, a pair of modern Class 707 units descended the incline from Lewisham, followed swiftly by a pair of Class 465s ascending in the opposite direction. It was at this point, I knew I was in for a busy spotting session! Just over half an hour at the station yielded no fewer than 26 different trains, a feat that rarely occurs outside of South London.
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| Train movements at St John's |
Filming was brought to an abrupt halt with the arrival of precipitation, ushering me back onto a pair of Class 707s bound for London Bridge. These units, branded "City Beam" by Southeastern, contrasted noticeably to the Networkers, feeling more modern and spacious, though also lacking some of the more basic facilities, leaving many wondering whether new trains always equate to a step forward. Finding myself back under the list of destinations on the main concourse at London Bridge, it was decided that my next adventure would take me to the pleasant station at Clock House, located on the Hayes branch.
It was an uneventful amble down the branch, solitary passengers boarding and alighting, few looking up from their phones. Clock House was only briefly graced with my presence (for better or worse) as I briskly crossed over to the opposite platform to return back up the branch. The London-bound journey attracted far greater numbers of passengers, families chatting happily with the prospect of an adventure to 'Town', a small group of seniors searching for seats together to while away the journey and one couple playing a game of Jenga with suitcases, opting to perch the bulkiest item precariously on top. It is journeys like these that enlightens me as to just how much the railway serves society, linking communities and people together across thousands of miles of track.
I soon find myself at Lewisham, a station that has relinquished its prominence to scores of newly-constructed tower blocks in recent years. A pair of DLR trains rest in one of the two platforms at street level, a steady stream of prospective passengers rushing up the platform to beat the bell, with mixed success, before the doors closed and we departed.
I had opted for a rear-facing view of this famous network, watching the tracks sweep from side to side, through tunnels, over spectacular bridges and enduring gradients too challenging for conventional trains. Emerging from the north side of the Thames, the train climbs onto a viaduct, neatly executing 90 degree curves as it weaves between the imposing skyscrapers of Canary Wharf. It is here that the train terminated, further passage impeded by engineering work, allowing a rare opportunity to enter the middle platform from the south.
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| The middle platform at Canary Wharf, with the rare crossovers in the middle distance. |
My rear-facing view transforms into a front-facing view as the train shortly reversed direction, heading back to Lewisham. A gaggle of tourists enter the front space, enthralled and unnerved in equal measure by the distinct lack of a driver. Navigating its way back through now-familiar territory, the DLR train deposited me and my fellow travellers back at Lewisham. A well-timed interchange saw me whisked back into central London on my third pair of Networkers of the day.
My third and final visit to London Bridge saw me change platforms once again, this time bound for East Croydon. The heads of a crowd of expectant travellers turned left in unison, rewarded with the sight of a 12-car Thameslink Class 700 train, weaving into the station in a serpentine manner across the rooftops of Borough. Upon absorbing the crowd, the electric multiple unit set off across Bermondsey, rattling over the points around New Cross Gate and racing through the southern suburbs of The Big Smoke. Arrival at East Croydon's airy transport hub saw me scaling the long ramp up to the station forecourt, transferring onto a waiting tram bound for Wimbledon.
Utilising a series of lifted railway lines, the Croydon Tramlink network is perhaps more modest in size compared to its northern counterparts in Nottingham, Sheffield and Manchester, but by no means less transformative for communities along the route. An interesting mixture of on-street running, rural escapades and single-track operations entertains passengers (well, perhaps the more enthusiast-minded amongst us!) on the half-hour journey through south London. The plethora of tracks stretching out to our left signals our arrival into Wimbledon, an important hub hosting Thameslink, SWR, Tramlink and Underground services. Sadly, contrary to the theme song to a popular children's show, there are no Overground services at the station. However, this didn't stop me from wombling freely over the footbridge and onto a Clapham Junction-bound pair of Class 455s.
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| Tram number 2542 delivers me to Wimbledon station. |
The SWR Class 455 is a class of train that has been staving off the prospect of withdrawing its pension for the past four years thanks to an ongoing debacle with its replacement (Class 701), though continues to reliably ferry commuters and leisure travellers alike around South-West London in the meantime, ensuring a punctual arrival at Clapham Junction for me.
Little needs to be said about Clapham Junction, a hub well-known globally for its claim to fame as the one of the busiest stations in Europe by number of trains. Opting to change platforms via the subway to the east end of the station, I am quickly met with the human equivalent of the M6 motorway, hastily seeking new platforms to continue with their respective journeys, tutting growing loudly when one poor soul comes to an abrupt halt to read the destination matrix board, leading to an instant pile-up.
The distinctive descending whine of a pair of Class 377 Electrostar units marks the next chapter of my adventure, this time making a beeline for Hackbridge. After a brief stop at Balham, the train is lifted up and over the Brighton Mainline and onto the eastern part of the "Sutton Loop". Once again, Hackbridge is only briefly graced with my presence as a quick jaunt over the ornate footbridge sees me almost immediately boarding a Thameslink Class 700 unit bound for London Blackfriars. At only eight carriages compared to its lengthier cousins, this variation of the Class 700 is almost comically described as RLU (Reduced Length Units), though I'm sure the North of England would deem an eight-car train as anything but!
Retracing my steps back through the double 90-degree bends at Mitcham Junction and over the Brighton Mainline, the train continues through the junctions of Tulse Hill and Herne Hill, before ascending onto the viaduct and gliding between the glass-clad towers of Elephant and Castle. Our arrival into Blackfriars is heralded by being suspended over the Thames, a flotilla of barges, tourist traps (sorry, cruises) and uber shuttles pass beneath the rails as I look around for my next journey. A pair of Class 465s, unusually using the station in lieu of Victoria, which was closed for engineering work, was too inviting to resist, as I boarded for the short journey back to Elephant & Castle.
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| A Networking opportunity arises at Blackfriars. |
After a short journey back to Blackfriars, I then opted to switch to London's Underground network. Heading slightly below street level, I found myself on a District Line train bound for Upminster. Skirting the north side of the Thames, we gingerly clanked and squealed our way from station to station, depositing a not insignificant number of tourists at Tower Hill in the process. In the rapidly-fading light, our emergence from the tunnels somewhere in east London was not immediately obvious, trading the artificial darkness for a natural one.
Numerous well-patronised c2c trains overtook us as we conveyed an ever-dwindling number of passengers out into the heart of Cockney London. Despite a brief replenishment of travellers at Barking, the train was barely quarter-full when I had decided to alight at Dagenham East, some 12.5 miles away from Blackfriars. Swapping platforms yet again, I almost immediately headed back towards Central London, stopping only to transfer onto a Hammersmith & City Line service at East Ham.
Our arrival into Liverpool Street station was heralded by a throng of tourists visibly confused by the concept of the triangular junctions at Aldgate, hastily reviewing the route maps above the doors for a course correction to Tower Hill. "ALL PASSENGERS ARE REMINDED THAT THE DOORS IN THE REAR CARRIAGE WILL NOT OPEN AT BAKER STREET" boomed the announcement after every stop from Liverpool Street onwards, apparently foreshadowing what must be a regular occurrence of hopelessness and despair amongst prospective visitors to Madame Tussauds as the doors in the rear carriage themselves seemingly transform into waxwork and remain static.
Alighting at Baker Street, almost doubting whether I would escape from my carriage, despite being third from the front, I am rewarded with a blast of cool air as I stroll to Marylebone station. Entering the concourse of this petite (well, by London's standards) terminus, I spot my chariot for the journey back to the Midlands. Boarding the Class 68-hauled Mark 3 carriage, I spot a vacant solo seat and allow myself to sink in, before the throaty roar of the accelerating locomotive filled the carriage and station alike, signalling my departure from London and the end of my day out.
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| Journey's End: Chiltern's 68011 awaits departure from Birmingham Snow Hill |