Eltham
Eltham Location of Eltham in Greater London
Location	Eltham
Local authority	Royal Borough of Greenwich
Managed by	Southeastern
Station code	ELW
DfT category	C2
Number of platforms	2
Accessible	Yes[1]
Fare zone	4
National Rail annual entry and exit
2018–19	2.119 million[2]
2019–20	2.090 million[2]
2020–21	0.578 million[2]
2021–22	1.297 million[2]
2022–23	1.463 million[2]
Key dates
17 March 1985	Opened
Other information
External links	Departures Layout Facilities Buses
WGS84	51°27′20″N 0°03′05″E / 51.4555°N 0.0515°E / 51.4555; 0.0515
London transport portal

Eltham railway station is in the Well Hall area of Eltham, South East London, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich. It is 10 miles 68 chains (17.5 km) measured from London Victoria. It is in Travelcard Zone 4.

The station is operated by Southeastern. The station has two platforms: platform 1 for services to Central London and platform 2 for Dartford and Barnehurst.

History

Before 1985, there were two railway stations in Eltham on the Bexleyheath line.

Eltham Well Hall (originally just 'Well Hall'), which opened on 1 May 1895, was about 220 yards (200 m) to the west of the present-day station on the other side of Well Hall Road.^[3] It was one of five stations with wooden buildings and was constructed on the west side of the main road,^[4] In 1932 the Well Hall buildings were rebuilt.

Eltham Park station, which opened 1 May 1908, was about 500 yards (460 m) further east of the current station with its main entrance adjacent to the London-bound platform, and footpaths to Westmount Road and Glenesk Road. An additional footpath linking the country-bound platform with Westmount Road was available at peak times.^[3]

Both stations were closed and replaced by the current station which was opened by British Rail on 17 March 1985 when a new section of the A2, the Rochester Way Relief Road, was opened. A bus station that was built on a raft above the A2 was opened at the same time.

The platforms and buildings of the abandoned Eltham Park station still exist, but there is no trace of Eltham Well Hall station, the site of which is west of Well Hall Road where the A2 road passes under the railway.

Accidents

On 11 June 1972, a train derailed near Eltham Well Hall station, when the driver went round a sharp curve too fast. The driver and five passengers were killed, plus 126 people injured; an investigation revealed the driver was drunk.^[5][6]

Location

The station is located on Well Hall Road, 0.5 miles (0.80 km) from Eltham High Street.

Buses

Eltham station is served by several Transport for London bus routes, the 132, 161, 162, 233, 286 and 314 in the adjoining Eltham bus station. These buses carry passengers from the station to Bexley, Bromley, Blackfen, Chislehurst, Greenwich, Mottingham, New Addington, New Eltham, Sidcup, Swanley and Woolwich.

Services

All services at Eltham are operated by Southeastern using Class 376, 465, 466 and 707 EMUs.

The typical off-peak service in trains per hour is:^[7]

• 2 tph to London Victoria
• 1 tph to London Charing Cross
• 2 tph to London Cannon Street
• 2 tph to Slade Green, continuing to London Cannon Street via Woolwich Arsenal and Greenwich
• 3 tph to Dartford

During the peak hours, the service between London Charing Cross and Dartford is increased to 2 tph in each direction.

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Kidbrooke		Southeastern Bexleyheath Line		Falconwood