25 places with two stations: 14 Catford

Saturday 12th July 2025

Today’s blog features the two separate stations located closest together in this fortnightly series. They’re in the south London suburb of Catford in the London Borough of Lewisham. Frankly, if it wasn’t for the fact they’re named differently and the railway lines don’t connect, they could be marketed as one station, having platforms closer together than you’ll find at some large stations.

As always history has led to the two Catfords being treated as separate entities and for many years the former Catford Stadium was located between the tracks. Google maps reckons it’s a two minute walk using the South Circular Road (A205) on which both stations sit…

… but I used Adenmore Road which is at a lower level and did it in just one minute without hurrying. In fact you can clearly see the west side entrance to Catford Bridge as you leave Catford station…

… ahead of you.

Catford Bridge opened 35 years earlier than its adjacent neighbour and is by far the more substantial of the two stations…

… being over three times busier too. In 2023/24 2,357,000 passengers used Catford Bridge compared to 745,000 using Catford.

Catford Bridge sits on the Mid-Kent line serving Hayes and began life when the South Eastern Railway opened that line in January 1857 (initially only as far as Beckenham) whereas Catford opened in July 1892 on what is now a Thameslink operated line between Blackfriars and Sevenoaks.

Southeastern trains run four times an hour from Catford Bridge northbound to London Bridge, Waterloo East and Charing Cross and southbound to Elmers End and Hayes.

Catford enjoys a half-hourly off-peak Thameslink service northbound to Elephant & Castle and Blackfriars and southbound to Sevenoaks via Bromley South and Swanley. In the peaks these continue north to and from Welwyn Garden City and are also supplemented by another two trains an hour between Orpington and Luton, although in the afternoon peak most journeys to Orpington commence in Kentish Town with one starting from West Hampstead Thameslink, rather than Luton.

Both stations have a ticket office with Southeastern’s at Catford Bridge being more old-style…

… with Thameslink’s at Catford’s more basic and in fact was closed for lunch when I called by.

As you can see there’s a book club at Catford (above) and not to be outdone, there’s also one in Catford Bridge (below), although both could do with some new supplies.

Catford Bridge also offers a Community Board…

… and some interesting artwork on the wall alongside a closed former retail unit.

Neither station has ticket gates. Catford Bridge has a number of exits – either through the ticket office on southbound platform 2 or when that’s closed through a side gate next to it…

… or via covered steps taking you up to the South Circular Road, and which I see still advertises the walking route to Catford Stadium (it closed in 2003) along with Catford Station almost implying you cross the tracks to reach them with a right pointing arrow.

There’s another set of covered steps leading down to Platform 1.

Standing on the South Circular Road overlooking the platforms you can appreciate the large covered shelter protecting the southern end of both platforms and also see the footbridge further north along the platforms which also connects them.

With side entrances/exits to both platforms the station has step-free access.

Over at Catford step free access is provided through fairly modern lifts to both platforms…

… located either side of a passageway under the tracks.

As you can see there’s a significant flight of stairs to reach the platforms…

… and once you reach them the facilities are fairly basic. There’s a substantial covering/shelter at the southern end of each platform; soutbound platform 2…

…and northbound platform 1.

Each has a few seats which is just as well as the only other facilities are a few benches…

… located down the rest of the lengthy platforms.

And that’s about it for Britain’s closest pair of stations.

Roger French

Did you catch the 13 previous blogs in this series? 1: Hertford; 2: Canterbury. 3: Wigan, 4 Dorchester, 5 Windsor, 6 Wakefield, 7 Reddish, 8 Yeovil, 9 Newark-on-Trent, 10 New Mills, 11 Tyndrum, 12 St Albans, 13 Falkirk.

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