London Bridge Area Signalling Centre (ASC) was a signalling centre on the Kent Route of Network Rail, principally covering the line from London (Charing Cross, Cannon Street and London Bridge) to Kent and Sussex route areas of Network Rail. The signalling centre was opened in 1974, and closed in 2020.
In the 1970s, a substantial project to resignal railway lines into the three railway termini of Charing Cross, Cannon Street and London Bridge was initiated. This involved consolidating 16 signal boxes into one new Area Signalling Centre, to be located at London Bridge - as well as partially rebuilding London Bridge station. [1] [2]
In 1972, work began to segregate the trains before their arrival at London Bridge. Prior to the development of the ASC, Cannon Street and Charing Cross trains arrived on all lines and were signalled approaching or leaving to London Bridge station to their respective destinations. To facilitate this, the Borough Market signal box (opened in 1895) required 2 full time signallers, and handled over 100 trains per hour. [2] This project would allow it and other signal boxes to be consolidated into a new, modern signalling centre - with signallers assisted by computers and substantial automation. [3] [4]
After searching for an appropriate location, a site at the country end of London Bridge station was chosen. The building was built on top of the Grade II listed railway arches on the south side of the station. [3] The building was designed by in-house British Rail Southern Region architects, in a Brutalist style. [3] The upper section of the building is about two-thirds the length and slightly wider than the lower storey, projecting over live railway lines. It is clad with white concrete slabs in a contrast to the lower storey's brown walls. The lower floor housed the signalling equipment, as well as the offices and mess facilities for the signals maintenance team. The upper floor contained the control panels for the signallers. [3]
In 1974, the first section of the control panel in the London Bridge ASC was commissioned, with trains first being signalled from the new ASC in 1975. [1] As work continued, redundant signal boxes such as the old 1923-built London Bridge signal box were closed one by one and consolidated into the new ASC at London Bridge. [3] In 1975, British Transport Films produced 'Operation London Bridge', a short film about the project. [4] In 1976, the Borough Market signal box was closed - with the historic signal box acquired by the National Railway Museum. [5] The ASC was visited by the Duke of Edinburgh in 1976. [1]
By December 1978, the project had been completed, costing £23.8 million. [3] [6] Traffic bound for Charing Cross and Cannon Street was now segregated outside London Bridge, mainly at Parks Bridge Jn but occasionally in the New Cross area. The London Bridge central traffic was kept as a separate working railway from the eastern side. [3]
At its height, the London Bridge ASC was one of the busiest signal boxes on the British Rail network, controlling trains from Charing Cross on the routes out to Kent through Greenwich, Lewisham, Grove Park, and to Norwood Junction. [1] It controlled 47.3 miles (76.1 km) of route, which is just over 147.8 miles (237.9 km) of track. [3] Open 24 hours a day throughout the year, it took a total of 60 signallers and 4 shift signalling managers to run the signalling centre.
Following resignalling work as part of the Thameslink Programme, the majority of the functions of the signal box were transferred to Three Bridges ROC (Regional Operating Centre) in 2014. [3] [7]
In 2020, the last area signalled by the ASC (Hither Green to Grove Park) was transferred to Three Bridges ROC, with the London Bridge Area Signalling Centre operating its last day on the 24th July 2020. [1] As of August 2020 [update] , Network Rail have decommissioned the signalling centre and are seeking new uses for the redundant building. [8]
London Bridge is a central London railway terminus and connected London Underground station in Southwark, south-east London. It occupies a large area on three levels immediately south-east of London Bridge, from which it takes its name. The main line station is the oldest railway station in London fare zone 1 and one of the oldest in the world having opened in 1836. It is one of two main line termini in London to the south of the River Thames and is the fourth-busiest station in London, handling over 50 million passengers a year.
Cannon Street station, also known as London Cannon Street, is a central London railway terminus and connected London Underground station in Travelcard zone 1 located on Cannon Street in the City of London and managed by Network Rail. It is one of two London termini of the South Eastern Main Line, the other being Charing Cross, while the Underground station is on the Circle and District lines, between Monument and Mansion House. The station runs services by Southeastern, mostly catering for commuters in southeast London and Kent, with occasional services further into the latter.
New Cross railway station serves New Cross in south-east London, England. It is 4 miles 68 chains (7.8 km) down the line from London Charing Cross and is in London fare zone 2. The platforms are lettered rather than numbered to avoid confusion with those at New Cross Gate by staff who worked at both stations before privatisation of the stations in 1997. Platform D is used exclusively by London Overground services. Ticket barriers control access to all platforms.
Catford Bridge railway station is on the Mid-Kent Line, serving Hayes line trains from London to Hayes. It lies between Ladywell and Lower Sydenham stations, 7 miles 42 chains (12.1 km) from London Charing Cross and in Travelcard Zone 3. It is adjacent to Catford railway station on the Catford Loop line. The station entrance is on Catford Road, a part of the South Circular Road (A205), and has brick buildings on both platforms, though the up side building is no longer in use by the railway. The station is managed by Southeastern, who operate all trains serving it.
Elmers End is a railway station and tram terminus in Elmers End, south London, England. It is in the London Borough of Bromley and on the railway it is 11 miles 7 chains (17.8 km) down the line from London Charing Cross.
Hayes railway station is a railway station located in Hayes in the London Borough of Bromley, south east London, England. It is 14 miles 32 chains (23.2 km) from London Charing Cross.
The Dartford Loop Line is one of three lines linking London with Dartford in Kent, England. It lies to the south of the other two: the North Kent Line and the Bexleyheath Line.
St Johns railway station is in the London Borough of Lewisham. It lies 5 miles 47 chains (9.0 km) down the South Eastern Main Line from London Charing Cross, and is situated between New Cross and Lewisham.
Lower Sydenham railway station is located on the boundary of the London Borough of Bromley and the London Borough of Lewisham in south-east London. It is 9 miles 2 chains (14.5 km) measured from London Charing Cross.
New Beckenham railway station serves Beckenham in the London Borough of Bromley in south-east London, in Travelcard Zone 4. It is 9 miles 44 chains (15.4 km) measured from London Charing Cross.
Clock House railway station is in the London Borough of Bromley in south east London, in Travelcard Zone 4 between Beckenham and Penge. It is 10 miles 23 chains (16.6 km) down the line from London Charing Cross. The station and all trains serving it are operated by Southeastern on the Hayes line.
West Wickham railway station serves West Wickham in the London Borough of Bromley. It is located in Southeast London and is in Travelcard Zone 5. It is 13 miles 19 chains (21.3 km) down the line from London Charing Cross.
New Eltham railway station is in the Royal Borough of Greenwich in south-east London. It is 10 miles 32 chains (16.7 km) down the line from London Charing Cross.
Albany Park railway station is in the London Borough of Bexley in south-east London. It is 12 miles 68 chains (20.7 km) down the line from Charing Cross. The station and all trains serving it are operated by Southeastern.
Bexley railway station is in the London Borough of Bexley in south-east London, in Travelcard Zone 6. It is 13 miles 69 chains (22.3 km) down the line from London Charing Cross. The station, and all trains serving it, is operated by Southeastern.
Crayford railway station is in the London Borough of Bexley in south-east London, in Travelcard Zone 6. It is 15 miles 25 chains (24.6 km) down the line from London Charing Cross. The station and all trains serving it are operated by Southeastern.
The South Eastern Main Line is a major long-distance railway route in South East England, UK, one of the three main routes crossing the county of Kent, going via Sevenoaks, Tonbridge, Ashford and Folkestone to Dover. The other routes are the Chatham Main Line which runs along the north Kent coast to Ramsgate or Dover via Chatham and High Speed 1 which runs through the centre of Kent to the coast at Folkestone where it joins the Channel Tunnel.
The Thameslink Programme, originally Thameslink 2000, was a £6 billion project in south-east England to upgrade and expand the Thameslink rail network to provide new and longer trains between a wider range of stations to the north and to the south of London. The development facilitated new cross-London journeys, which means that passengers no longer have to change trains in London. Work included platform lengthening, station remodelling, new railway infrastructure, and new rolling stock. The project was originally proposed in 1991 following the successful introduction of the initial Thameslink service in 1988. After many delays, planning permission was granted in 2006 and funding was approved in October 2007. Work started in 2009 and was completed on 18 September 2020, although trains over the new routes began running in 2018.
A rail operating centre (ROC) is a building that houses all signallers, signalling equipment, ancillaries and operators for a specific region or route on the United Kingdom's main rail network. The ROC supplants the work of several other signal boxes which have thus become redundant.
