Balham station
| Balham | |
|---|---|
| Standort | Balham |
| Local authority | Wandsworth |
| Managed by | London Underground Southern |
| Station code(s) | BAL |
| Number of platforms | 6 |
| National Rail annual entry and exit | |
| 2004–05 | 3.161} million[1] |
| Other information | |
| External links | |
 London transport portal | |
Balham station is a National Rail and London Underground interchange in the London Borough of Wandsworth. The station is in Travelcard Zone 3.
London Underground
Balham is located on the Northern Line between Clapham South and Tooting Bec stations. Balham station has entrances on the east and west sides of Balham High Street linked by a pedestrian subway. The surface building was designed by the architect Charles Holden. The station opened on September 13 1926 as part of the Morden extension of the City & South London Railway (now part of the Northern Line).
On October 14, 1940, during World War II, a bomb fell in the road above the station, with the blast penetrating into the tunnel, where Londoners were seeking shelter from the bombs, 9 metres below. The water mains and sewage pipes were broken, resulting in flooding and the loss of 65 lives.[1] The station and the tracks between Clapham South and Tooting Bec (then called Trinity Road, Tooting Bec) were closed until January 1941. There is a plaque in the station ticket hall commemorating this event, although it incorrectly states that 64 lives were lost.
In popular culture
The video for the single Missing by Everything But the Girl repeatedly uses the same shot from a moving vehicle passing between the two tube entrance buildings, while in another shot Tracey Thorn is seen walking down the side of one of them.
The World War II disaster is briefly portrayed in the 2007 film of Ian McEwan's novel Atonement, in which a character is one of the victims of the flooding. (The novel incorrectly identifies the month as September.)
National Rail
The National Rail part of the station opened in 1863. It was known initially as Balham and Upper Tooting.
The track divides two ways to the east of the station. Trains can go either way to East Croydon or West Croydon stations. Interchange is allowed between the railway station and Balham tube station.
After this station towards Mitcham, trains may serve a propsed new station at Eastfields
External links
- Train times and station information for Balham station from National Rail
Template:Geolinks-UK-buildingscale
51°26′35″N 0°09′10″W / 51.44306°N 0.15278°W
- ^ "Estimates of station usage". Rail statistics. Office of Rail Regulation. Please note: Some methodology may vary year on year.