THE HISTORY OF THE EPSOM DOWNS BRANCH

The story of the Epsom Downs Branch is a colourful one. A small railway line which in the course of its 150+ years of existence has undergone many changes that transformed it almost completely on several occasions. Although a piece of English railway history, the Epsom Downs Branch continues to be a part of the contemporary railway system.

A story of changes and contrasts: Left, one of the oldest (and probably the most famous) photograph of Epsom Downs station, taken on Derby day in 1877 (the original of which reputedly hung in the station master's office for years). Right, the same location 125 years later is virtually unrecognisable, with eight out of nine platforms gone. (Lens of Sutton / Robert Oakes)

The beginnings and the heydays of the branch as part of the London Brighton & South Coast Railway     The Southern Electrics era: third rail electrification and commuter traffic     The Network SouthEast era: modernisation and change     Privatisation - The Network SouthCentral franchise     The Connex SouthCentral era: neglect and dereliction     The South Central Trains era: reboot and recovery     South Central is rebranded as (New) Southern (Railway) before becoming part of the Thameslink, Southern & Great Northern "super franchise"

Preserved 4SUB Class 405 #4732 in historic Southern livery pulls into Sutton on October 1st 1982 as it operates the shuttle service between Epsom Downs and Sutton following the signal box fire on November 16th 1981 at Epsom Downs.

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Page last revised 14 September 2024