Carshalton Beeches

 

Carshalton Beeches is the name given in the early 20th Century to the area south of Carshalton, deriving from the line of mature trees along what is now Beeches Avenue, running south from the present-day station. 

 

This area was open fields and common land when it was divided by the building of the railway from West Croydon to Sutton in 1847.  It was however some time before the railway opened the area for development, as no station was provided at that time.

 

It was in 1906 that a halt was opened at the north end of Beeches Avenue, the same year that the tram service between Sutton and Croydon opened.  Beeches Halt was served by steam rail-motors (early multiple units) running between West Croydon and Epsom Downs. 

 

As development continued, demand increased and the Sutton to London line was electrified in 1925 using overhead electric.  At that time the halt was upgraded to a full station, renamed Carshalton Beeches, and the road bridge was rebuilt.  As third rail became standard across the Southern Region, the overhead was replaced in 1930.

 

Several generations of slam-door trains served Carshalton Beeches before the present day sliding door stock was introduced, now operated by Southern.  A display featuring the history of the area and its transport services is mounted inside the booking hall of the station.