London Bridge station, situated at the foot of London Bridge on the south Bank of the Thames across the river from the City of London, was the first permanent railway terminal in the capital. It opened in December 1836 after the London and Greenwich Railway extended its tracks from its temporary terminus at Spa Road. The London and Croydon, London and Brighton Railways (eventual constituents of the LBSCR) and the South Eastern Railway became tenants paying fees to the L&G (which remained a separate legal entity until grouping). The original station had only two platforms but nevertheless gained the distinction of having the first ever London commuter season ticket holder. An extension to the original station was opened on 10 May 1842 with the tenants using the original station and the L&G using the extension. The L&G prospered on its fees but the high level of these led to the SER opening its own terminus at Bricklayers Arms in 1844. In 1864 the SER extended its line to a new terminus at Charing Cross which resulted in the opening of new high level through platforms at London Bridge, though the SER continued also to use the low level station until 1902. The LBSCR became the major user of the terminal. Thereafter the station operated as two separate entities, much like Victoria, until grouping and the formation of the Southern Railway, which again like Victoria saw the construction of an opening between the two. The approaches to the station were widened in 1866 and again in 1880. With the 1866 widening the LBSCR instituted its south London line service to and from Victoria - a service which in the intervening time has had its ups and downs, being particularly badly affected by the introduction of trams which prompted the LBSCR to electrify the line. The service still exists today marketed as Connex Metro.

photograph by Colin Duff

photograph by Colin Duff

photograph by Colin Duff