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Bat & Ball railway station

Coordinates: 51°17′24″N 0°11′38″E / 51.290°N 0.194°E / 51.290; 0.194
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Bat & Ball
National Rail
General information
LocationSevenoaks, District of Sevenoaks
England
Coordinates51°17′24″N 0°11′38″E / 51.290°N 0.194°E / 51.290; 0.194
Grid referenceTQ530568
Managed bySoutheastern
Platforms2
Other information
Station codeBBL
ClassificationDfT category F2
History
Original companySevenoaks, Maidstone and Tonbridge Railway
Pre-groupingSE&CRCJMC
Post-groupingSouthern Railway
Key dates
2 June 1862Opened as Sevenoaks[1]
1 August 1869Renamed Sevenoaks Bat & Ball[1]
1 January 1917Closed[1]
1 March 1919Reopened[1]
5 June 1950Renamed Bat & Ball[2]
Passengers
2018/19Increase 0.131 million
2019/20Increase 0.147 million
2020/21Decrease 51,838
2021/22Increase 0.134 million
2022/23Increase 0.171 million
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Bat & Ball railway station is on Bat & Ball Road in the suburban town of Sevenoaks in Kent, England. The station is managed by Southeastern although all trains that serve the station are Thameslink. It is 25 miles 51 chains (41.3 km) from London Victoria, although all northbound trains run to London Blackfriars.

History

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The station opened in 1862 with the name "Sevenoaks".[1] It was then, some years later, named "Sevenoaks Bat & Ball" then renamed in 1950 to its current name.[2] The name derives from the Bat & Ball Inn, a pub which no longer exists.

A long lease of the building was granted to Sevenoaks Town Council in 2017 for refurbishment supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund.[3] Works began March 2018 – for a building re-opening in January 2019.[4] It is a listed building in the initial, mainstream category, Grade II (two).[3][5]

The station in 1962


Facilities

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The station is near the hospital, in the ecclesiastical parish of St John's Hill[6] and in the broader town council's civil parish.[7] It is on a south coastbound route from London via Swanley and via Otford. The northbound platform has a bench under a shelter and in 2014 new benches and service tannoy have graced the other platform.[citation needed] Southeastern has fitted an electronic screen showing departures.[citation needed]

The station has a car park. Once free, in 2010 a fee of £3 per day to park began. This resulted in the displacement of parking by commuters into surrounding residential streets, particularly Chatham Hill Road. Per the local press, parking problems for local residents were common, whilst leaving the station's car park almost deserted.[8]

A PERTIS "permit to travel" machine was at the entrance to the southbound platform, later replaced by a card payment-only ticket machine in 2016.[citation needed]

As part of the refurbishment project undertaken by Sevenoaks Town Council the station building will house a public cafe, public toilets, and community meeting rooms, due to open January 2019.[9]

Services

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All services at Bat & Ball are operated by Thameslink using Class 700 EMUs.

The typical off-peak service in trains per hour is:[10]

During the peak hours, the service to London Blackfriars is extended to and from Welwyn Garden City via Finsbury Park.

Preceding station National Rail National Rail Following station
Thameslink
Disused railways
Terminus   London, Chatham and Dover Railway
  Otford Junction
    Kemsing

References

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References

  1. ^ a b c d e Butt (1995), page 208
  2. ^ a b Butt (1995), page 29
  3. ^ a b "Station (Timeline) - Bat & Ball Station". www.batandballstation.com. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  4. ^ King, Debbie (27 March 2018). "Work starts on £1.3 million station make-over". kentlive. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  5. ^ Historic England. "Bat & Ball Railway Station (1085975)". National Heritage List for England.
  6. ^ Church of England Ecclesiastical Parish name and its extent.
  7. ^ Sevenoaks Town Council Map showing parish (town council) boundary
  8. ^ "Residents' fury as commuters' cars clog roads". Kent and Sussex Courier. Local World Limited. 12 November 2010. Archived from the original on 22 December 2014. Retrieved 22 December 2014.
  9. ^ "HLF Restoration Project - Bat & Ball Station". www.batandballstation.com. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  10. ^ Table 195, 196 National Rail timetable, May 2022

Sources

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