Bat & Ball railway station
Bat & Ball | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Location | District of Sevenoaks |
| Managed by | Southeastern |
| Platforms | 2 |
| Other information | |
| Station code | BBL |
| History | |
| Original company | Sevenoaks, Maidstone and Tonbridge Railway |
| Pre-grouping | SE&CRCJMC |
| Post-grouping | Southern Railway |
| Key dates | |
| 2 June 1862 | Opened as Sevenoaks[1] |
| 1 August 1869 | Renamed as Sevenoaks Bat & Ball[1] |
| 1 January 1917 | Closed[1] |
| 1 March 1919 | Reopened[1] |
| 5 June 1950 | Renamed as Bat & Ball[2] |
Bat & Ball railway station is located on Bat & Ball Road in Sevenoaks in Kent, England. The station is managed by Southeastern; however all train services (except for two evening peak departures) are operated and provided by Thameslink.
History
The station opened in 1862.[1] It was previously named Sevenoaks Bat & Ball and was renamed in 1950.[2] The name derives from the Bat & Ball Inn, which no longer exists.
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Facilities
Bat and Ball railway station lies just to the north of Sevenoaks, Kent, on the Sevenoaks-Swanley via Otford route. There is a shelter containing a bench on the northbound platform, and in August 2014 new benches and a public information speaker were installed on the southbound platform towards Sevenoaks. It has been unstaffed since closure of the booking office on 30 November 1991 - although its staffing had been sporadic prior to that date.
Southeastern have fitted an electronic screen with the latest train times and calling points.
The station has a car park. In 2010 a fee of £3 per day to park was introduced, although the car park was previously free to use. The charges resulted in the displacement of parking by rail commuters from the station car park into the surrounding residential streets, particularly into Chatham Hill Road. This has created several parking problems for local residents, whilst leaving the station's car park almost deserted.[3]
A PERTIS 'permit to travel' machine was located at the entrance to the southbound platform on the 'down' side, later replaced by a 'card payment only' ticket machine in 2016. Prior to de-staffing in 1991, it had converted from the previous NCR21 card ticket system to APTIS on 12 April 1988. A rare misprint on some tickets issued just after conversion to APTIS rendered the station name as BAT BALL.
Services at Bat & Ball
Monday to Friday Off-Peak -
- 2tph West Hampstead Thameslink via Catford (Thameslink)
- After 9pm London Blackfriars via Catford (Thameslink)
- 2tph Sevenoaks
- Evening Peak: 2tph London Victoria : 1821 / 1848 (Southeastern)
Saturday, Sunday & Bank Holidays -
- 2tph London Blackfriars via Catford (Thameslink)
- 2tph Sevenoaks (Thameslink)
| Preceding station |  National Rail
|
Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Otford | Thameslink Sevenoaks Line |
Sevenoaks | ||
| Disused railways | ||||
| Terminus | London, Chatham and Dover Railway Maidstone Line |
Otford Junction | ||
| Terminus | London, Chatham and Dover Railway Maidstone Line |
Kemsing | ||
Passenger Representation
Sevenoaks Town Council and the Sevenoaks Rail Travellers Association have founded a Friends of Bat & Ball group to promote improvements to the station and its environment.
The not-for-profit Sevenoaks Rail Travellers' Association (SRTA) corresponds and meets with Southeastern Railway, Thameslink, Transport for London, the Department for Transport, members of parliament and other relevant parties to represent the interests of passengers using Sevenoaks and stations nearby including Bat & Ball.
References
Notes
Sources
- Butt, R. V. J. (October 1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199. OL 11956311M.
- Jowett, Alan (March 1989). Jowett's Railway Atlas of Great Britain and Ireland: From Pre-Grouping to the Present Day (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-086-0. OCLC 22311137.
- Jowett, Alan (2000). Jowett's Nationalised Railway Atlas (1st ed.). Penryn, Cornwall: Atlantic Transport Publishers. ISBN 978-0-906899-99-1. OCLC 228266687.