PUBLIC TRANSPORT INFORMATION AND REPORTS

RAIL, BUS, METHODS OF PAYMENTS AND ROADS

RAIL

RIDDLESDOWN STATION IS IN LONDON TRAVELCARD ZONE 6. UPPER WARLINGHAM IS ALSO IN ZONE 6 AND IS THE LAST STATION ON THIS LINE, WITHIN THE LONDON ZONES 1 to 6.

For those residents who are not regular users of Riddlesdown Station - Southern and Thameslink do at times run trains with 10 to 12 carriages. To be sure of getting off at Riddlesdown (from London), ensure you are in carriages 1 to 9, because these trains are longer than the platform and the doors on carriages 10 to 12 will not open. Next stop is Upper Warlingham! Carriage 6 is usually by the exit at Riddlesdown on trains from London.

On trains from East Grinstead, it is usually carriage 4 by the exit. Next stop is Sanderstead!

FOR FULL TIMETABLES FOLLOW THESE LINKS

Timetables from the Southern Railway website - for Riddlesdown (both Southern and Thameslink), use ‘Timetable N’ and once opened use the ‘show reverse direction’ tab in top let corner to change direction. New timetable from 15 December 2024

Timetables are subject to change, so if in doubt, check with Southern Railway, TfL or National Rail.

Please check before travelling with the Southern Railway and/or National Rail websites.

National Rail Enquiries: Tel: 03457 48 49 50

www.nationalrail.co.uk

To check for Engineering Works on Southern

Southern Customer Services: Tel: 03451 27 29 20 (07.00 - 22.00 hrs)

www.southernrailway.com/

Rail engineering works on the Riddlesdown (RDD) line

Updated 7/2/25

Please check train times before travelling. For more information, please click/tap on the relevant date on the link engineering works

Bus Service

When engineering works take place on the East Grinstead line (Riddlesdown) rail replacement buses will run to/from Purley Station - but they will NOT serve Riddlesdown or Sanderstead Stations.

Replacement buses will run between Purley and Hurst Green calling at Upper Warlingham and Oxted. A shuttle bus service will operate between Woldingham and Upper Warlingham. No rail replacement buses will serve Sanderstead, or Riddlesdown. Change at Purley or East Croydon for trains to/from London.

Passengers using Riddlesdown Station will have to get the 412 bus service from Mitchley Ave, (Lower Barn Rd stop - towards Purley) near to Buttermere Gardens (or from the Riddlesdown Collegiate stop near Ingleboro Drive) to Purley town centre (Tesco stop). Passengers will need to check the time of the buses from the Lower Barn Rd stop going westbound to Purley. Alternatively walking (or driving) to Purley Station is another option. Purley station is approximately a 20 minute walk from Riddlesdown station.

The 403 bus route can also be used from Limpsfield Rd (either the 'All Saints Church' stop by the roundabout, or the 'Sanderstead Recreation Ground' stop, or the 'Sanderstead Methodist Church' stop by Mitchley Hill) to South Croydon, or West Croydon stations. East Croydon Station can be walked to from the Park Lane/Wellesley Rd stops.

Passengers using Sanderstead Station should use the local bus route 403 between Beechwood Road/Mayfield Road bus stop and South Croydon, or West Croydon station, or use Purley Oaks as an alternative station, which is 0.3 miles away. But please note, Purley Oaks does not have step free access. Please contact Southern’s assisted travel team on 0800 138 1016 should you need step free access.

Southern rail tickets will be accepted on both the 412 and 403 buses.

Riddlesdown has been served with a replacement rail bus service for decades when engineering works have taken place but this ceased circa 2019 and then GTR starting using the 412/403 bus services as an alternative rail replacement service .

If any resident may need more assistance, Southern have an established accessibility policy to support those with access needs. Their assisted travel team would be happy to discuss any assistance which may be required to help in a journey during engineering works.  Full contact details are available here:

www.southernrailway.com/travel-information/travel-help/assisted-travel

Download poster in pdf

THE BLUEBELL RAILWAY

From 23 March 2013, the privately owned and voluntarily run Bluebell Railway was connected to the national rail system at East Grinstead, meaning that Riddlesdown residents can get on a train from Riddlesdown Station and travel from Riddlesdown to East Grinstead and then transfer onto the Bluebell Railway. Further information and update reports: Link to Bluebell Railway

The main Bluebell Railway website

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LOCAL BUS ROUTE AND TIMES

Local Bus Route and Frequency

Updated 11/4/23

The 412 Bus Route

From Croydon, the 412 starts in Park Street, Croydon and then travels via Fell Rd, around the Fairfield roundabout, onto the flyover, then down the Croydon Flyover slip road into High Street, South End, Selsdon Rd, Upper Selsdon Rd, Addington Rd (stop for Selsdon), Rectory Park, Mitchley Ave, Downs Court Rd, Godstone Rd, Pampisford Rd & ends on Brighton Rd (High Street) opposite the Purley Hospital.

From Purley, the service is nearly in reverse direction starting from Purley Downlands Precint, (Brighton Rd) then left into Godstone Rd, Down Court Rd and Park Street.

The 412 route (and timetable) is on this TfL link (use the up/down arrows near the top to switch direction).

Frequency (approximately)

Weekdays & Saturdays: Daytime; 20 mins, Evenings; 30 mins.

Frequency Sundays; 30 mins.

612 (School Bus Service ONLY)

The 612 only runs on school days (Mon to Fri) and is 2 services in the morning (Selsdon to Wallington) and 2 services in the afternoon (Wallington to Selsdon).

The 612 route (and timetable) is on this TfL link

403 Bus route

For those close enough in Riddlesdown to be able to get to the Limpsfield Rd, the 403 is an alternative route which starts at Sainsbury's in Warlingham (travels via Limpsfeld Rd, Sanderstead) and terminates at the West Croydon Bus Station, and then vice versa from West Croydon Bus Station to Warlingham.

The 403 route (and timetable) is on this TfL link  (use the up/down arrows near the top to switch direction).

359 Bus route

From Purley - the 359 starts in Purley at the Downlands Precint, Christchurch Rd, Brighton Rd, Purley Downs Rd, Sanderstead Hill, Addington Rd, Selsdon Park Rd, Monks Hill Estate, Kent Gate Way and terminates at the Addington Village Tram Stop and and then vice versa from the Addington Village Tram Stop to Purley High Street.

The 359 route (and timetable) is on this TfL link (use the up/down arrows near the top to switch direction).

Planning a Journey

To Plan a bus, train, tram, tube, bike or walking journey from Riddlesdown, follow this link to the Tfl website and insert “Riddlesdown” in the “From” box. Link

London Bus Route Maps Link

Tfl - Customer Services: 0343 222 1234 - Link

Arriva London Tel 020 8271 0101 (0800-2000 Monday to Friday)

Website: www.arrivalondon.com/

(Sources: Trains: GTR/Southern Railway/Thameslink; Buses: Transport for London (TfL).

Timetables are subject to change, so if in doubt, check with Tfl or the Operator(s). The RRA cannot accept any responsibility for the accuracy of the above information.

Fares on Public Transport

Transport for London (TfL) travel on the trams, buses, Docklands light railway (DLR) and London overground rail line

Trying to find the cheapest fare on public transport in London can be a complex issue!

For travel and the best fare method to use on the TfL buses, tram, DLR and the London Overground rail line (the nearest rail station is West Croydon) then click on the link below.

Note all TfL buses in London are now cash free.

TfL INFORMATION ON FARES AND TICKETS IN LONDON

Train tickets and fares from Riddlesdown Station

Riddlesdown Station is in London Zone 6 and is served by Southern and Thameslink trains which both come under the GTR (Govia Thameslink Railway) franchise.

Upper Warlingham (although outside of the London Boroughs) is the last rail station in Zone 6 on our East Grinstead rail line.

For travel on Southern Rail trains go to this link for ticket information and advance purchase.

For travel on Thameslink trains go to this link for ticket information and advance purchase

National Rail also offer a ticket fare check/advance purchase for all rail franchises nationwide.

Since September 2014 you are able to use contactless cards on the tube, tram, DLR, London Overground and most National Rail services in London.

Further details on this TfL link

Generally contactless cards and Oyster are the cheapest fares in London and the fares are capped. More information on this TfL link

The ticket office at Riddlesdown Station – with the station manager required to sell the best value ticket at each transaction is part time and mainly open weekday and Saturday mornings only. Click on the link above for ticket information and methods of payment. Riddlesdown has two Ticket Machines, one on each platform and a card reader on both platforms.

The London Freedom Pass

This Pass is supplied by the London Councils (all the London Boroughs and City of London) to residents of London.

There are two types of Freedom Pass.

1. The Disabled Pass is available to anybody with a qualifying disability (see website for full list) who lives in a London Borough and is part of the National disability scheme.

2. The Older Persons Freedom Pass is available to residents of a London Borough who have reached the state pension age.

More information and how to apply;
http://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/services/freedom-pass

60+ Concessionary Travel Scheme:

The 60+ Concessionary Travel Scheme using a variation of the Oystercard commenced on 1 November 2012 for those people over 60 years of age who no longer qualify for a London Freedom Pass. The pass will have the same validity as a Freedom Pass. Further details from the Tfl website or Tfl application page

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ROADS

Road works

Updated 23/12/21

Croydon Council no longer supply a list of road works in our area. So please refer to the One Network link for all of Croydon’s planned road works/closures (and further afield); OneNetwork

Road Works on Mitchley Ave

New 29/3/25

FM Conway on behalf of Croydon Council will be carrying further drainage works on Mitchley Ave outside St Edmund's Church from Mon 7 April until Sun 27 April 2025, which are to address the ongoing flooding issues there.  The works involve the installation of 3 new gullies and a manhole chamber to capture the flow of rainwater from upstream.

Traffic on Mitchley Ave will be controlled by two-way traffic lights and is being carried out mostly during the school Easter holidays, so hopefully they will not have too much of an impact on the Collegiate and other nearby schools. But it looks as if there could be some traffic issues, as the Collegiate return on Tuesday, 22 April. Unless the works finish earlier than planned.

It might also have a slight impact on the 412 bus service, and the 612 bus when running - with some nearby bus stops closed and traffic delays.

See screenshot from the One Network website below - showing the works from 7 to 27 April.

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