Balham (BAL)

Balham is a station on the Brighton Main Line in the South London borough of Wandsworth. A London Underground Northern Line station of the same name is adjacent to it.

Information
Type:	National Rail (Brighton Main Line)
Station code:	BAL
Opened:	1856
Platforms:	4

A station called Balham Hill was opened by the West End of London & Crystal Palace Railway in 1856 which became part of the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway (LB&SCR) in 1859.  The LB&SCR moved the station a short distance to it's current location in 1863 and renamed Balham.

However the station was renamed again to Balham & Upper Tooting in 1927 before finally being changed back to Balham again in 1969. The station was electrified as part of the LB&SCR's 6600v AC overhead line "Elevated Electric" system in 1911 [1] though due to interruption caused by the First World War all of the lines through the station were not completed until 1925. However in the same year Southern Railway, who now operated the LB&SCR lines decided to standardise on DC third rail, Balham was converted in 1929.

Balham is built on an embankment with access between the platforms via an underpass. Although there are four platforms only two are usually used. The station is managed by Southern who operate all services though the station to destinations including London Victoria, London Bridge, Epsom, Sutton and Milton Keynes Central.

Southern 455 825 departs

One island is in use

LB&SCR overhead lines at Balham Junction in 1911, public domain image [2]

Southern 377 128 arrives

[1] "Single phase electrification of the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway", Electric Railway Journal (Jan-June 1911) Vol. XXXVII No. 18, p. 784
[2] Ibid. p. 786