Whether you are travelling from Brighton to Basingstoke, Mortlake to Milton Keynes, or from Hove to Harrow, Clapham Junction Station is your friend. With around 2000 trains a day going through, it is the busiest station in Europe. It is also the busiest in the UK as an interchange with close to half a million people changing trains here per day during the week.
It is not particularly pretty, nor is it as architecturally interesting as some of the other main stations in London, but it is efficient. There are 17 platforms and there is an underpass or overhead concourse to travel between them. Personally, I like the tunnel, old and busy with shops and food vendors, as the means of movement, but it does get crowded at peak times and there are no escalators or lifts, so stairs are the only way down. The raised pathway has lifts and it is more modern. It is also brighter and it feels less claustrophobic at peak times.
Surprisingly, Clapham Junction is not connected to the tube, but it is served by many buses and has parking for a couple of hundred bicycles. Should you require step free access, make sure that you are dropped off at the Brighton Yard entrance, rather than the shopping centre side in Grant road.
Time Out Online has Clapham Junction Station listed under “things to do”. I’m not sure that I would go quite that far, however, if you spend any time travelling around in London, you are likely to change trains here. When you do, it is worth taking a moment to think about the number of trains and people going through, and then marvel at the level of competence required to run, what is effectively, one of the biggest train sets in the world.
The London Lark 
12 replies on “Clapham Junction Station, London SW11.”
I guess efficiency is more important in a train station than stunning architecture.
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Its true! Especially one this busy.
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The last time I was at Clapham Junction I had to run for the train but it’s so big that it took me ages and I missed it! I then got coffee at one of the vendors at it tasted like the milk had gone off. It wasn’t a good day! 😄
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Oh no! I guess most of the people going through are rushing to catch their next train though – so you probably had the real Clapham Junction experience, as opposed to my romanticised one!
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Thanks for popping in and following!
Wow, review of Clapham Junction Station. Priceless!
If I didn’t know better I’d say you were making a meta commentary review on reviews.
Maybe I’m over analysing.
Enjoying your blog so far!
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Ha! Thanks, I guess you are correct even though I had not written it, with that in mind. I was changing trains here and suddenly thought about how often I had run through this station, or cursed a just missed train, without even considering how much organisation it takes, to make it work as well as it does. I realised that good design is not always pretty – sometimes it’s just efficient. Now I have over analysed, lol!
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It’s contagious!
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Your posts on places and events in London are very interesting and wonderful. Let’s see when I get chance to experience it myself.
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Thank you! I look forward to reading about it when you do!
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I have postponed this visit until now due to the cumersome visa process. It will happen as soon as the urge to visit will overcome the trouble in getting visa. Till then I see London from your eyes 🙂
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It’s interesting to read something about one of London’s less fashionable stations, and I agree that it is surprising that there’s no tube station here
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Cheers, Malc! Thanks for the nice comment and for taking the time to read it!
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