The Overground's Secret Station 

Meanwhile, someone at TfL headquarters looks at journey patterns: "look, this person took all 3 Battersea Park Overground services in a day" and got told "Oh, that's Geoff Marshall, whenever someone does such random stuff, it's always him".

“I’m Geoff Marshall” “I catch these trains so that you don’t have to”!

I can add an anecdotal tidbit to this- shortly after the Overground service started, and on unplanned excursions during the day to Battersea Park (when the line to Clapham Junction was shut due to points failures etc.), the onboard tannoy did not appear to have Battersea Park on the list of destinations so the annoucement would go "This is the london overground service to. The next station is."

Geoff should create a playlist for Videos like this called... "Geoff gets up at ridiculous times to go ride sections of railway that almost no-one uses, but that the train operators can't shutdown since it is a pain in the A**e, to put it through Parliament and get the permission to get close it"

I sense another mini series coming on Geoff - Top 10 breakfast cafe’s outside/near overground/underground stations 😁

Well done Geoff. For getting up really early recently for random train services. Loving the videos

I've ended up at Battersea Park on overground a few times... usually if there is an issue only affecting Clapham they divert the service to Battersea Park often to keep the services to Surrey Quays running to schedule.

Parliamentary Trains -- they are so silly, they are brilliant. As for people in zombie state who had no clue where the train was going --- I see this on TfL buses when the driver makes a "Bus on Diversion" announcement. One turns and there's pandemonium. "What's happening? OMG, where are we going?..."

Geoff is a true obsessive and I am grateful that he does those secret, little journeys for me to enjoy from the comfort of my computer desk.

I'm just a kiwi learning more of your wonderful train services. Hello from New Zealand.

Magic of youtube algorithm. Here I am, never been to London, or UK at all, but watching a guy explore lesser known corners of it's transport system.

Due to the british law that you have to let run at least a few trains a week to a stations otherwise it will be closed down, there are quite a lot of mini unknown services which are often a bit random. I wish Berlin would have secret services like this too I probably would ride them all. Love your videos Geoff especially when they are over London or other metropolitan areas. So keep up doing so with your awesome entertainment. Thanks.

I travel via battersea park almost everyday and I never had any idea that the overground went there, great vid by the way

1:55 This train every morning is the one that comes ECS from the depot, crosses over on to the southbound platform at Canada Water then runs ECS to Battersea Park (leaves Canada Water at 0541). There are also quite a few ECS journeys on a Sunday morning that run Dalston to Battersea Park for driver route knowledge retention.

Oddly, it was at Battersea Park that I first heard of the proposed ‘Overground’ from a member of station staff. That must have been a good 15/16 years ago.

Absolutely baffles me how you know and remember all these fascinating facts , really enjoyable to watch

I remember going to the Wandsworth Road to Kensington Olympia parliamentary train more than ten years ago when it departed around 16:00, I've never got round to doing this one but I've had the track when Southern used to operate it as The South London Line using Class 455s and 456s!

Let's hope that when the Northern line extension opens, Battersea Park might get more Overground services with the OOS interchange!

Wandsworth Road is just one of many places where it would be great if the Overground was better connected to other lines in London. It's already an ok network but could be so much more useful if more interchanges were provided

TfL said that it is likely that it will be shown on the upcoming 🚇Tube Map🗺 as it is within 🚶walking distance of the upcoming Battersea Power Station Northern Line Extension Station terminus & the nearby 🛥Riverboat Pier, and is also due to get ♿️Step-Free access soon!!

This must be the nerdiest channel on RU-vid, but I love it! :)

I discovered this route by chance. Was very confused about it when the destination was displayed. I ended up going there out of curiosity, then when I realised where I was I walked around to Queenstown Road and went home from there.

Wow. Battersea Park was one of the two places I commuted home from (The office was pretty much equidistant between that and Queenstown Road), in 2005, and it was always a lottery which platform the first train would be on. I hadn’t realised the platform 1 line had closed.

I guess it might well still be faster for people to get that Overground service to Battersea Park and change to go to Clapham than it would be for them to wait for the direct service, depending on the late night service pattern.

Geoff they had to discontinue the service to Victoria as they built across the junction to lengthen the platforms, I when I was working drove test trains into that platform as it still is a testing requirement, class 73’s but I believe the program which I also did class 37’s!

I once stayed in an appartment near that station in 2018 and had to take the train from there to Victoria to get to central london. I thought I knew the Tube and Overground network fairly well, so I was utterly confused when I saw a sign saying therer was a limited Overground service. Thank you for clearing up that mistery and making me want to visit London again :)

These are fascinating oddities of the railway. Great video Geoff. Keep up the good work.

1:43 good timing Geoff, one take.

Thanks, Geoff. Another excellent video. Your adventures look so fun 😁

7:24 can we just congratulate Geoff on that amazing transition?! 😜

I have done this Overground service! I did it in around December 2019, and i took the early service from Battersea to Dalston!

Thank you for your videos. Really interesting and informative as usual.

This is brilliant. I love this mad TfL stuff.

Fascinating that these lines are still there and interesting to follow you around

Anyone remember before Overground, the old Victoria to London Bridge services? I did this c.1973, incredibly grubby 2-EPB's with, uniquely for the Southern, bars on the windows so you couldn't stick your head out and get decapitated on gawd knows what. It was the next level of run down and that's saying something for that era.

I remember that from the video in londonist 'secrets of the overground part 2'

Loving how Geoff gets meta with the scene transitions 😂

In British Rail days when all the trains were either Blue or Blue and Grey, you did not have a clue what line they were running on or where they went. There is so much more variety of operators nowadays you would think you would know where you are and where you are going, but no - it is as confusing as ever! Thanks for uploading.

Thanks for the video. Brought memories flooding back. I used the South London Line in the early 70s between East Brixton ( long gone ) and Battersea Park. To be honest the service wasn't much better !! 2 coach clapped out non-corridor trains with single compartments that were dangerous late at night. East Brixton closed at 5:30pm and if your train was late.tough!! You went straight through to Denmark Hill!

Back in the late ‘70’s, l got the Victoria to Battersea Park every morning to go to Westminster College. I can’t even imagine what a pain it is to get there now.

Such a well choreographed video!

Once upon a time, Geoff, you caught this particular morning train (with a smug smile) in an attempt to travel to all the Overground stations in the fastest time possible. That was the most disillusioned I've ever seen you. Glad this was a much, much better experience.

Ah yes! Another amazing video which I really enjoyed because it is so Informative and has amazing content. Can’t wait for the next video.

2 years later and I just checked, and it still has the same schedule!

I lived in Battersea in 2002 and worked in Victoria so of course I walked to work (over the bridge- great journey. ) I can recall that the ticket machines refused to let you buy a victoria- battersea Park ticket. I guess dodgy people travelling as far as Brighton would buy one of these tickets just to get through the gate and do a runner at the other end. Really difficult for me when I wanted to travel home with heavy bags

Brilliant video, wouldn’t mind doing that journey on London Overground

Having only ridden on the Overground once in my life this is still somehow interesting! Great video 👍

As a kid I grew up round the corner from Clapham Hight St station, in fact we overlooked the goods yard that used to be there, (and saw the Golden Arrow go past at 11.03am every day - it's funny what you remember...). We often used to get the train to Battersea park for the funfair, or through into Victoria. It's a shame to see it so unused now

That old South London Line train was quite useful at times when I lived near Battersea Park and Queenstown Road. It was always at platform 1.

Another exelent video Geoff so interesting & exiting to watch.

I used to use this station in the 2000s. I was working in wandsworth borough and often in lewisham borough too. That victoria to london bridge train was dead handy. And when the northern line was out I'd even end up swapping from battersea park to battersea bridge to struggle across south london. The days before all those route planner apps were such fun.

Yes I remember southern trains using those platforms, was the southern class 456 which was formed of 2 cars as I remember on the line. Both platforms then stood disused for a while even implementing signs saying platform not in use! Must of been about 10 years ago like you said. Not traveled to Battersea for a while as I use to work there. Great video :-) all the best

I use to take this line between 2004-2010. There were loads more trains there back then but I use to think it was an odd little station, even back then

That hoody is a Londonist throwback. Something magical about 2014-2016 era YT.

Love this as I used to live (in the 50s and 60s) in the road next to Wandsworth Road Station, the gardens of the houses opposite backed on to the station, but I could see from our first floor lounge the Golden Arrow thundering over the bridge every day, and often took the train to Victoria or to London Bridge ...

Awesome video Geoff! Really enjoyed it 😀

I was waiting for this special video and it finally came

I love these series of videos, from Kensington Olympia all the way to today

was running late for school a couple of weeks ago and I miraculously saw an overground train leaving battersea park at around 8am. My mind instantly flashedd back to this video and I managed to snap a quick photo before heading off to school

Of course, Battersea Park station has become the main terminus for all LO services over a few weekends over the past few years due to engineering work being carried out on the Clapham Junction line from Wandsworth Road. A few years ago, I was out and about in London with a one-day travelcard just to see where I ended up, and from Shadwell Overground station, I did notice a train to Battersea Park so I had to ride it as I think the last time I did that section of line was probably about 35-40 years ago when I was staying with my grandparents who lived in Clapham at the time.

Enjoy your videos so much

Petition to add this to the Tube Map with appropriate limited-service markings.

Thanks Geoff. Very interesting 👍👍👍👍

I remember Battersea Park Station. Regularly travelled from Victoria to Battersea Park (1971-1973) when attending South Bank Polytechnic in Battersea Park Road. Some trains stopped at Platform 1 and continued along the loop to London Bridge. Others stopped at Platform 2 and went joined the line to Clapham Junction and went to various destinations in south-west London

You do good work!

Used that station a fair amount 5 years ago when visiting London, short term rentals were very reasonable in the area, and such a convenient hop to Victoria. With all the redevelopment going on then you'd think it'd have the passenger numbers.

Oh boy, before you uttered a word I recognised that is the station I used as a kid in the late 60's onwards.

4:25 "I've bailed at Wandsworth Road because there's an excellent breakfast cafe just down there...". Please do tell! In fact, that would make a GREAT video - travelling around the network showing us the best places for breakfast. With all your 5am and 6am starts (THANKS btw!) you must know loads of great places.

I love your "angled" shots.

You're almost psychic. I was planning a journey to and from work a few weeks ago. Because of the floods I had to determine a route from west London to east London and vice-versa using google maps.When I hovered the cursor over Battersea Park it signified it as a National Rail station and also a London Overground station!!! Yet I was sure it was not indicated on any maps. (I do the Evening Standard's Tube Quiz on their puzzle page therefore I am a little familiar). Digging into search engines I discovered it was a limited service station and wondered when I would see a video from yourself explaining it all. Lo and behold.......... Thank you.

This is incredible, I am huge Geoff fan and I was only in Battersea Park on Saturday trying to catch an overground train to Whitechapel! The story is we were just completing the Thames Path National Trail having started on 9th August and we diverted off and through exhaustion we just wanted lunch in the Masons Arms (Camra pub over the road) and for the first time on the walk to use public transport to get a train across to where staying in East London. It was only after purchasing the ticket did we realise too late that we had no way of ever getting to our destination and the only trains coming through were Southern ones. In our defence were incredibly fatigued and neither of us had ever used the London overground network.

I was caught out by a Parliamentary train at Sringfield, near Cupar. I was cycling and it was a crap windy day. Fife has lots of narrow busy roads so I was relieved when I stumbled across it as my original plan was to take an unsurfaced track through some woods to Ladybank. It looked half built. I had no idea it existed. There were cleanish coping stones on the platform edge but the rest was pink granite chips. I thought it was an old station in the process of getting reopened. There was a time table on a poster and I discovered there were only two trains a day and I was hours between them.

Lived by Wandsworth Road station and used the South London line into Victoria often. Does not go through now as extension of platform 3 meant removal of the junction at the Victoria end of the station.

Overground trains are sent to Battersea park during some engineering works and also during some times of disruption. I've been to Battersea park at least twice on an Overground train. Easy enough to get a Sothern service to Clapham Junction.

With Battersea Park itself, several river piers and Victoria Station being so close, as well as the new developments at Nine Elms and Battersea power station, I have always thought this service would garner strong passenger numbers if it were frequent, but of course that would mean less services at Clapham Junction and tfl won't be having that any time soon

I go there everyday for work, and I've been hoping for a video about this ever since 😅

thank you I learned something and I enjoyed that.

Lots of people used to use that station to get to Battersea Fun Fair. I used to get on at West Croydon.

Geoff, love you videos, please do more!

Always wondered the story behind platform 1, never knew it was used for the south London line! Hopefully the overground will call at Battersea park more when the northern line extension is complete to provide more links if the extension is popular

Oooh, another early start and staying up late! Your fun and dedication is showing, Geoff! Thanks for it 😊 The shot at around 5.45 is *excellent* btw! And also, thanks busses! 😄

A big thankyou, Geoff, for the WHY? explanation.

I have an urge for a rural "hidden" stations series/episode but don't believe such stations exist outside urban centres. I just keep coming back for the Geoffisms and shots of rail/urban infrastructure of my former life!

3:04 I was wondering what super-secret station Battersea Park was linking to... and then I realised it was a staple.

Superbly cranky. :) I'd kind of lost sight of that version of the Victoria - London Bridge service having gone missing, and with it the regular use of that section of track, although I knew something wasn't quite right around the Battersea spaghetti these days... didn't realise they'd ripped out a platform line.

My suggestion for the next episode is the Willisden Juction Low Level device to/from the Highbury & Islington section of the Overground, also early morning and late nights

Other people getting off the train: "That guy with the camera must have thought the train was going elsewhere, he's got back on the train he just came off"

That breakfast cafe you mention, is the cafe from the Take on Me video. It's my local cafe, I went there regularly pre-covid.

At Queenstown Road, there is a bridge to the north of the station with southeastern, a bridge to the south with southern and the middle bridge for LO, as well as the SWML

A huge wait in that cafe! Reminds me of the Panama Canal Railway which runs from Panama City to Colon.Only 2 a day in one to Colon and then one back to Panama City.It gets you to Colon at about 0700 and doesn't go back until 1730 and apparently Colon is very dangerous with a high, very high, chance of being mugged if you leave the station so I hope that they have a good cafe in Colon Station!

Clapham High Street used to be just plain "Clapham," but was renamed in the early 90's as too many people were confusing it with Clapham Junction! Direct services between the two have only been possible since the Overground service was introduced in 2012.

I did this station last monday. I noted that it had an overground service yet it wasn't on the overground map before my journey, but I wouldn't be able to make it into london for the time of the first one unless I cycled, which is a long way to go at that time from near heathrow, and the evening one is mostly too late to catch the train back out that way, so I just did it on Southern after walking from Queenstown Road.

I think this might be current fave GM video. I’m so going to do these “secret “ services very soon and might check out that cafe too .

In the Netherlands, where I live, used to be a secret station as well which was there but not on the map. The only one in the Netherlands! It was called Leeuwarden Achter de Hoven and there were three trains a day. One in the morning and two in the afternoon, serving the workers of the nearby factories. But due to lack of passengers and the use of longer trains which did not fit te platform size service was stopped in 2018.

The official name of the old Victoria to London Bridge line via Wandsworth Road is the INNER South London Line, the Victoria to London Bridge line via Crystal Palace is the OUTER South London Line. Before Thameslink took over services via West Sutton back in the 1990s, there was a Victoria to London Bridge line via Selhurst, West Sutton, Wimbledon and East Dulwich called the SUBURBAN South London Line.

Really interesting, Geoff.

I'm assuming that if you wanted to "do" the whole Overground in a day then you would have to factor in one of these three trains (easier to do the morning one and get it out of the way?)

there is a a once a day Nottingham to Bournemouth service early in the morning ran by a XC voyager which don't run to Nottingham only on that one service everyday I think I always used to catch that train it was helpful if your not wanting to change service you should try this

I used to travel into and out of Battersea Park along the south London line on my way to and from school from 1961 to 1968.

I have finally done the Parlimentary Saturday only Northern service from Sheffield to Cleethorpes via Brigg. I got on the 1st of 3 services of the day and got off at Habrough as I wanted to ride on the Barton-on-Humber EMR Regional service.