Clapham Junction Railway Station - Today

Today

Each day about 2,000 trains, most stopping, pass through the station, more than through any other station in Europe. At peak times 180 trains per hour pass through of which 117 stop. It is not the busiest station by number of passengers, most of whom (about 430,000 on a weekday, of which 135,000 are at rush hours) pass through. Interchanges make some forty per cent of the activity and on that basis too it is the busiest station in the UK.

As of 2011, the station has three separate entrances, all of which have staffed ticket offices (though only the south east entrance is open 24 hours a day). The south east entrance, which is the most heavily used of the three, leads from St. John's Hill, via a small indoor shopping centre, into a subway some 15 ft (4.6 m) wide which connects to the eastern ends of all platforms.

The northern entrance, which has restricted opening hours, leads from Grant Road to the same subway. The subway is crowded during rush hours, ticket barriers at the ends are pinch points.

The south west entrance (also known as the Brighton Yard entrance, as the Victorian station buildings still bear signage for the London Brighton and South Coast Railway) is of a more traditional appearance, with a Victorian station building set at the back of a large forecourt. This entrance leads to a very wide covered footbridge, which joins the western ends of all platforms. This entrance includes cycle parking and a taxi rank. It was opened in May 2011, as part of a wider programme of access improvements which included installing lifts to the platforms.

The station has full public and disabled toilet facilities at the south west entrance. There are refreshment kiosks in the underpass, on the overpass, and on some platforms; and a small shopping centre (including a small branch of Sainsbury's supermarket) in the St. John's Hill entrance.

British Transport Police maintain a neighbourhood policing presence at Clapham Junction, whereas the Metropolitan Police Service and in particular the part-Transport For London funded Safer Transport Command provide a proactive police presence in the area outside of the station.