The station was originally named
Chislehurst and Bickley Park when it was first opened on 1 July 1865: the
South Eastern Railway had opened part of its cut-off line to Dover on that date. On 2 March 1868 a new station was opened south of the original on completion of the cut-off to
Tonbridge. At the beginning of the 20th century the tracks through the station were quadrupled. Beyond
Elmstead Woods station (opened in 1904) to the north of Chislehurst lie the
Chislehurst Tunnels, a tunnel each on the slow lines and fast lines . To the south of the station the
Up and Down Chatham Loop lines give access to the
Chatham Main Line where the next station is
St Mary Cray. There are normally no direct trains between Chislehurst and
St Mary Cray, as trains that use the connecting curves usually run non-stop between
London Bridge and either
Rochester or
West Malling. When engineering work takes place on the
South Eastern Main Line, services from London to
Ashford International or
Hastings call additionally at Chislehurst, using
Class 375 units. These services are diverted onto the Chatham Main Line and run via Swanley and Otford.
Chislehurst Caves The station is very close to
Chislehurst Caves, former mines that were used as an air raid shelter during
World War II. The close proximity of the station saw thousands of people at one point disembark at the station to enter the shelter. ==Connections==