page_title: West Croydon to Wimbledon Line
hierarchical_section_title: West Croydon to Wimbledon Line
caption_attribution_description: Pre Grouping railway junction around Aldershot, Ash, Shalford, Basingstoke, Guildford &amp; Peasmarsh , Wimbledon
context_page_description: The West Croydon to Wimbledon Line was a railway line in south London. It was constructed by the Wimbledon and Croydon Railway over part of the trackbed of the Surrey Iron Railway. It opened on 22 October 1855 connecting the South West Main Line of the London and South Western Railway to the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway.
  Initially, it was operated under contract by its engineer George Parker Bidder, but in 1856 it was leased to the LB&SCR, which purchased it outright in 1858. After construction of the branch from Merton Park to Tooting in 1868 the section from Wimbledon to Merton Park became joint LSWR/LB&SCR. On 1 January 1923, under the 1921 grouping, it became part of the Southern Railway.
  The line was electrified using the 750 V third rail direct current power supply on 6 July 1930.
  Upon the privatisation of British Rail, the last two years of the line's operation was spent under the control of Connex South Central.
  The last public train ran on 31 May 1997 and the line closed on 2 June 1997 for most of it to be converted into the Croydon Tramlink network, eventually opening in May 2000.
caption: A 1912 Railway Clearing House map of the western end of the West Croydon to Wimbledon Line.
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