Four steel ladder masts anchor the glass box and the whole gives the impression of a suspension bridge that stretches into the distance.

External canopies cover the entrances, a café's open-air seating area and the approaches to the tram stop.

[10] It was announced in 2010 that Network Rail had proposed a £20m project to revamp the station with an additional entrance and a shortcut into the town centre.

There are refreshment stalls and vending machines in the seating areas on the platforms, and trolleys are available along with step-free access to buffets.

[10][12] The station became jointly administered by the L&BR and the South Eastern Railway (SER) in 1842, who shared the Brighton Main Line as far as Redhill.

[14] The terminal platforms at New Croydon proved difficult to operate, as there was limited space for locomotives to run around their trains.

As a result, in 1863 the LB&SCR obtained Parliamentary authority to build a one-mile (1.6 km) extension to a new terminus at South Croydon, which provided the additional operating room.

[15] In 1864, the LB&SCR obtained authorisation to construct a 0.5-mile (0.8 km) long branch line into the town centre near Katharine Street, where Central Croydon station was built.

Four steel ladder masts anchor the glass box and the whole gives the impression of a suspension bridge that stretches into the distance.

[citation needed] External canopies cover the entrances, a café's open-air seating area and the approaches to the tram stop.

It was announced in 2010 that Network Rail had proposed a £20m project to revamp the station with an additional entrance and a shortcut into the town centre.

The project included the lengthening of platforms, station remodelling, new railway infrastructure (e.g. viaducts and tunnels) and new rolling stock.

The project was completed in 2020[26] and has enabled 8 Thameslink trains per hour in each direction to service East Croydon.

[27] East Croydon serves destinations mainly in East Sussex, West Sussex, Surrey and Brighton & Hove, including Gatwick Airport, Horsham, Caterham, Tattenham Corner, Brighton, Reigate, Redhill, Hastings, Eastbourne, Bognor Regis, Portsmouth, Tonbridge and many suburban stations in South London.

Southeastern to London Charing Cross and Tunbridge Wells occasionally call at the station during periods of engineering work.

Services from London Bridge to Tunbridge Wells via Redhill were operated by Southeastern until December 2008, when they were transferred to Southern and curtailed at Tonbridge.

The alternative scheme called Ruskin Square, by the owners of the site Stanhope Schroders, includes a planned contribution of £1.1 million for station capacity improvements that could be quickly implemented and integrated into their planned scheme for a new urban park, a rebuilt Warehouse Theatre, a doctors' surgery, housing (50% "affordable") and modern offices on the Croydon Gateway site.

[citation needed] In 2020, Network Rail revealed a proposal to move the station 100m north as part of a redevelopment of the nearby Selhurst Triangle junction, with the aim of increasing capacity and improving reliability.

[40][41] The issue has been debated in the House of Commons, but current train operator Southern has not formally submitted a proposal for such a change to Transport for London, which is required for a station to be rezoned.

[42] A new entrance to the station was included as part of the Morello Quarter Phase II development being constructed to the east of the station, the plans stating: "New pedestrian entrance into East Croydon Station via a high quality landscaped public space, new stairs and a temporary link structure connecting to the existing station bridge";[43] however, at the East Croydon Community Organisation AGM on 16th July 2024, it was revealed by representatives of Network Rail that no ticket barrier would be installed by Network Rail at the Cherry Orchard Road (eastern) side of the bridge due to the cost of installation and subsequent staffing & maintenance.

Immediately outside the station is the Tramlink stop, with services to Elmers End, Beckenham Junction, New Addington and Wimbledon.

A major interchange, East Croydon has three tram platforms, two on an island, the other backing on to the station entrance.

In January 2006 the London Assembly issued statistics of crime in main-line railway stations outside Zone 1.