It is 7 miles 66 chains (12.6 km) down the line from London Victoria and is situated between Penge East and Beckenham Junction.

It lies above street level, where the booking office is situated; there is a subway and stairs to the platforms.

On 3 February 1993, an IRA bomb was detonated on a train at the station that was travelling from Victoria to Ramsgate.

The typical off-peak service in trains per hour is:[5] Additional services, including trains between Beckenham Junction and London Blackfriars call at the station during the peak hours.

Clock House station on the Hayes Line (formerly the Mid-Kent Line) is a short walk from this station, and has trains between London Charing Cross/Cannon Street and Hayes, which are also operated by Southeastern.