The St John's Society, which arranged the memorial, also wanted to thank the local people who took in the injured and stranded on the night.
A memorial plaque to the victims of the 1957 Lewisham rail crash was unveiled at St John’s station on Saturday 19 September, at a ceremony organised by the St John’s Society.
On 4 December 1957 a steam train and an electric train crashed into each other in dense fog. Ninety people were killed and many more were hurt. The collision ranks among the deadliest accidents Britain’s railways have seen.
People living nearby joined the rescue straight away, caring for injured passengers and giving shelter to those left stranded. A debate in Parliament the following day heard that local people had freely handed over their homes and possessions to help the rescuers.
Litsa Breingan of the St John’s Society, which arranged the plaque, said: “I just felt that this was really important, that we should recognise the people who lived in St John’s before.” She said the aim was to thank them for the huge effort they made that night.
Tony Redding, a local author and historian, said: “It was the first time I ever saw my father cry.” His father was a British Rail employee in 1957 and was among those who freed trapped passengers from the wreckage. Redding called the memorial overdue and said it was right that the victims should be remembered at the station.
The maroon plaque is fixed to the long brick wall on the approach to the station entrance. It is part of Lewisham Council’s heritage scheme and was paid for by the Railway Heritage Trust and the St John’s Society. Saturday’s ceremony included speeches, readings, music and choir performances.
The crash led to a government report. Investigators put the number on board the electric train at roughly 1,500, with another 700 aboard the steam train. Recovering the wreckage and clearing the tracks took more than a week before the lines could reopen.
It happened on 4 December 1957, when a steam train and an electric train collided in thick fog, killing 90 people.
It is on the long brick wall on the approach to the entrance of St John's station.
The Railway Heritage Trust and the St John's Society funded it, as part of Lewisham Council's heritage scheme.
Investigators put the figure at roughly 1,500 on the electric train, with another 700 aboard the steam train.
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