East London Line
Encyclopedia
The East London Line is a London Overground
line which runs north to south through the East End
, Docklands and South
areas of London.
Built in 1869 by the East London Railway Company, which reused the Thames Tunnel
, originally intended for horse-drawn carriages, the line became part of the London Underground
network in 1933. After operating for nearly 75 years as part of the Underground network, the line closed in December 2007 for an extensive rehabilitation and expansion project
, reopening as part of the Overground network in April 2010. Phase 2, which will link the line to the inner South London Line with a terminus at , is due to be completed after the 2012 Summer Olympics
in late 2012.
(GER), the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
(LB&SCR), the London, Chatham and Dover Railway
(LCDR), the South Eastern Railway
(SER), the Metropolitan Railway
, and the Metropolitan District Railway
. The latter two operated what are now the Metropolitan
, Circle, District
and Hammersmith & City
lines of the London Underground.
The companies reused the Thames Tunnel
, built by Marc and Isambard Kingdom Brunel
between 1825 and 1843. The tunnel was built for horse-drawn carriages with generous headroom and two carriageways separated by arches, though it was only used for pedestrian traffic. It connected Wapping
on the north bank of the Thames with Rotherhithe
on the south bank. A triumph of civil engineering, it was a commercial failure and by the 1860s it had become an unpleasant and disreputable place.
The tunnel was the most easterly land connection between the north and south banks of the Thames. It was close to London's docks on both banks of the river and was not far from mainline railways at either end. Converting the tunnel to a railway thus offered an ideal means of providing a cross-Thames rail link without having to go to the great expense of boring a new tunnel. On 25 September 1865 the East London Railway Company took ownership of the Thames Tunnel at a cost of £800,000. Over the next four years the company built a railway line running through the tunnel to connect with existing railway lines.
The line opened in stages as financing became available:
Terrier locomotives, which William Stroudley
designed partly with this line in mind. It carried both passenger and goods trains; the LB&SCR operated between Liverpool Street and Croydon
, the SER introducing a service between and Liverpool Street from April 1880 until March 1884. From March to September 1884 the SER service ran from Addiscombe to St Mary's (MR & MDR Joint Station). Metropolitan Railway services from St Mary's to (SER) and Metropolitan District Railway services from St Mary's to (LB&SCR) commenced on 1 October 1884. On 6 October through services started from Hammersmith (Hammersmith & City) to New Cross (SER) and from (MDR) to New Cross (LB&SCR).
Before the development of the Kent coalfield
s in the early part of the 20th century, house coal from the north for distribution in south London and as far afield as Maidstone
and Brighton
was an important source of revenue. Access at the north end of the line was difficult: trains were limited to 26 wagons and had to be shunted into the Great Eastern
's Liverpool Street station
and then drawn forward onto the East London line. From October 1900 additional capacity was offered by a wagon lift, carrying two ten-ton wagons, from the Great Eastern coal depot at Spitalfields to a siding on the ELR near Whitechapel station. The surface junction was taken up in 1966 and the lift closed in 1967, after a fire at the Spitalfields depot.
When the Metropolitan District Railway was electrified in 1905 it ceased using the ELR, the last trains running on 31 July 1905; similarly, the Metropolitan Railway suspended its service after 2 December 1906. LB&SCR and GER services continued to run, and SER services recommenced on 3 December 1906.
The line was later electrified, with the controlling railways funding the upgrade and the Metropolitan Railway providing the rolling stock. Electric services began on 31 March 1913 and ran from the two southern termini to Shoreditch and via and . In 1914 the service to South Kensington was diverted to .
After the 1923 Grouping
the goods service was operated by London and North Eastern Railway
(as successors to the GER), with the Metropolitan Railway continuing to provide passenger services.
In 1933 the East London Railway came under the control of the London Passenger Transport Board
. Although the infrastructure was still privately owned, passenger services along the line were operated under the auspices of the "East London Branch" of the Metropolitan Line
. In 1948 the railways were nationalised and became part of the newly created British Transport Commission
along with the Underground. Goods services continued to use the line until 1962, occasional passenger trains from Liverpool Street until 1966. The short length of track connecting Shoreditch to Liverpool St was removed in 1966. The service to Shoreditch was also reduced, with Whitechapel becoming the northern terminus for much of the time; by the time station closed in 2006, it was open at peak times on weekdays and most of Sundays (for Brick Lane Market
), and closed on Saturdays.
Services to and from further west were steadily curtailed during the early part of the Underground era. The service to Hammersmith was reduced to peak hours only in 1936 and was withdrawn altogether in 1941, leaving the East London branch as an isolated appendage on the edge of the Underground network. Its only passenger interchange to the Underground was at Whitechapel, with interchanges to main line
trains at the two New Cross stations. In the 1980s and 1990s the line gained two important new connections: became an interchange with the Docklands Light Railway
in 1987, and a new station was added at Canada Water in 1999 for interchange with the then new Jubilee Line extension
.
The identity of the East London line changed considerably during the London Underground era. On Tube maps between 1933 and 1968 it was depicted in the same colour as the Metropolitan line. In 1970 it was renamed the "Metropolitan Line - East London Section", in Metropolitan line purple with a white stripe down the middle. In the 1980s it was renamed as a line in its own right (though it was still grouped operationally with the Metropolitan line) and from 1990 the colour on the map changed to orange.
The maintenance of the line passed to the Metronet
consortium in 2003 under a Public-Private Partnership
, although the operation of trains continued to be the responsibility of TfL.
According to TfL, the line carried 10.7 million passengers per year before its temporary closure in 2007.
. It was the second shortest line (after the Waterloo & City Line
), with an end-to-end journey time of 14 minutes. Its length was 9 km (5.6 mi), with nine stations. At the time of its closure in 2007 it ran in a continuous tunnel from Whitechapel to Surrey Quays, with the remainder on the surface or in cutting. Much of the line was built as cut-and-cover. The deepest point is at Wapping station, constructed in the Thames Tunnel's original entrance shaft 18.29 m (60 ft) below the surface.
At time of closure, the line connected with Southeastern
mainline services at New Cross and Southern
at New Cross Gate. Underground connections were at Canada Water (Jubilee line
) and Whitechapel (District
and Hammersmith & City
Lines). A non-contiguous connection with the Docklands Light Railway
was at , with a separate DLR station some 50 m (150 ft) away. Although the interchange was via the street, through ticketing was permitted at time of closure in 2007.
A link with the Metropolitan and District lines was made just south of Whitechapel via St Mary's Curve. This has been out of passenger use since 1941 but was still used to transfer rolling stock to and from the Metropolitan line's main depot at Neasden
. The curve can easily be seen on the northbound and eastbound approaches to Whitechapel station, although a temporary wall was built across the line in January 2008, close to the junction with the District line.
Most of the line was double-tracked, with Shoreditch station and the final sections into the southern termini single-tracked, the latter because of lack of space. This required trains to alternate between the two southern termini.
A60 and A62 sub-surface rolling stock
built by Cravens of Sheffield in two batches between 1960 and 1962. It was upgraded in 1994 with improved suspension, lighting, heating and ventilation. The rolling stock was regularly interchanged with that used on the main Metropolitan line and usually carried both East London and Metropolitan line maps. However, the trains used on the ELL were always double-ended four-car units. (This means that there was a fully operational driving cab at each end, unlike the Metropolitan line trains that, aside from the Chesham shuttle, run as eight-car trains with no o.p.o. facilities in the middle cabs, making them effectively single-ended units for service work. The trains operating on the Metropolitan main line were mostly two single-ended units coupled together with fully operational driving cabs at each end. Therefore the Met. could use any ELL trains, but the ELL could use only the double-ended units converted for its use.)
Seven four-car trains operated the line (six off-peak, seven during peak hours when Shoreditch was open). During off-peak times, train 7 became the spare. The line operated some of the shortest trains on the network, necessitated by short platforms. The small number of trains made the line particularly sensitive to disruption caused by vandalism, train faults or staff shortages. Sometimes in the early 2000s only two trains were running. The withdrawal of a single train amounted to a 17% cut in capacity — the Metropolitan line would have to lose nine trains to suffer the same percentage cut. Trains were operated by just a driver: the decision to withdraw the guards prompted an unsuccessful strike by the National Union of Railwaymen
in May 1985.
Light maintenance and stabling took place at a small depot near New Cross, with heavier work at the main Metropolitan line depot at Neasden
. Between 1985 and 1987, D78 stock operated the line before being replaced by A60 and A62 stock. During the 1970s the line was operated by 1938 Tube stock.
started in 2005 and the existing underground service ended in December 2007.
In 2007 London Buses route ELW Whitechapel - Shadwell - Wapping was introduced, operating every 10 minutes, or every 15 minutes at evenings and weekends. It was operated with route-branded single-deck buses. Starting on 23 December 2007 it was extended from Whitechapel to Shoreditch (Monday-Friday 0700-1030 & 1530-2030, Sunday 0700-1530) from 19 July 2008. The frequency of the route was cut to four buses per hour in September 2009. It was reduced to weekends-only from 28 April 2010, and withdrawn on 9 May 2010.
Between 2006 and May 2008 a number of other rail replacement buses were provided. Route ELS Whitechapel - Shoreditch (Monday-Friday 0700-1030 & 1530-2030, Sunday 0700-1530 commenced 10 June 2006 and was withdrawn on 19 July 2008. It was replaced by a peak-hour extension of route ELW.
Route ELC New Cross Gate - New Cross - Surrey Quays - Canada Water (Monday-Friday every 5–10 minutes, weekends every 15 minutes) started on 23 December 2007. It was withdrawn on 25 September 2009 following a 40% drop in passenger numbers. Transport for London estimated that this saved around £1 million over the period to June 2010.
London Buses route ELP Canada Water - Rotherhithe (every 15 minutes) began on 23 December 2007 and was withdrawn on 24 February 2008 due to lack of use: tickets were valid between Bermondsey and Canada Water on standard route 381
.
Once construction was completed, a limited service was introduced on 27 April 2010 and full service began on 23 May 2010.
The former underground line was extended northwards from Whitechapel, with new stations at , , and using 3.6 km of new trackbed between Whitechapel and the Broad Street viaduct and existing disused trackbeds for most of the distance. A further extension to was opened in February 2011.
It was also extended south to connect to the arm of the Brighton Main Line
, linked via a northbound flyover north of New Cross Gate. Other than the new flyover and some associated works around New Cross Gate, it uses almost entirely existing tracks, with services running south to West Croydon
via , , , Sydenham, , (by way of a branch), and . No new stations have been constructed on this section.
The official opening of most of phase 1 of the East London line extension
took place on 23 May 2010.
Use of the line is forecast to increase from the previous 10.4 million passengers per year to 35.4 million, and to 50 million when phase 2 is finished. 23 new four-car Bombardier
units were provided as well as 25 dual-voltage three-car units for the North London Line
. These are Class 378 Capitalstar
trains.
The existing track and the northern extension remain under TfL ownership, and the stations from Dalston Junction to Surrey Quays are part of the London Overground network. The extension runs northwards from Whitechapel to , and south to and West Croydon
.
. It will run from south of to the Network Rail Inner South London Line to , by way of , , , and . Work is scheduled for completion by late 2012. A new station at was also planned, but this was put on hold in 2009, though a suitable 'box' is being provided as part of the existing works, to facilitate later possible implementation.
The extension uses an alignment between Rotherhithe and Peckham which had been disused since 1911 via the defunct Old Kent Road station. The route skirts the Bridgehouse Meadows public open space; this is currently (July 2011) being used as the construction site, but will be restored to public use on completion. The former pedestrian bridge and support piers over Surrey Canal Road have been demolished, as a precursor to building the railway bridge; Surrey Canal Road will be lowered to allow the railway to cross at a suitable height.
London Overground
London Overground is a suburban rail network in London and Hertfordshire. It has been operated by London Overground Rail Operations since 2007 as part of the National Rail network, under the franchise control and branding of Transport for London...
line which runs north to south through the East End
East End of London
The East End of London, also known simply as the East End, is the area of London, England, United Kingdom, east of the medieval walled City of London and north of the River Thames. Although not defined by universally accepted formal boundaries, the River Lea can be considered another boundary...
, Docklands and South
South London
South London is the southern part of London, England, United Kingdom.According to the 2011 official Boundary Commission for England definition, South London includes the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton and...
areas of London.
Built in 1869 by the East London Railway Company, which reused the Thames Tunnel
Thames Tunnel
The Thames Tunnel is an underwater tunnel, built beneath the River Thames in London, United Kingdom, connecting Rotherhithe and Wapping. It measures 35 feet wide by 20 feet high and is 1,300 feet long, running at a depth of 75 feet below the river's surface...
, originally intended for horse-drawn carriages, the line became part of the London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
network in 1933. After operating for nearly 75 years as part of the Underground network, the line closed in December 2007 for an extensive rehabilitation and expansion project
East London line extension
The East London line extension project is a British railway engineering project in London, managed by Transport for London. The project involves extending the East London Line and making it part of the mainline London Overground network...
, reopening as part of the Overground network in April 2010. Phase 2, which will link the line to the inner South London Line with a terminus at , is due to be completed after the 2012 Summer Olympics
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the "London 2012 Olympic Games", are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012...
in late 2012.
Establishment of the East London Railway
The East London Railway was created by the East London Railway Company, a consortium of six railway companies: the Great Eastern RailwayGreat Eastern Railway
The Great Eastern Railway was a pre-grouping British railway company, whose main line linked London Liverpool Street to Norwich and which had other lines through East Anglia...
(GER), the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1846 to 1922. Its territory formed a rough triangle, with London at its apex, practically the whole coastline of Sussex as its base, and a large part of Surrey...
(LB&SCR), the London, Chatham and Dover Railway
London, Chatham and Dover Railway
The London, Chatham and Dover Railway was a railway company in south-eastern England from 1859 until the 1923 grouping which united it with other companies to form the Southern Railway. Its lines ran through London and northern and eastern Kent to form a significant part of the Greater London...
(LCDR), the South Eastern Railway
South Eastern Railway (UK)
The South Eastern Railway was a railway company in south-eastern England from 1836 until 1922. The company was formed to construct a route from London to Dover. Branch lines were later opened to Tunbridge Wells, Hastings, Canterbury and other places in Kent...
(SER), the Metropolitan Railway
Metropolitan railway
Metropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...
, and the Metropolitan District Railway
Metropolitan District Railway
The Metropolitan District Railway was the predecessor of the District line of the London Underground. Set up on 29 July 1864, at first to complete the "Inner Circle" railway around central London, it was gradually extended into the suburbs...
. The latter two operated what are now the Metropolitan
Metropolitan Line
The Metropolitan line is part of the London Underground. It is coloured in Transport for London's Corporate Magenta on the Tube map and in other branding. It was the first underground railway in the world, opening as the Metropolitan Railway on 10 January 1863...
, Circle, District
District Line
The District line is a line of the London Underground, coloured green on the Tube map. It is a "sub-surface" line, running through the central area in shallow cut-and-cover tunnels. It is the busiest of the sub-surface lines. Out of the 60 stations served, 25 are underground...
and Hammersmith & City
Hammersmith & City Line
The Hammersmith & City line is a subsurface London Underground line. It connects Hammersmith in the west with Barking in the east, running through the northern part of central London. It is coloured salmon pink on the Tube map...
lines of the London Underground.
The companies reused the Thames Tunnel
Thames Tunnel
The Thames Tunnel is an underwater tunnel, built beneath the River Thames in London, United Kingdom, connecting Rotherhithe and Wapping. It measures 35 feet wide by 20 feet high and is 1,300 feet long, running at a depth of 75 feet below the river's surface...
, built by Marc and Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS , was a British civil engineer who built bridges and dockyards including the construction of the first major British railway, the Great Western Railway; a series of steamships, including the first propeller-driven transatlantic steamship; and numerous important bridges...
between 1825 and 1843. The tunnel was built for horse-drawn carriages with generous headroom and two carriageways separated by arches, though it was only used for pedestrian traffic. It connected Wapping
Wapping
Wapping is a place in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets which forms part of the Docklands to the east of the City of London. It is situated between the north bank of the River Thames and the ancient thoroughfare simply called The Highway...
on the north bank of the Thames with Rotherhithe
Rotherhithe
Rotherhithe is a residential district in inner southeast London, England and part of the London Borough of Southwark. It is located on a peninsula on the south bank of the Thames, facing Wapping and the Isle of Dogs on the north bank, and is a part of the Docklands area...
on the south bank. A triumph of civil engineering, it was a commercial failure and by the 1860s it had become an unpleasant and disreputable place.
The tunnel was the most easterly land connection between the north and south banks of the Thames. It was close to London's docks on both banks of the river and was not far from mainline railways at either end. Converting the tunnel to a railway thus offered an ideal means of providing a cross-Thames rail link without having to go to the great expense of boring a new tunnel. On 25 September 1865 the East London Railway Company took ownership of the Thames Tunnel at a cost of £800,000. Over the next four years the company built a railway line running through the tunnel to connect with existing railway lines.
The line opened in stages as financing became available:
- 7 December 1869: Initial line from (then known as New Cross) to opened, operated by the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway (LB&SCR). Intermediate stations were opened at Deptford Road (now Surrey Quays) and
- 13 March 1871: A spur was opened from just south of what is now station to the South London LineSouth London LineSouth London Line may refer to one of two semicircular railway lines which both run between London Victoria and London Bridge stations through the southern suburbs of London, UK:*Inner South London Line - running via Denmark Hill and Peckham Rye...
's Old Kent Road railway stationOld Kent Road railway stationOld Kent Road railway station was a station in South London. It opened on 13 July 1866 on a viaduct and bridge crossing the road at a junction with a line to London Bridge and what became Surrey Quays tube station on the East London Line and Queen's Road Peckham railway station on the Inner South...
. Services were withdrawn in 1911 and the track was subsequently removed - 19 April 1876: to opened, running through a cut-and-cover tunnel constructed in part along the bottom of a now infilled dock. At Shoreditch a connection was made with the Great Eastern Railway to . Intermediate stations were opened at and Whitechapel
- 1 April 1880: A spur to (South Eastern Railway) opened
- 3 March 1884: A spur linking the Metropolitan and Metropolitan District Railways to the East London Railway opened south of Whitechapel. This enabled Metropolitan RailwayMetropolitan LineThe Metropolitan line is part of the London Underground. It is coloured in Transport for London's Corporate Magenta on the Tube map and in other branding. It was the first underground railway in the world, opening as the Metropolitan Railway on 10 January 1863...
and Metropolitan District RailwayDistrict LineThe District line is a line of the London Underground, coloured green on the Tube map. It is a "sub-surface" line, running through the central area in shallow cut-and-cover tunnels. It is the busiest of the sub-surface lines. Out of the 60 stations served, 25 are underground...
(District) trains to commence through services to the East London Railway later that year. Although passenger services via this spur ceased in 1941, it was retained to transfer empty trains between the East London line and the rest of the sub-surface network
 |
Early utilisation
The East London Railway Company owned the infrastructure but it was operated by its controlling railways. Steam trains were initially operated by the GER, LB&SCR and the SER. The LB&SCR used their LBSCR A1 ClassLB&SCR A1 Class
The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway A1 Class is an English class of 0-6-0T steam locomotive. Designed by William Stroudley, 50 members of the class were built in 1872 and between 1874 and 1880, all at Brighton Works. The class have received several nicknames, initially being known as...
Terrier locomotives, which William Stroudley
William Stroudley
William Stroudley was one of Britain's most famous steam locomotive engineers of the nineteenth century, working principally for the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway...
designed partly with this line in mind. It carried both passenger and goods trains; the LB&SCR operated between Liverpool Street and Croydon
Croydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
, the SER introducing a service between and Liverpool Street from April 1880 until March 1884. From March to September 1884 the SER service ran from Addiscombe to St Mary's (MR & MDR Joint Station). Metropolitan Railway services from St Mary's to (SER) and Metropolitan District Railway services from St Mary's to (LB&SCR) commenced on 1 October 1884. On 6 October through services started from Hammersmith (Hammersmith & City) to New Cross (SER) and from (MDR) to New Cross (LB&SCR).
Before the development of the Kent coalfield
Kent coalfield
The Kent Coalfield was a coalfield located in the eastern part of the English county of Kent.Coal was discovered in the area in 1890 while borings for an early Channel Tunnel project were taking place and the resultant Shakespeare colliery lasted until 1915...
s in the early part of the 20th century, house coal from the north for distribution in south London and as far afield as Maidstone
Maidstone
Maidstone is the county town of Kent, England, south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town linking Maidstone to Rochester and the Thames Estuary. Historically, the river was a source and route for much of the town's trade. Maidstone was the centre of the agricultural...
and Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
was an important source of revenue. Access at the north end of the line was difficult: trains were limited to 26 wagons and had to be shunted into the Great Eastern
Great Eastern Railway
The Great Eastern Railway was a pre-grouping British railway company, whose main line linked London Liverpool Street to Norwich and which had other lines through East Anglia...
's Liverpool Street station
Liverpool Street station
Liverpool Street railway station, also known as London Liverpool Street or simply Liverpool Street, is both a central London railway terminus and a connected London Underground station in the north-eastern corner of the City of London, England...
and then drawn forward onto the East London line. From October 1900 additional capacity was offered by a wagon lift, carrying two ten-ton wagons, from the Great Eastern coal depot at Spitalfields to a siding on the ELR near Whitechapel station. The surface junction was taken up in 1966 and the lift closed in 1967, after a fire at the Spitalfields depot.
When the Metropolitan District Railway was electrified in 1905 it ceased using the ELR, the last trains running on 31 July 1905; similarly, the Metropolitan Railway suspended its service after 2 December 1906. LB&SCR and GER services continued to run, and SER services recommenced on 3 December 1906.
The line was later electrified, with the controlling railways funding the upgrade and the Metropolitan Railway providing the rolling stock. Electric services began on 31 March 1913 and ran from the two southern termini to Shoreditch and via and . In 1914 the service to South Kensington was diverted to .
After the 1923 Grouping
Railways Act 1921
The Railways Act 1921, also known as the Grouping Act, was an enactment by the British government of David Lloyd George intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, move the railways away from internal competition, and to retain some of the benefits which...
the goods service was operated by London and North Eastern Railway
London and North Eastern Railway
The London and North Eastern Railway was the second-largest of the "Big Four" railway companies created by the Railways Act 1921 in Britain...
(as successors to the GER), with the Metropolitan Railway continuing to provide passenger services.
The London Underground era
London Passenger Transport Board
The London Passenger Transport Board was the organisation responsible for public transport in London, UK, and its environs from 1933 to 1948...
. Although the infrastructure was still privately owned, passenger services along the line were operated under the auspices of the "East London Branch" of the Metropolitan Line
Metropolitan Line
The Metropolitan line is part of the London Underground. It is coloured in Transport for London's Corporate Magenta on the Tube map and in other branding. It was the first underground railway in the world, opening as the Metropolitan Railway on 10 January 1863...
. In 1948 the railways were nationalised and became part of the newly created British Transport Commission
British Transport Commission
The British Transport Commission was created by Clement Attlee's post-war Labour government as a part of its nationalisation programme, to oversee railways, canals and road freight transport in Great Britain...
along with the Underground. Goods services continued to use the line until 1962, occasional passenger trains from Liverpool Street until 1966. The short length of track connecting Shoreditch to Liverpool St was removed in 1966. The service to Shoreditch was also reduced, with Whitechapel becoming the northern terminus for much of the time; by the time station closed in 2006, it was open at peak times on weekdays and most of Sundays (for Brick Lane Market
Brick Lane Market
Brick Lane Market is a London market centred around Brick Lane, Tower Hamlets. It is located at the northern end of Brick Lane and along Cheshire Street in east London. It operates every Sunday from around 8am to 2pm....
), and closed on Saturdays.
Services to and from further west were steadily curtailed during the early part of the Underground era. The service to Hammersmith was reduced to peak hours only in 1936 and was withdrawn altogether in 1941, leaving the East London branch as an isolated appendage on the edge of the Underground network. Its only passenger interchange to the Underground was at Whitechapel, with interchanges to main line
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
trains at the two New Cross stations. In the 1980s and 1990s the line gained two important new connections: became an interchange with the Docklands Light Railway
Docklands Light Railway
The Docklands Light Railway is an automated light metro or light rail system opened on 31 August 1987 to serve the redeveloped Docklands area of London...
in 1987, and a new station was added at Canada Water in 1999 for interchange with the then new Jubilee Line extension
Jubilee Line
The Jubilee line is a line on the London Underground , in the United Kingdom. It was built in two major sections—initially to Charing Cross, in central London, and later extended, in 1999, to Stratford, in east London. The later stations are larger and have special safety features, both aspects...
.
The identity of the East London line changed considerably during the London Underground era. On Tube maps between 1933 and 1968 it was depicted in the same colour as the Metropolitan line. In 1970 it was renamed the "Metropolitan Line - East London Section", in Metropolitan line purple with a white stripe down the middle. In the 1980s it was renamed as a line in its own right (though it was still grouped operationally with the Metropolitan line) and from 1990 the colour on the map changed to orange.
The maintenance of the line passed to the Metronet
Metronet
Metronet Rail was one of two companies in a public-private partnership with London Underground.Metronet was responsible for the maintenance, renewal, and upgrade of the infrastructure on nine London Underground lines from 2003 to 2008. This included track, trains, signals, civil work and stations...
consortium in 2003 under a Public-Private Partnership
Public-private partnership
Public–private partnership describes a government service or private business venture which is funded and operated through a partnership of government and one or more private sector companies...
, although the operation of trains continued to be the responsibility of TfL.
According to TfL, the line carried 10.7 million passengers per year before its temporary closure in 2007.
Physical characteristics
The East London Line was the only Underground line not to penetrate Travelcard Zone 1Travelcard Zone 1
Fare zone 1 is the central zone of Transport for London's zonal fare system used for calculating the price of tickets for travel on the London Underground, London Overground, Docklands Light Railway and, since 2007, on National Rail services. For most tickets, travel through the zone is charged...
. It was the second shortest line (after the Waterloo & City Line
Waterloo & City Line
The Waterloo & City line is a short underground railway line in London, which was formally opened on 11 July 1898. It has only two stations, Waterloo and Bank...
), with an end-to-end journey time of 14 minutes. Its length was 9 km (5.6 mi), with nine stations. At the time of its closure in 2007 it ran in a continuous tunnel from Whitechapel to Surrey Quays, with the remainder on the surface or in cutting. Much of the line was built as cut-and-cover. The deepest point is at Wapping station, constructed in the Thames Tunnel's original entrance shaft 18.29 m (60 ft) below the surface.
At time of closure, the line connected with Southeastern
Southeastern (train operating company)
London & South Eastern Railway Limited, trading as Southeastern is a train operating company in south-east England. On 1 April 2006 it became the franchisee for the new Integrated Kent Franchise , replacing the publicly owned South Eastern Trains on the former South East Franchise...
mainline services at New Cross and Southern
Southern (train operating company)
Southern is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Officially named Southern Railway Ltd., it is a subsidiary of Govia, a joint venture between transport groups Go-Ahead Group and Keolis, and has operated the South Central rail franchise since October 2000 and the Gatwick Express service...
at New Cross Gate. Underground connections were at Canada Water (Jubilee line
Jubilee Line
The Jubilee line is a line on the London Underground , in the United Kingdom. It was built in two major sections—initially to Charing Cross, in central London, and later extended, in 1999, to Stratford, in east London. The later stations are larger and have special safety features, both aspects...
) and Whitechapel (District
District Line
The District line is a line of the London Underground, coloured green on the Tube map. It is a "sub-surface" line, running through the central area in shallow cut-and-cover tunnels. It is the busiest of the sub-surface lines. Out of the 60 stations served, 25 are underground...
and Hammersmith & City
Hammersmith & City Line
The Hammersmith & City line is a subsurface London Underground line. It connects Hammersmith in the west with Barking in the east, running through the northern part of central London. It is coloured salmon pink on the Tube map...
Lines). A non-contiguous connection with the Docklands Light Railway
Docklands Light Railway
The Docklands Light Railway is an automated light metro or light rail system opened on 31 August 1987 to serve the redeveloped Docklands area of London...
was at , with a separate DLR station some 50 m (150 ft) away. Although the interchange was via the street, through ticketing was permitted at time of closure in 2007.
A link with the Metropolitan and District lines was made just south of Whitechapel via St Mary's Curve. This has been out of passenger use since 1941 but was still used to transfer rolling stock to and from the Metropolitan line's main depot at Neasden
Neasden tube station
Neasden Underground station is a London Underground station in Neasden. It is on the Jubilee Line, between Wembley Park and Dollis Hill. Metropolitan Line trains pass through the station but do not stop, except on rare occasions...
. The curve can easily be seen on the northbound and eastbound approaches to Whitechapel station, although a temporary wall was built across the line in January 2008, close to the junction with the District line.
Most of the line was double-tracked, with Shoreditch station and the final sections into the southern termini single-tracked, the latter because of lack of space. This required trains to alternate between the two southern termini.
Rolling stock
The East London line used Metropolitan LineMetropolitan Line
The Metropolitan line is part of the London Underground. It is coloured in Transport for London's Corporate Magenta on the Tube map and in other branding. It was the first underground railway in the world, opening as the Metropolitan Railway on 10 January 1863...
A60 and A62 sub-surface rolling stock
London Underground A60 Stock
The A Stock is the type of train used on the Metropolitan Line of the London Underground. It was built in two batches by Cravens of Sheffield in the early 1960s. The trains replaced all the previous stock then used on the Metropolitan Line...
built by Cravens of Sheffield in two batches between 1960 and 1962. It was upgraded in 1994 with improved suspension, lighting, heating and ventilation. The rolling stock was regularly interchanged with that used on the main Metropolitan line and usually carried both East London and Metropolitan line maps. However, the trains used on the ELL were always double-ended four-car units. (This means that there was a fully operational driving cab at each end, unlike the Metropolitan line trains that, aside from the Chesham shuttle, run as eight-car trains with no o.p.o. facilities in the middle cabs, making them effectively single-ended units for service work. The trains operating on the Metropolitan main line were mostly two single-ended units coupled together with fully operational driving cabs at each end. Therefore the Met. could use any ELL trains, but the ELL could use only the double-ended units converted for its use.)
Seven four-car trains operated the line (six off-peak, seven during peak hours when Shoreditch was open). During off-peak times, train 7 became the spare. The line operated some of the shortest trains on the network, necessitated by short platforms. The small number of trains made the line particularly sensitive to disruption caused by vandalism, train faults or staff shortages. Sometimes in the early 2000s only two trains were running. The withdrawal of a single train amounted to a 17% cut in capacity — the Metropolitan line would have to lose nine trains to suffer the same percentage cut. Trains were operated by just a driver: the decision to withdraw the guards prompted an unsuccessful strike by the National Union of Railwaymen
National Union of Railwaymen
The National Union of Railwaymen was a trade union of railway workers in the United Kingdom. It an industrial union founded in 1913 by the merger of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants , the United Pointsmen and Signalmen's Society and the General Railway Workers' Union .The NUR...
in May 1985.
Light maintenance and stabling took place at a small depot near New Cross, with heavier work at the main Metropolitan line depot at Neasden
Neasden
Neasden is an area in northwest London, UK. It forms part of the London Borough of Brent.-History:The area was recorded as Neasdun in 939 AD and the name is derived from the Old English nēos = 'nose' and dūn = 'hill'. It means 'the nose-shaped hill' referring to a well-defined landmark of this area...
. Between 1985 and 1987, D78 stock operated the line before being replaced by A60 and A62 stock. During the 1970s the line was operated by 1938 Tube stock.
Stations
The London underground period stations in order from north to south were as follows:| Station | Opened | First Underground service | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whitechapel | 10 April 1876 | 31 March 1913 | Interchange with District District Line The District line is a line of the London Underground, coloured green on the Tube map. It is a "sub-surface" line, running through the central area in shallow cut-and-cover tunnels. It is the busiest of the sub-surface lines. Out of the 60 stations served, 25 are underground... and Hammersmith & City Hammersmith & City Line The Hammersmith & City line is a subsurface London Underground line. It connects Hammersmith in the west with Barking in the east, running through the northern part of central London. It is coloured salmon pink on the Tube map... Lines. |
| 10 April 1876 | 1 October 1884 | Interchange with Docklands Light Railway Docklands Light Railway The Docklands Light Railway is an automated light metro or light rail system opened on 31 August 1987 to serve the redeveloped Docklands area of London... . |
|
| 7 December 1869 | 1 October 1884 | ||
| 7 December 1869 | 1 October 1884 | ||
| Canada Water | 17 September 1999 | 17 September 1999 | Interchange with Jubilee Line Jubilee Line The Jubilee line is a line on the London Underground , in the United Kingdom. It was built in two major sections—initially to Charing Cross, in central London, and later extended, in 1999, to Stratford, in east London. The later stations are larger and have special safety features, both aspects... . |
| 7 December 1869 | 1 October 1884 | Station was opened as Deptford Road, and renamed Surrey Docks in 1911. | |
| line splits | |||
| 7 December 1869 | 1 October 1884 | Interchange with Southern Southern (train operating company) Southern is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Officially named Southern Railway Ltd., it is a subsidiary of Govia, a joint venture between transport groups Go-Ahead Group and Keolis, and has operated the South Central rail franchise since October 2000 and the Gatwick Express service... mainline services. Mainline station was opened as New Cross in 1839, and renamed in 1923. |
|
| 1 April 1880 | 1 October 1884 | Interchange with Southeastern Southeastern (train operating company) London & South Eastern Railway Limited, trading as Southeastern is a train operating company in south-east England. On 1 April 2006 it became the franchisee for the new Integrated Kent Franchise , replacing the publicly owned South Eastern Trains on the former South East Franchise... mainline services. Mainline station was opened in 1850. |
|
Conversion to Overground rail operation
Engineering work on the East London line extensionEast London line extension
The East London line extension project is a British railway engineering project in London, managed by Transport for London. The project involves extending the East London Line and making it part of the mainline London Overground network...
started in 2005 and the existing underground service ended in December 2007.
In 2007 London Buses route ELW Whitechapel - Shadwell - Wapping was introduced, operating every 10 minutes, or every 15 minutes at evenings and weekends. It was operated with route-branded single-deck buses. Starting on 23 December 2007 it was extended from Whitechapel to Shoreditch (Monday-Friday 0700-1030 & 1530-2030, Sunday 0700-1530) from 19 July 2008. The frequency of the route was cut to four buses per hour in September 2009. It was reduced to weekends-only from 28 April 2010, and withdrawn on 9 May 2010.
Between 2006 and May 2008 a number of other rail replacement buses were provided. Route ELS Whitechapel - Shoreditch (Monday-Friday 0700-1030 & 1530-2030, Sunday 0700-1530 commenced 10 June 2006 and was withdrawn on 19 July 2008. It was replaced by a peak-hour extension of route ELW.
Route ELC New Cross Gate - New Cross - Surrey Quays - Canada Water (Monday-Friday every 5–10 minutes, weekends every 15 minutes) started on 23 December 2007. It was withdrawn on 25 September 2009 following a 40% drop in passenger numbers. Transport for London estimated that this saved around £1 million over the period to June 2010.
London Buses route ELP Canada Water - Rotherhithe (every 15 minutes) began on 23 December 2007 and was withdrawn on 24 February 2008 due to lack of use: tickets were valid between Bermondsey and Canada Water on standard route 381
London Buses route 381
London Buses route 381 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Abellio London.-History:...
.
Once construction was completed, a limited service was introduced on 27 April 2010 and full service began on 23 May 2010.
East London Line extension - phase 1
It was also extended south to connect to the arm of the Brighton Main Line
Brighton Main Line
The Brighton Main Line is a British railway line from London Victoria and London Bridge to Brighton. It is about 50 miles long, and is electrified throughout. Trains are operated by Southern, First Capital Connect, and Gatwick Express, now part of Southern.-Original proposals:There were no fewer...
, linked via a northbound flyover north of New Cross Gate. Other than the new flyover and some associated works around New Cross Gate, it uses almost entirely existing tracks, with services running south to West Croydon
West Croydon station
West Croydon station is a transport interchange for National Rail and Tramlink services, as well as London Buses. It is in the London Borough of Croydon and Travelcard Zone 5...
via , , , Sydenham, , (by way of a branch), and . No new stations have been constructed on this section.
The official opening of most of phase 1 of the East London line extension
East London line extension
The East London line extension project is a British railway engineering project in London, managed by Transport for London. The project involves extending the East London Line and making it part of the mainline London Overground network...
took place on 23 May 2010.
Use of the line is forecast to increase from the previous 10.4 million passengers per year to 35.4 million, and to 50 million when phase 2 is finished. 23 new four-car Bombardier
Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany....
units were provided as well as 25 dual-voltage three-car units for the North London Line
North London Line
The North London Line is a railway line which passes through the inner suburbs of north London, England. Its route is a rough semicircle from the south west to the north east, avoiding central London. The line is owned and maintained by Network Rail...
. These are Class 378 Capitalstar
British Rail Class 378
The Class 378 Capitalstar is a type of electric multiple-unit train, part of Bombardier Transportation's Electrostar family. These trains are operating on the new London Overground network...
trains.
The existing track and the northern extension remain under TfL ownership, and the stations from Dalston Junction to Surrey Quays are part of the London Overground network. The extension runs northwards from Whitechapel to , and south to and West Croydon
West Croydon station
West Croydon station is a transport interchange for National Rail and Tramlink services, as well as London Buses. It is in the London Borough of Croydon and Travelcard Zone 5...
.
Highbury & Islington extension
The line has been extended northwards to . The extension opened on 28 February 2011, two months earlier than previously announced, with 8 trains per hour during most of the day. The first train, running with the headcode 9A20, was the 09:55 Highbury & Islington - Crystal Palace which departed on time from platform 2 and was formed of a four car class 378 unit.East London line extension phase 2
A further 2.5 km link is under construction as part of the East London line extensionEast London line extension
The East London line extension project is a British railway engineering project in London, managed by Transport for London. The project involves extending the East London Line and making it part of the mainline London Overground network...
. It will run from south of to the Network Rail Inner South London Line to , by way of , , , and . Work is scheduled for completion by late 2012. A new station at was also planned, but this was put on hold in 2009, though a suitable 'box' is being provided as part of the existing works, to facilitate later possible implementation.
The extension uses an alignment between Rotherhithe and Peckham which had been disused since 1911 via the defunct Old Kent Road station. The route skirts the Bridgehouse Meadows public open space; this is currently (July 2011) being used as the construction site, but will be restored to public use on completion. The former pedestrian bridge and support piers over Surrey Canal Road have been demolished, as a precursor to building the railway bridge; Surrey Canal Road will be lowered to allow the railway to cross at a suitable height.
External links
- East London line - London Underground website
- East London line Project (official home page)
- East London line extensions map
- Official suspension notice
- Video Flyover of Phase 1
- Photos of the East London Line and Thames Tunnel while still London Underground