103-930: The East London line is part of the London Overground , running north to south through the East , Docklands and South areas of London. It was previously a line of the London Underground . Built in 1869 by the East London Railway Company , which reused the Thames Tunnel intended for horse-drawn carriages, the line became part of the London Underground network in 1933. After nearly 75 years as part of that network, it closed on 22 December 2007 for an extensive refurbishment and expansion , reopening as part of
206-474: A 50:50 joint venture between Laing Rail and MTR Corporation , was chosen by TfL on 19 June 2007. The contract was signed on 2 July 2007 for seven years with the option of a two-year extension. In preparation for the launch of the Overground, MTR Laing renamed itself London Overground Rail Operations. In February 2013, it was awarded a concession extension until 14 November 2016. In April 2015, TfL placed
309-501: A branch), Anerley and Norwood Junction . The official opening of most of phase 1 of the East London line extension took place on 23 May 2010. Use of the line was 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. Transport for London acquired 20 new four-car Class 378 Bombardier Capitalstar electric multiple units to operate on
412-709: A considerable portion of the network in Zone 2 . The network also uses Euston in central London, the southern terminus of the Watford DC line. The network interchanges with the Bakerloo , Central , Circle , District , Hammersmith & City , Jubilee , Metropolitan , Northern and Victoria tube lines, and also with the Docklands Light Railway , Elizabeth line and Tramlink networks. The Overground lines appear on Tube maps issued by TfL, and
515-610: A light green background. This ticket stock, coded "TFL" on the reverse, was introduced in November 2007. Oyster PAYG is charged on the same zone-based rules as for the Underground and the Docklands Light Railway . Stations outside Greater London (except Watford Junction) are included in the new Travelcard Zones 7-9 . On 2 January 2008 Acton Central was moved from zone 2 to 3, Hampstead Heath from 3 to 2 and Willesden Junction from 3 to both 2 and 3. Paper tickets are charged on
618-501: A model similar to that used for the Docklands Light Railway , TfL invited tenders for operation of the Overground. Unlike other National Rail operators under the franchise control of the Department for Transport , TfL sets fares, procures rolling stock and decides service levels. The operator takes only a small element of revenue risk, with TfL taking 90% and the operator 10%. The first operator, London Overground Rail Operations ,
721-603: A notice in the Official Journal of the European Union , inviting expressions of interest in operating the next concession. In March 2016, TfL announced that Arriva Rail London had won the right to operate the London Overground concession, starting from 13 November 2016. In June 2023, Arriva announced a contract extension had been secured with TfL, pushing the expiry date to May 2026. Ticketing
824-516: A number of stations. The stations that did not have barriers when TfL took over have been fitted with standalone Oyster card readers similar to those at ungated Underground and DLR stations. The validators at Blackhorse Road which were needed to enter/exit the Oyster card system when changing to and from the Victoria line were replaced with route validators, coloured pink: these are used to show that
927-551: A rail-replacement bus service operated. 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 became a line in its own right (though it
1030-617: A route from Clapham Junction to the Greenwich Peninsula , intended to improve access from south London to the Millennium Dome . However, this was thwarted by architect Richard Rogers who considered that a railway route on a viaduct could cause "community severance", and so the Victorian brick viaduct was demolished. Nothing further happened to develop this network until after the new Greater London Authority (GLA)
1133-558: A separate map of the system is available. Much of London Overground passes through less affluent areas, and is seen as contributing to their regeneration. The North London and Gospel Oak to Barking lines were previously considered by the Transport Committee of the London Assembly to be neglected and not developed to their full potential. The new London Overground line names and colours were introduced across
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#17327727168831236-545: A service along that route as a parliamentary train . The extension uses an alignment between Surrey Quays and Queens Road Peckham stations that had not seen services since 1913. The "new" section diverges from the East London line south of Surrey Quays station and joins the South London line just north of the closed Old Kent Road station . The route skirts the Bridgehouse Meadows public open space; this
1339-553: A station on New Cross Road close to Hatcham in 1839. The second, the South Eastern Railway (SER), established a station near Amersham Way in the heart of New Cross in 1849. After both stations came under the ownership of the Southern Railway on 1 January 1923 the former L&CR station was renamed New Cross Gate on 9 July 1923. During the 19th century, New Cross (Gate) became an important junction where
1442-401: A suitable height. To cope with increased demand, the class 378 units which operate on the line have been extended to five cars. Although the new stations on the line have platforms which are either at least five cars long or provide space for platform extensions, some stations cannot be extended and so selective door opening is required. The combined East London and South London line service
1545-507: A traveller using Oyster PAYG changed lines at that station, showing which of the possible routes was used. Typically, this avoids paying for zone 1 when the passenger did not travel into it. Ticket stock is common National Rail stock, as Overground services remain part of the National Rail network, but sometimes with a large TfL roundel in the centre and the repeated legend " Rail Settlement Plan " or on newer versions "National Rail" on
1648-523: Is 2 miles 70 chains (2.88 miles, 4.63 km) down the line from London Bridge and is about 600 m (660 yd) west of New Cross station. It is in Travelcard Zone 2 , and is operated by London Overground . England's railway boom of the 1830s led to two competing companies driving lines through the area. The first, the London and Croydon Railway (L&CR), established
1751-572: Is a mix of paper, Oyster cards , electronic smart cards and contactless payment cards for "pay-as-you-go" travel. As with all National Rail and TfL services in London, passengers can use a Travelcard (daily, seven-day, monthly or annual); as on other National Rail services in London, paper single, return and cheap day return tickets priced under the zonal fare scheme are also available. As part of an effort to improve safety and protect revenue, TfL has announced that it will introduce ticket barriers at
1854-547: Is described by Transport for London as the Highbury & Islington to New Cross, Clapham Junction, Crystal Palace and West Croydon route. As of the December 2023 timetable the typical off-peak service pattern is: A Friday and Saturday night service was introduced between Dalston Junction and New Cross Gate (initially not stopping at Whitechapel) from December 2017. In July 2023, TfL announced that it would be giving each of
1957-516: Is maintained at Willesden Junction and New Cross Gate TMDs , the latter being newly built for the extended East London line. There are also sidings at Silwood Triangle (just north of New Cross depot), built in 2013–14. Satellite locations for stabling trains include Stratford, London Euston and sidings (mainly used by London Northwestern Railway ), and c2c 's East Ham Depot. Train crews are based at stations including Euston, Willesden Junction, Watford Junction, New Cross, Stratford and Gospel Oak. Up to
2060-492: The Bakerloo line Extension . Due to financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic , work to implement the extension is currently on hold. Services at New Cross Gate are operated by Southern and London Overground using Class 377 and 378 EMUs . The typical off-peak service in trains per hour is: The station is also served by a single early morning and late evening service to East Croydon via Norwood Junction , with
2163-509: The Bricklayers Arms site, but the sidings continued to be used for the storage of carriages. An Ordnance Survey map for 1871 shows a substantial carriage shed on the west side of the main line, north of the station, but this was no longer shown on the 1894 map. It had been replaced by a combined carriage and locomotive shed on the east side of the line in 1894, but this closed in 1906. Cross-London freight services were operated to
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#17327727168832266-794: The Department for Transport (DfT) announced a review of the rail industry in Great Britain. As part of that review, TfL proposed a "London Regional Rail Authority" to give TfL regulatory powers over rail services in and around Greater London. A result of this consultation was agreement by the Secretary of State for Transport , Alistair Darling , to transfer the Silverlink Metro services from DfT to TfL control. Silverlink had two areas of operation: Silverlink County regional services from Euston to Northampton , St Albans Abbey , Bletchley and Bedford ; and Silverlink Metro within
2369-752: The Great Eastern Railway (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 District Railway . The latter two operated what are now the Metropolitan , Circle , District and Hammersmith & City lines of the London Underground. The incorporation of the ELR took place on 26 May 1865 with
2472-558: The Greater London Council (GLC) decided to sponsor an improved service from Camden Road , on the North London line, to North Woolwich, opening up a previously freight-only line between Dalston and Stratford and linking it to an improved Stratford – North Woolwich service. This was given the marketing name Crosstown Linkline , and operated with basic two-car diesel multiple units. The next initiative came from
2575-564: The London Transport Metropolitan line . London Transport was superseded by Transport for London (TfL). The London and Croydon planned to use New Cross as the London terminal for its freight traffic, as the station had good access to the Grand Surrey Canal . It therefore built extensive sidings for this purpose. After 1849 the principal freight-handling facility in the area was moved to Willow Walk on
2678-560: The Metropolitan line . The railways were nationalised in 1948, and became part of the British Transport Commission along with the Underground. Goods services continued to use the line until 1962, with 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 reduced, with Whitechapel becoming
2781-609: The North London Railway routes from Silverlink Metro. The following day there was an official launch ceremony at Hampstead Heath station with the Mayor of London , Ken Livingstone ; there was also a later media event on the bay platform at Willesden Junction . The launch was accompanied by a marketing campaign entitled "London's new train set", with posters and leaflets carrying an image of model railway packaging containing new Overground trains, tracks and staff. At
2884-463: The ON – Overground Network brand. TfL introduced consistent information displays, station signage and maps on the selected routes in South London. Although this pilot was primarily an exercise in branding, some service improvements were introduced, and it was the first instance of the newly created TfL having a visible influence over National Rail services. The pilot scheme was later dropped. In January 2004
2987-675: The South London Line , the East London Line , and the Bricklayers Arms Line diverged from the Brighton Main Line to London Bridge . The original station was officially opened on 1 June 1839 by the London and Croydon Railway. and became fully operational on 5 June 1839. It was intended to become the main freight depot and locomotive workshop for the company. In July 1841 the line (but not
3090-517: The 1930s as part of a re-organisation scheme involving new developments at Norwood Junction , but the onset of war meant that they were not formally closed until 1947 and were used for stabling locomotives until 1951. They were demolished in 1957 together with the repair workshops, and replaced by sidings for the storage of electric multiple units . The locomotive workshops established by the L&;CR continued to undertake minor repairs on locomotives in
3193-452: The 1970s the line was operated by 1938 Tube stock . The stations in operation during most of the London Underground era, in order from north to south, were as follows: Engineering work on the East London line extension started in 2005 and the underground service ended in December 2007. In 2007 London Buses route ELW Whitechapel – Shadwell – Wapping was introduced, operating every 10 minutes, every 15 minutes at evenings and weekends. It
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3296-575: The Brighton main line in 1932. On 7 December 1869 a separate station for East London Railway services was opened adjacent to the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway station. It was closed on 1 September 1886 when services were diverted to the LB&;SCR station. Soon after closure the station was demolished and the land used for sidings. The East London Railway (ELR) was owned by a consortium of railway companies. Passenger services were operated by
3399-737: The Broad Street viaduct, and disused trackbed for most of rest of the distance. A further extension to Highbury & Islington was opened in February 2011. It was extended south to connect to the London Bridge 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 track, running south to West Croydon via Brockley , Honor Oak Park , Forest Hill , Sydenham , Penge West , Crystal Palace (by way of
3502-479: The DLR station some 160 feet (49 m) away on a viaduct. Although the interchange was via the street, through ticketing was permitted. 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 1939 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
3605-588: The ELR, the last trains running on 31 July 1905; the Metropolitan Railway suspended its service after 2 December 1906. LB&SCR and GER services continued, and SER services recommenced on 3 December 1906. The line was 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 South Kensington via Edgware Road and High Street Kensington . In 1914
3708-523: The ELR. To avoid this reversal, a line was planned from the ELR north of Whitechapel to the GER at Bethnal Green . Acts for this were passed in 1866 and 1868. When the GER route to Hackney Downs Junction, now Hackney Downs , was constructed in 1872, the route was altered to connect at Cambridge Heath , with an abandonment Act for the previous route in 1871 and two new acts in 1876 ( 39 & 40 Vict. c. lii) and 1877 ( 40 & 41 Vict. c. clvi). A short length of
3811-535: The East London Railway Company took ownership of the tunnel at a cost of £800,000. Over the next four years the company built a railway through the tunnel to connect with the existing lines. The company's engineer was Sir John Hawkshaw , who was also responsible for the major re-design and completion of I K Brunel's long-abandoned Clifton Suspension Bridge at Bristol. The section of the railway construction work from Wapping to Bishopsgate, which
3914-603: The East London line became part of the London Overground network when the Phase 1 extension was completed. The former London Underground line was extended northwards, mostly along the former Broad Street viaduct of the North London line, to the re-opened Dalston Junction , and southwards to Crystal Palace and West Croydon . Operations began with a limited preview service between Dalston Junction and New Cross/New Cross Gate, with full operation between Dalston Junction and West Croydon/Crystal Palace on 23 May. On 28 February 2011,
4017-560: The GLC in 1984, when the government supported the Broadgate development that would entail the demolition of Broad Street station. The closure process was convoluted because of problems in making alternative arrangements for the North London line, and the remaining services operating from Watford Junction to the City . These eventually ran to and from Liverpool Street via a new section of track,
4120-541: The Graham Road Curve. British Rail replaced the existing three-car Class 501 electric trains (built 1957) with slightly newer but shorter two-car Class 416 electric trains (built 1959 ), leading to overcrowding . In 1988, by reorganising and reducing services on the Great Northern routes from Moorgate , about 18 relatively modern Class 313 dual-voltage electric trains were transferred to operate
4223-405: The LB&SCR between Croydon and Liverpool Street, and from 1884 by the District Railway between New Cross (Gate) and Shoreditch . LB&SCR services ceased on 31 March 1913, when the line was electrified using the fourth rail system and thereafter all passenger services were operated by the Metropolitan Railway . For the opening of the ELR a separate ELR station was built in 1869 adjacent to
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4326-669: The LB&SCR operated between Liverpool Street and Croydon , the SER running between Addiscombe 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 New Cross (SER) and Metropolitan District Railway services from St Mary's to New Cross Gate (LB&SCR) commenced on 1 October 1884. On 6 October through services started from Hammersmith (Hammersmith & City) to New Cross (SER) and from Hammersmith (MDR) to New Cross (LB&SCR). Before
4429-521: The LB&SCR station. It was closed in 1876 and the trains were diverted to the adjacent LB&SCR station. It was reopened in 1884 for additional Metropolitan District Railway services only for it to close two years later. The ELR station was then demolished around 1900 and the site used for sidings. In 1933 the Metropolitan railway was taken over by the London Passenger Transport Board , which operated services as part of
4532-521: The London Overground network. The initial network, service levels and timetables were a continuation of Silverlink Metro services, a set of routes primarily built and electrified by the North London and London & North Western railway companies in the 19th and early 20th centuries. As the Overground name implies, the majority of the network is above ground, and it mostly consists of railway lines that connect areas outside Central London , with
4635-590: The London area for the LB&SCR and the SR, and also briefly for British Railways . They were closed in 1949. The East London Line closed on 22 December 2007 and reopened on 27 April 2010 as part of the new London Overground system. The service was also closed between 1995 and 1998 due to repair work on the tunnel under the River Thames. The East London line extension included a flyover north of New Cross Gate allowing trains to run through from West Croydon , plus
4738-401: The London rail network in November 2024 As of May 2023 , the typical off-peak service pattern is: Battersea Park railway station is served by an infrequent parliamentary train service from Dalston Junction , which terminates at Battersea Park instead of Clapham Junction . Since the reorganization of services into the London Overground network, this has been the only service to use
4841-595: The London urban area. When the franchise was split up in 2007, County services were taken over by the London Midland franchise, and the Metro services came under TfL control. TfL decided to let this franchise as a management contract, with TfL taking the revenue risk. On 20 February 2006, the DfT announced that TfL would take over management of services then provided by Silverlink Metro . Tenders were invited to operate
4944-566: The Met could use any ELL trains, but the ELL could use only double-ended units. Seven four-car trains operated the line (six off-peak, seven during peak hours when Shoreditch was open). Off peak, train seven 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
5047-615: The Network Rail South London line to Clapham Junction via Queens Road Peckham , Peckham Rye , Denmark Hill , Clapham High Street and Wandsworth Road . A new station at Surrey Canal Road was also planned, but this was put on hold in 2009, though a suitable 'box' is being provided as part of the works to facilitate later implementation. The service from Highbury & Islington to Clapham Junction commenced on 9 December 2012. There are three services per day that run from Wandsworth Road to Battersea Park to maintain
5150-695: The North London and Watford services, from both Euston and Liverpool Street. Several voluntary sector groups, the Railway Development Society (RDS, later Railfuture ), Transport 2000's then London groups, and the Capital Transport Campaign, launched a series of leaflets and briefings promoting a concept called Outer Circle. This name had once been used for a semi-circular service from Broad Street to Mansion House , which ceased during World War I. The pamphlets and briefings, first issued in 1997, initially suggested
5253-540: The North London line trains at Stratford moved to new high-level platforms 1 and 2 from low-level platforms 1 and 2, which were needed for the Docklands Light Railway 's Stratford International service. The new platforms 1 and 2 are an island platform with step-free access to platform 12 and subway links to platforms 3–11. On 27 September 2009, Imperial Wharf station opened on the West London line , between West Brompton and Clapham Junction . On 27 April 2010,
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#17327727168835356-658: The Overground network in April 2010. Phase 2, which links the line to the South London line with a terminus at Clapham Junction , opened on 9 December 2012, creating an orbital railway around inner London. During 2024 the East London/South London service will be rebranded as the Windrush line. The East London Railway was created by the East London Railway Company, a consortium of six railway companies:
5459-456: The South London line, calling at Queens Road Peckham , Peckham Rye , Denmark Hill , Clapham High Street and Wandsworth Road . The extension uses an alignment between Surrey Quays and just north of Queen's Road Peckham that had been disused since 1911; new track was laid after some major civil engineering works. Passive provision has also been made for a new station at Surrey Canal , to be constructed when funding becomes fully available. This
5562-531: The Thames Tunnel's original entrance shaft 60 feet (18 m) below the surface. It connected with South Eastern Main Line services at New Cross and Brighton Main Line services 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 Shadwell , with
5665-574: The UK from what was then the British West Indies . Before 1948, there were several areas in the UK, such as Canning Town in London, and Tiger Bay in Cardiff that had a black presence, but the arrival of the Windrush is seen as a watershed, after which point black people would form a much larger part of the community. Various sources have been used in the creation of this article, including
5768-464: The aim of providing a link between the LB&SCR, GER and SER lines. The companies reused the Thames Tunnel , built by Marc and Isambard Kingdom Brunel between 1825 and 1843 for horse-drawn carriages. The tunnel, with generous headroom and two carriageways separated by arches, connected Wapping on the north bank of the Thames with Rotherhithe on the south bank. A triumph of civil engineering, it
5871-469: The construction of a train servicing facility nearby. Platform 1 and adjacent track (southbound) were refurbished, with the line continuing under New Cross Road, before merging with the down slow line. LO services terminated here until 23 May 2010 when services were extended south. Ticket barriers were installed to all platforms in time for the London Overground services to commence. TfL has proposed future London Underground services at this station as part of
5974-405: The development of the Kent coalfields 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 drawn forward onto
6077-492: The earliest roundhouses , burned down in 1844. A replacement was built in 1845, and a straight shed built by the LB&SCR in 1848 was blown down in a gale in October 1863. Two further buildings were constructed by the LB&SCR in 1863 and 1869. By 1882 the second (1845) Croydon shed was derelict and in that year was replaced by the new shed , which was rebuilt with a new roof by the Southern Railway (SR) prior to 1929. The various running sheds began to be run down during
6180-449: The early 2000s only two trains were running. 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
6283-431: The early 2010s, London Overground operated with a conductor or guard on its North London, West London and Gospel Oak services. With the other 60% of Overground services already operated by only a driver, it was decided in 2013 to convert these remaining two-person operated trains to driver only . The London Overground is currently operated by Arriva Rail London under a contract with TfL which expires in 2026. Following
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#17327727168836386-443: The external links below, email conversations with the ELL Project Team and emails from the ELL Project Team update newsletter . London Overground London Overground (also known simply as the Overground ) is a suburban rail network serving London and its environs. Established in 2007 to take over Silverlink Metro routes, it now serves a large part of Greater London as well as Hertfordshire , with 113 stations on
6489-536: The historic Thames Tunnel , the oldest tunnel under a navigable river in the world. A peculiarity is that at Whitechapel the London Overground runs below the London Underground (though there are other parts of the network where this occurs, e.g. the Watford Junction to Euston route between Kenton and South Kenton – shared with the Bakerloo line – passes under the Metropolitan line between Northwick Park and Preston Road ). The next addition opened on 9 December 2012, from Surrey Quays to Clapham Junction via
6592-440: The independently produced Ringrail proposals in the early 1970s. Some of these were evaluated in the London Rail Study of 1974 (the Barren Report) and Barren suggested consideration of a North London Network of orbital services, based on a later suggestion by the Ringrail Group, which involved using many existing rail routes, rather than the new construction suggested in earlier drafts of the Ringrail Plan. The proposal from Barren
6695-407: The latter tunnel was built, and 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 laid in the tunnel stub. 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
6798-451: The launch, TfL undertook to revamp the routes by improving service frequencies and station facilities, staffing all stations, introducing new rolling stock and allowing Oyster pay as you go throughout the network from the outset. After the takeover, all stations were "deep-cleaned", and Silverlink branding removed. Station signage was replaced with Overground-branded signs using TfL's corporate New Johnston typeface. On 15 April 2009,
6901-445: The line between Dalston Junction and Highbury & Islington was opened. In attendance were the Mayor of London and London Underground 's Managing Director. TfL announced in November 2010 that ridership was ahead of forecast at 92,000 a day, and that patronage at Surrey Quays had "gone through the roof". The incorporation of the East London line into the Overground network has added substantial sections of line in tunnel, including
7004-434: The line had four stations, at Dalston Junction , Haggerston , Shoreditch and a large terminus at Broad Street . At Dalston Junction, a line branched to the North London line eastwards, allowing services to Hackney, Bow and Poplar (East India Road). This route closed to passengers in 1944 and goods on 4 July 1966. At its peak, Broad Street was the third-busiest station in London (after Liverpool Street and Victoria ). At
7107-546: The line. Unlike the dual-voltage 378s on the North London and West London lines, the East London line units can only receive power from the third rail electrification , although, like all modern EMUs, they have the potential to be retro-fitted. The 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 Dalston Junction , and south to Crystal Palace and West Croydon . The line
7210-624: The link from platform 2 at Battersea Park to Wandsworth Road . Highbury & Islington to New Cross, Clapham Junction, Crystal Palace and West Croydon services are served by New Cross Gate Depot . Richmond and Clapham Junction to Stratford, Watford Junction to Euston, and Gospel Oak to Barking services are served by Willesden Traction Maintenance Depot . London Liverpool Street to Enfield Town, Cheshunt and Chingford, and Romford to Upminster are served by Ilford EMU Depot , Chingford sidings and Gidea Park Sidings. London Overground's head office and control centre are at Swiss Cottage . Rolling stock
7313-463: The new company. On 1 October 1847 the newly formed LB&SCR closed the existing New Cross station, replacing it with another at Cold Blow Lane 0.25 miles to the north, in an attempt to secure passengers from the planned North Kent Line of the SER. This move was not a success and was subject to much local criticism, so on 1 May 1849 the LB&SCR rebuilt and re-opened New Cross on the original site. The current station therefore dates from 1849 but
7416-666: 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 track, with Shoreditch station and the final sections into the southern termini single track, the latter because of lack of space. This required trains to alternate between the two southern termini. The line used Metropolitan line A60 and A62 sub-surface rolling stock built by Cravens of Sheffield in two batches between 1960 and 1962. It
7519-475: The northern terminus for much of the time; by the time Shoreditch station closed in 2006, it was only open at peak times on weekdays and most of Sundays (for Brick Lane Market ). Services to and from stations further west were curtailed during the early part of the Underground era. The service to Hammersmith was reduced to peak hours only in 1936 and withdrawn in 1939, leaving the East London branch as an isolated line. Until 1999, its only passenger interchange to
7622-531: The operation of trains continued to be the responsibility of Transport for London (TfL) . According to TfL, the line carried 10.7 million passengers per year before its temporary closure in 2007. The line was the only Underground line not to penetrate Travelcard Zone 1 and (apart from the Moorgate to Finsbury Park service, transferred to British Rail in 1976) the only line designed and constructed for mainline trains. At 5.6 miles (9.0 km) in length it
7725-492: 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 . Unlike the previous East London line closure, no replacement bus service was provided across the River Thames through the Rotherhithe Tunnel . London Transport
7828-731: The railway continued to be leased to the Joint Committee, now comprising the Southern Railway (47.5%), the LNER (17.5%), the Metropolitan Railway (17.5%), and the District Railway (17.5%). 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 were operated as the "East London Branch" of
7931-539: The rest of 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: Shadwell became an interchange with the Docklands Light Railway in 1987, and a station was added at Canada Water in 1999 for interchange with the Jubilee line . The line was closed entirely between March 1995 and March 1998 for major maintenance and refurbishment works, during which time
8034-459: The same zone-based rules as for Underground and DLR paper tickets, which were expanded to take in the extra zones covered. Watford Junction has its own fare scale. Paper tickets are significantly more expensive than using Oyster PAYG. New Cross Gate railway station New Cross Gate is a railway station in New Cross , London , on the Brighton Main Line and the London Overground . It
8137-583: The service to South Kensington was diverted to Hammersmith , on what is now the Hammersmith & City line. 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. Ownership was transferred to the Southern Railway by the Southern Railway Act 1925, but
8240-446: The service under the provisional name of the North London Railway . On 5 September 2006, London Overground branding was announced, and it was confirmed that the extended East London line would be included. On 25 June 2007, a statutory instrument was laid before parliament to exclude the ex-Silverlink metro lines from the franchising process, which enabled them to be operated as a concession. On 11 November 2007, TfL took over
8343-606: The six Overground services unique names by the end of the following year. In February 2024, it was confirmed that the East London / South London section would be named the Windrush line (to honour the Windrush generation of immigrants to the area from the Caribbean) and would be coloured red on the updated network map. The Empire Windrush was a passenger vessel that arrived at Tilbury , in Essex , in 1948 bringing migrants to
8446-564: The six lines that make up the network. The Overground forms part of the United Kingdom's National Rail network but it is under the concession control and branding of Transport for London (TfL). Operation has been contracted to Arriva Rail London since 2016. TfL previously assigned orange as a mode-specific colour for the Overground in branding and publicity including the roundel , on the Tube map , trains and stations. In 2024, it
8549-619: The start of the 20th century, more than one train per minute arrived or departed Broad Street during rush hour, with over 27 million passengers in 1902. Intermediate station traffic stagnated due to bus and tram competition, and Haggerston and Shoreditch stations were closed in 1940 following bomb damage in World War II . The line remained busy up to the 1950s, receiving traffic from the East Coast Main Line , West Coast Main Line and other routes. However, it declined following
8652-462: The station) was also used by the London and Brighton Railway . The London and Croydon and London and Brighton companies merged to form the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR) in July 1846. Between February and May 1847 the station at New Cross was the northern terminus of the atmospheric propulsion system introduced by the L&CR, but in the latter month the system was abandoned by
8755-593: The war and was closed on 30 June 1986. While Broad Street station's site was immediately sold for office use, becoming the Broadgate development, the route north was mothballed. The present Haggerston and Dalston Junction stations have been built next to and on the original sites, but Shoreditch High Street station is on a new alignment connecting the two routes. The former line was extended northwards from Whitechapel , with new stations at Shoreditch High Street , Hoxton , Haggerston and Dalston Junction using 2.2 miles (3.5 km) of new trackbed between Whitechapel and
8858-536: The yard by the Great Eastern Railway , which maintained its own goods depot on the site from the 1870s. These services were continued by the London and North Eastern Railway from 1923, and after 1948 by the Eastern Region of British Railways . They ceased to operate in 1962. The L&CR opened a motive power depot and a locomotive repair facility here in 1839, the former of which appears to have been particularly accident prone. The original building, one of
8961-410: Was 100% low floor, it meant that no such service could be provided. A limited train service was introduced on 27 April 2010 and full service began on 23 May 2010. Mostly on viaduct, the route from Highbury and Islington to Shoreditch was opened in 1865. It was constructed by the North London Railway as its city branch to allow its passenger trains to reach the City of London . As originally built
9064-413: 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, close to the docks on both banks of the river, and was not far from mainline railways at either end. Converting the tunnel for railway use thus offered a means of providing a cross-Thames rail link. On 25 September 1865
9167-485: Was again rebuilt in 1858 to allow for the quadrupling of the Brighton Main Line . Further rebuilding was undertaken in 1869 when the East London Railway opened a line to Whitechapel and Liverpool Street . The line through the station was electrified in 1928 by the Southern Railway using the third rail system, although the majority of services continued to be steam hauled until the electrification of
9270-499: Was announced that, while orange would remain the overall Overground brand colour and continue to appear on the roundels, each of the six Overground lines would be given distinct colours and names. Rail services in Great Britain are mostly run under franchises operated by private train operating companies, marketed together as National Rail. The concept of developing a network of orbital services around London goes back to
9373-579: Was concerned that demand would be so high and buses would be so small that the frequency could have to be one bus every 30 seconds. There was also an issue that the Rotherhithe Tunnel is restricted to vehicles with a width no more than 7 feet (2.1 m), which had been employed on previous occasions. However, by 2007 no such vehicles were commercially available that were low-floor compliant: the only ones with this width, as previously used, were minibuses with higher floors. As bus policy by this time
9476-571: Was criticised by local politicians during the planning phase of the project. No stations are planned at these locations as the line is on high railway arches, making the cost of any station construction prohibitive. On 31 May 2015, the Liverpool Street to Enfield Town , Cheshunt (via Seven Sisters ) and Chingford services, as well as the Romford to Upminster service, were transferred from Greater Anglia to TfL to become part of
9579-439: Was extended northwards to Highbury & Islington on 28 February 2011, two months earlier than previously announced, with eight trains per hour during most of the day. The first train, with 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. A further 6.7 miles (10.8 km) link opened in 2012 from south of Surrey Quays via
9682-612: Was for several overlapping services mainly using the North London line , generally at 20-minute intervals. The suggested routes followed the original North London line service from Broad Street to Richmond , new services from Barking to Clapham Junction , and a third service from Ealing Broadway to North Woolwich . However, the Wilson government 's continuing antipathy to the railways, along with British Rail 's management's lack of interest in minor local train services, meant that few of these initiatives were carried forward. In 1979,
9785-608: Was launched in 2000. But the lobbying discreetly continued, with a series of short briefings published by one RDS member based in North London. Mayoral and GLA candidates were approached to discuss the viability of the Outer Circle concept. The principle was widely supported and was adopted into the first Mayor's Transport Plan, published in 2001. Meanwhile, a pilot scheme was launched in 2003 to bring several National Rail local services, mainly in South London, operated by Connex South Eastern , Southern and South West Trains under
9888-628: Was operated with route-branded single-deck buses. Starting on 23 December 2007 it was extended from Whitechapel to Shoreditch (Monday-Friday 07:00-10:30 & 15:30–20:30, Sunday 07:00-15:30) 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 other rail replacement buses were provided. Route ELS Whitechapel – Shoreditch (Monday-Friday 07:00-10:30 & 15:30–20:30, Sunday 07:00-15:30) commenced 10 June 2006 and
9991-523: Was put on hold in 2009, although a suitable station 'foundation structure' has been built to facilitate completion in the future. Funding for the railway rebuilding project was secured in February 2009, including £64 million from the Department for Transport (DfT) and £15 million from TfL, and construction began in May 2011. The route passes over both Loughborough Junction and Brixton stations without stopping, and this lack of interchange stations
10094-584: Was still grouped operationally with the Metropolitan line) and from 1990 its colour on the map changed to orange. In 1995, London Underground threatened to close the line if it did not receive listed building consent from the London Docklands Development Corporation for the shotcreting of four arches of Thames Tunnel . Maintenance passed to the Metronet consortium in 2003 under a public-private partnership , although
10197-459: Was the second-shortest line (after the Waterloo & City line ), with nine stations and an end-to-end journey time of 14 minutes. It ran in tunnel from Whitechapel to Surrey Quays, with the remainder on the surface or in cutting. Whilst much of the line was built as cut-and-cover , it also contained overground and tube construction features. The deepest point is at Wapping station, constructed in
10300-596: Was upgraded between 1995 and 1998 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, but ELL trains were four-car units with a driving cab at each end, unlike Metropolitan line trains, which, aside from the Chesham shuttle , ran as eight-car trains. Metropolitan line trains were mostly two single-ended units coupled together with fully operational driving cabs at each end:
10403-418: Was used as the construction site, then restored to public use after completion. The former pedestrian bridge and support piers over Surrey Canal Road were demolished as a precursor to building the railway bridge. The planned lowering of Surrey Canal Road and associated work to the services were not carried out as a higher elevation was adopted, with a 1 in 30 (3.3 per cent) incline allowing the railway to cross at
10506-547: Was very difficult, was carried out by the firm "T. & C. Walker and Co." ( Thomas Andrew Walker and his younger brother Charles). The line opened in stages as financing became available: 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 its LBSCR A1 Class Terrier locomotives, which William Stroudley designed partly with this line in mind. It carried both passenger and goods trains;
10609-416: Was withdrawn on 19 July 2008. It was replaced by a peak-hour extension of route ELW. London Buses 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
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