Lea Valley lines
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25 kV 50 Hz AC Overhead lines | |||
Operating speed | 40–50 mph (64–80 km/h) | ||
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London Overground: Liverpool Street to Cheshunt / Enfield Town via Seven Sisters, and to Chingford National Rail: Liverpool Street / Stratford to Cheshunt via Tottenham Hale | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Lea Valley lines are two
On 31 May 2015, services between London Liverpool Street to Chingford, Cheshunt and Enfield Town were transferred to
History
The first section was opened by the
Another branch, the Chingford branch line, went from Lea Bridge to Walthamstow, Shern Hall Street, in 1870, extended southwards to Hackney Downs in 1872 and northwards to Chingford in 1873.
The final section linked Lower Edmonton on the Enfield branch via Churchbury (later Southbury) with the Broxbourne line at Cheshunt, opening on 1 October 1891; it was known as the Churchbury loop until the renaming of that station in 1960, then the Southbury loop.
A station was proposed near Clapton called Queens Road but never opened.[4]
Electrification of the lines via Seven Sisters to Hertford East, Enfield Town and Bishops Stortford, plus the Chingford branch, were completed in 1960. The line via Tottenham Hale was not electrified until 1969, using Class 125 diesel multiple units between 1958 and 1969.
Renaming
In July 2023, TFL announced that it would be giving each of the six Overground services unique names by the end of the following year.[5][6] In February 2024, it was confirmed that the Lea Valley section would be named the Weaver line (to honour the weaving and textile industry in locations the line serves) and would be coloured maroon on the updated network map.[7]
Route and services
All express services start at either
- Southbury Loop (or Cheshunt Branch): London Liverpool Street – Cheshunt via Seven Sisters, Edmonton Green and Turkey Street, along the West Anglia Main Line to Hackney Downs Junction, rejoining it at Cheshunt Junction.
- Chingford Branch: London Liverpool Street – Chingford via Walthamstow Central, Wood Street and Highams Park, along the West Anglia Main Line to Clapton Junction.
- Enfield Town Branch: London Liverpool Street – Enfield Town via Seven Sisters, Edmonton Green and Bush Hill Park, along the West Anglia Main Line to Hackney Downs and the Southbury Loop to Edmonton Green and Edmonton Green Junction.
- Hertford East Branch: London Liverpool Street – Hertford East via Tottenham Hale, Broxbourne and Ware, along the West Anglia Main Line to Broxbourne and Rye House Junction, then the Hertford East branch line.
- Temple Mills Branch: North London Lineat Temple Mills East Junction, joining the West Anglia Main Line at Coppermill Junction.
Until 1968 the Hall Farm Curve allowed trains from Stratford to Chingford. It may be reconstructed.[8]
The lines were historically part of the Network Rail Strategic Route 5, SRS 05.02, 05.04 and part of 05.01. This was classified as a London and South East Commuter line.[9]
A number of services to/from Liverpool Street/Enfield Town start or terminate in different places on special occasions. When Tottenham Hotspur F.C. are playing at home, additional trains run, some starting/terminating from White Hart Lane or Seven Sisters.
The lines are
Future developments
The Tottenham Hale–West Anglian route is planned to become part of Crossrail 2 to Cheshunt, Broxbourne and Hertford East.
References
- ^ Railway Magazine December 1957 p. 891
- ^ White, H.P. (1987). Thomas, David St John (ed.). A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain — Volume 3: Greater London (3rd ed.). Dawlish: David & Charles.
- ^ "This is what the new London Overground trains will look like". Evening Standard. 22 July 2015. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
- ISBN 0-7110-3137-1.
- ^ "Naming London Overground lines". Transport for London. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- ^ "London Overground lines to be given unique names". BBC News. 25 August 2023. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- ^ London Overground: New names for its six lines revealed, BBC News, 15 February 2024
- ^ "The Case for a Chingford to Stratford Rail Service". London Borough of Waltham Forest. Archived from the original on 22 October 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2012. See also Greater Anglia Route Utilisation Strategy.
- ^ a b "Route 5 – West Anglia" (PDF). Network Rail. 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 June 2011. Retrieved 26 May 2009.
Brown, Joe (2006). London Railway Atlas.