- Official webpage
- Map from TfL on BBC website
- Map on London Underground site
- The East London Line Group is a consortium of
regeneration partnerships and councils stretching from Islington to
Croydon. Their contact is Margaret Cooper at
Tower Hamlets Council
- The existing line from Shoreditch to New Cross
and New Cross Gate has reopened fully: some (but not all) of the work
necessary to make the line electrically compatible with third-rail
trains used on National Rail services in South London has been completed
- David Connor - "The line has been re-profiled
to ensure that Networker type stock will fit" [these trains are
currently used on the Dartford Lines]
- In July 1995, Hackney Council gave the
locations of the stations on the Northern Extension, which uses most of
the disused viaduct which once carried services between Broad Street and
Canonbury:
- Bishopsgate: south of Bethnal Green Road,
between Shoreditch High Street and Wheeler Street (although this is
over the Central Line, there will not be
Central Line platforms)
- Hoxton: on the northeast corner of Cremer
Street / Geffrye Street junction
- Haggerston: beside Acton Mews
- Dalston: on the site of the old Dalston
Junction station south of Dalston Lane, between Kingsland Road and
Roseberry Place (note: this is a few minutes walk from Dalston
Kingsland station)
- A northern extension from Whitechapel to the
North London Line in Dalston was given government approval (but no funding!) in
January 1997. The powers included abandonment of the existing Shoreditch
station and construction of a depot at Silwood, south of Surrey Quays,
which would be required if the northern extension was the only extension
built: the depot would occupy a triangle of land north of the London
Bridge to Deptford railway, west of the existing ELL and east of the
planned ELL South London Line Link. The section from the old Dalston
Junction station to the junction with the existing North London Line
would be a covered way
- Many different southern extensions were
discussed during the 1990s: see also Outer Circle
- In August 1997, London Transport held
discussions with light rail manufacturers concerning the possibility of
allowing joint running of light rail and existing Underground trains on
the East London Line
- In 1998, London Transport announced a plan for
an extension to Croydon: initial announcements discussed East Croydon
- In November 1998, London Transport stated that
the northern extension could be operational by 2000 if funding could be
found (see below)
- David Connor in December 1998 - "Plans for
Central Line platforms at Bishopsgate have been dropped, due to a poor
cost/benefit ratio (high cost, plus extra journey time for all Central
Line passengers due to an additional stop that few of them will use)"
- In April 1999, London Underground published a
public consultation document called "Extending the East London line",
which described extensions to Highbury and Islington, West Croydon, and
either Wimbledon or Clapham Junction. Either Wimbledon or Clapham
Junction would get ELL service, but not both. The existing Shoreditch
station would be closed.
- In April 1999, London Underground stated that
construction might start in 2002, and all three extensions might be open
in 2005 (see below)
- In April 1999, London Underground stated that
the 3 branches (New Cross, Croydon, and either Wimbledon or Clapham)
would each have 6 trains per hour (see below)
- In June 1999, London Underground stated that
the route to Wimbledon might be too busy for more than 4tph (trains per
hour), although the route to Clapham Junction would be able to handle 6
extra trains per hour: this made Clapham Junction (temporarily) the
favoured option. The frequency between Surrey Quays and Whitechapel
would be 18tph: between Whitechapel and Dalston might be 18tph or 12tph.
Only 6tph would proceed to Highbury & Islington (see below)
- In June 1999, the plan for a grade-separated
junction between the South London Line Link and the existing ELL was
infringing on the area of the planned Silwood depot: consequently, plans
were afoot for a small facility inside the planned grade-separated
junction at New Cross Gate instead, with heavy overhaul performed at a
large facility in Selhurst. Although powers for the depot at Silwood are
still alive, a depot inside the New Cross Gate junction is considered to
be less disruptive to local residents. The link would have a flat
junction at the Queens Road Peckham end
- In June 1999, 4-car Networkers or Junipers were
being considered as stock for the extended line. Her Majesty's Railway
Inspectorate might insist that any trains using the Thames Tunnel must
have end doors for detrainment, in which case the Networkers would have
to be custom-built. (Junipers have bolt-on cabs, so an end door is an
available option.) The existing East London Line stock were refurbished
in the late 1990s: they are probably good for another 20 years of
service, and would perhaps be given to the Metropolitan Line
- The decision to proceed was expected to be
taken by London's Mayor in 2001, after the public inquiry
- In January 2000, extension of the New Cross
branch to Lewisham was said to require capacity enhancements north of
Lewisham
- In January 2000, the following southern
branches and frequencies were being considered (18 trains per hour
total):
- 4tph via Sydenham to West Croydon
- 4tph via Sydenham to Crystal Palace
- 4tph or 6tph to New Cross
- 4tph or 6tph via Peckham Rye to Wimbledon
(Clapham Junction has not been ruled out but was looking unlikely)
- In March 2000, the Environmental Statement for
the southern extensions was published, and a 6-week "objection period
started (lasting until 2nd May 2000). The Surrey Canal Road station was
planned to have 4-carriage platforms, with "passive provision" for
8-carriage platforms. The construction work would necessitate the
temporary closure of the East London line between Surrey Quays and New
Cross Gate, and more limited closures of the line between Surrey Quays
and New Cross
- In March 2000, a new version of "Extending the
East London line" was published, describing the following extensions:
- Northern Extension:
from Whitechapel to Bishopsgate, Hoxton, Haggerston, Dalston and
Canonbury Railtrack station. After Canonbury, some trains would go to
Highbury & Islington: others would branch via the Canonbury Curve
to Finsbury Park. Shoreditch station would close. A "possible option"
involved extension from Highbury & Islington to Caledonian Road
& Barnsbury, Camden Road, a reopened Primrose Hill, South
Hampstead and all stations to Willesden Junction. Maps implied that
trains to and from Finsbury Park would serve Canonbury: since trains
to and from Finsbury Park cannot currently reach the platforms at
Canonbury, this probably implies that new crossovers would be built
west of Canonbury
- New Cross Gate
link: extending New Cross Gate services to serve the existing
stations at Brockley, Honor Oak Park, Forest Hill and Sydenham. After
Sydenham, some trains would terminate at Crystal Palace: the others
would serve Penge West, Anerley, Norwood Junction and West Croydon.
The slow tracks at New Cross Gate are either side of the fast tracks,
so a flyover/diveunder would be built for northbound ELL services
- South London Line
link: a new branch from Surrey Quays via disused trackbed (with a
new station over Surrey Canal Road and west of Mercury Way) to Queen's
Road Peckham, then over Railtrack lines to Wimbledon, calling at all
existing stations via Peckham Rye, North Dulwich and Tooting
- In March 2000, London Underground gave the cost
as £115m and made formal application to the government for powers to
build the southern extensions
- In April 2000, London Underground gave the
following predicted journey time reductions:
- Penge West to Canary Wharf: down from 41
minutes to 21 minutes
- Anerley to Bishopsgate: down from 37 minutes
to 26 minutes
- Forest Hill to Shadwell: down from 22 minutes
to 16 minutes
- Surrey Quays to West Croydon: down from 30
minutes to 23 minutes
- Tooting to Canary Wharf: down from 44 minutes
to 27 minutes
- Peckham Rye to Canary Wharf: down from 22
minutes to 13 minutes
- Crystal Palace to Canary Wharf: down from 34
minutes to 22 minutes
- Crystal Palace to Bishopsgate: down from 36
minutes to 25 minutes
- In July 2000, Lewisham Council put earlier
objections to the scheme aside and pledged £5m to the project
- By September 2000, the Strategic Rail Authority
had compiled a report on the East London Line being used by both
Underground and national railway services and forwarded it to London's
Mayor and the British Government (this was the latest in a series of
moves in which connections between the East London Line and the national
railway were advocated or opposed by the various players: note that the
British Government, of which the Strategic Rail Authority is a part,
will make the final decision)
- On 8th November 2000 the public inquiry
concluded. London Underground's evidence included suggestions of future
East London Line extensions via New Cross: to Bromley North, to
Orpington via Grove Park, to Blackheath, to Dartford via Sidcup, or via
Elmers End to the recently abandoned Addiscombe Railtrack station
(demolished in mid 2001). The inquiry evidence also included indicative
service frequencies for the extensions which are the subject of the
inquiry:
- 18tph on the central trunk between Surrey
Quays and Dalston
- 6tph extending from Surrey Quays to New Cross
- 4tph extending from Surrey Quays via Sydenham
to West Croydon
- 4tph extending from Surrey Quays via Sydenham
to Crystal Palace
- 4tph extending from Surrey Quays via Peckham
Rye to Wimbledon
- 4tph extending from Dalston via Canonbury to
Finsbury Park
- 8tph extending from Dalston via Canonbury to
Highbury & Islington, half of which would continue to Willesden
Junction
- In November 2000, the inquiry inspector was
expected to produce his report by the end of November, and the
government was expected to produce its decision in
early - mid 2001
- In December 2000, London Underground hoped that
construction would start in 2002-3 and that services would be running in
2005/6
- In January 2001, London's Mayor described the
scheme as a key transport priority. The branch to Clapham Junction which
disappeared from London Underground's proposals in early 2000 was listed
as a "possible extension" with services "in due course". (Editor's note:
with 5 southern branches to New Cross, West Croydon, Crystal Palace,
Wimbledon and Clapham Junction, either the branches would have sparse
service or the central trunk would have very frequent service)
- In April 2001, the Strategic Rail Authority
released £39m funding for the Northern Extension only, and stated that
construction work was expected to start later in 2001
- In April 2001, a London Underground ELL bulletin
neglected to include Finsbury Park in the proposal: LU apologised to
local authorities for this erroneous document, and the next bulletin in
August 2001 included Finsbury Park again
- By August 2001, London Underground were issuing
legal notices to owners of land to be compulsorily purchased for the
Northern extension. A contractor was to be appointed within weeks, and
construction was to start in November / December 2001 and last about 4
years. The existing Shoreditch station was not expected to close for
several years. Government approval of the Southern extensions was hoped
for in the autumn 2001, allowing construction to finish by 2006
- On 9th October 2001, the government granted
powers to start constructing the Southern extension within 5 years:
London Underground's request to grant powers for 8 years instead of the
normal 5 years was refused
- In October 2001, London Underground anticipated
that a concession would be awarded for a period of up to 30 years, and
the successful private sector bidder would have to invest about £600m to
build and maintain the infrastructure. Dalston station was planned to
have three platforms, the centre one for reversing. Trains longer than 4
cars were still seen as a potential future enhancement. There was a
possiblity that Her Majesty's Railway Inspector might demand that
Wapping station be closed or rebuilt with wider platforms before the
enhanced services called there
- In October 2001, the Strategic Rail Authority
stated that Phase One of construction work was scheduled to begin in
early December 2001. It would include the renewal of railway drains in
the Dalston area, partial demolition of the former Bishopsgate Goodsyard
structure, and the construction of access roads in the Allen Gardens
area
- Note that the powers to construct the Northern
Extension are due to run out in February 2002
- Please contact:
- East London line southern extensions
Stations and Safeguarding Team
London Underground Limited
55 Broadway
London SW1H
0BD
Tel: +44 (0)20 7308 4400
Fax: +44 (0)20 7308 2044
E-mail: safeguarding@lul.co.uk
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