The
North London Line is a
railway lineFor the article about the rails that trains run on see rail tracksRailway line is a term applied to railways with various meanings which lead to confusion in Wikipedia.It may mean...
which passes through the inner suburbs of
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
, 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 RailNetwork Rail owns and operates Britain’s rail infrastructure. It is a British "not for dividend" company limited by guarantee whose principal asset is Network Rail Infrastructure Limited, a company limited by shares....
. Although much of it originated as part of the
North London RailwayThe North London Railway was a railway company that opened various lines connecting the north of London to the East and West India Docks, the core route later becoming the basis of the North London Line...
, the current route is the result of a series of amalgamations, closures and re-openings; and has a mixed third-rail and overhead
electrical power supplyRailway electrification in Great Britain describes the past and present electrification systems used to supply traction current to railways and tramways in Great Britain with a chronological record of development, a list of lines using each system, and a history and a technical description of each...
. It is an important freight route and is used by the
RichmondRichmond station is a London Underground, London Overground and National Rail station in Richmond in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in south west London....
to
StratfordStratford station is a railway station in Stratford, Newham, East London on National Rail, London Underground, London Overground and Docklands Light Railway lines. It is served by the Underground Central and Jubilee lines, and by London Overground, National Express East Anglia and c2c. It is in...
service of the
London OvergroundLondon Overground is a commuter rail service in London, UK, the brand applied by Transport for London to the services on four railway lines: the Watford DC Line, the North London Line, the West London Line and the Gospel Oak to Barking Line.The name has been used since 2007, when TfL took over...
, as part of the
National RailNational Rail is a title used by the Association of Train Operating Companies as a generic term to define the passenger rail services operated in Great Britain...
passenger network.
Formation
The North London Line between Richmond and North Woolwich derives from five connecting sections which were opened over 25 years from 1846:
- The easternmost section opened as the Eastern Counties and Thames Junction Railway
The Eastern Counties and Thames Junction Railway in East London connected the Royal Docks with the Great Eastern Railway.-History:The EC&TJR opened in 1846, from Stratford to Canning Town, to transport coal to the mouth of Bow Creek...
in 1846/7 between Stratford and North Woolwich. The later construction of the Royal Victoria Dock necessitated a swing-bridge on the original route south of Canning Town which was rerouted in 1850 via Custom House and the Connaught Tunnel. The original route was retained as the Silvertown Tramway, a local freight line connected at both ends to the new main line.
- The main central section opened from 1850 to 1852 as the East & West India Docks & Birmingham Junction Railway (renamed the North London Railway
The North London Railway was a railway company that opened various lines connecting the north of London to the East and West India Docks, the core route later becoming the basis of the North London Line...
(NLR) in 1853). This gave a link from the Euston main line near Primrose Hill to the docks at Poplar via Bow.
- In the west, the North & South Western Junction Railway was opened in 1853 from Willesden
Willesden Junction station is a Network Rail station in Harlesden, north-west London; it is served by both London Overground and London Underground Bakerloo line trains...
to a junction with the Hounslow Loop Line|}The Hounslow Loop Line is a railway line in southwest London, with services operated by South West Trains. It enables suburban trains to run on a circular route via Hounslow to and from Waterloo. The line is electrified at 750 V DC ....
near .
- The last link in the east was opened between the NLR near Victoria Park and Stratford in 1854.
- To obviate NLR trains running on the busy Euston main line, the Hampstead Junction Railway was opened from the NLR at Camden Road to Willesden via in 1860.
- To give the NLR direct access to the City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
the City Extension toBroad Street was opened from DalstonDalston Junction railway station is a railway station currently under construction in the Dalston area of the London Borough of Hackney. The station was first opened on 1 November 1865 on the North London Line as part of an extension to Broad Street in the City of London. The station has been...
in 1865.
- The final part of the route was the opening of a link from to Richmond by the London & South Western Railway (LSWR) in 1869.
Developments
The line between Broad Street and both Kew Bridge and Richmond was electrified by the LNWR in 1916 on the 4th rail DC system.
In 1944 passenger service on the NLR Poplar branch ceased. Freight traffic probably continued on the branch until the docks on the
Isle of DogsThe Isle of Dogs is a former island in the East End of London that is bounded on three sides by one of the largest meanders in the River Thames. To the north are the West India Docks, and the only road access to the island is across the two bridges that cross the eastern and western entrances to...
closed during the 1960s and 1980s. The trackbed of the southern part of the branch, from Poplar to Bow, was used for the
Docklands Light RailwayThe Docklands Light Railway is a light metro or light rail system opened on 31 August 1987 to serve the redeveloped Docklands area of East London, England...
branch to Stratford.
In 1979 the North Woolwich to Stratford service was extended to as the CrossTown LinkLine service using the same Cravens-built diesel multiple unit trains. There were no intermediate stations until in 1980 Hackney Wick, near the site of the former Victoria Park station, opened and Hackney Central re-opened, Homerton re-opened in 1985 (both those stations had closed in 1944. New platforms were built at West Ham for interchange with the adjacent Underground station.
In the 1980s Broad Street station closed and the Tottenham Hale–Stratford link and the station at Lea Bridge ceased to be used by regular passenger trains. The line between Dalston and North Woolwich was
electrifiedRailway electrification in Great Britain describes the past and present electrification systems used to supply traction current to railways and tramways in Great Britain with a chronological record of development, a list of lines using each system, and a history and a technical description of each...
on the third-rail system and Broad Street services were diverted to North Woolwich using former Southern Region 2-EPB types built in the 1950s. he two-coach trains soon proved too small and were replaced by Class 313 electric multiple units. The new service was branded by
British RailBritish Railways , which later traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the British railway system from the nationalisation of the 'Big Four' British railway companies in 1948 until privatisation in stages from 1994 to 1997...
as the
North London Link, and some signs using this name still exist.
In December 2006, the line between Stratford and North Woolwich was permanently closed to make a way for a future
Docklands Light RailwayThe Docklands Light Railway is a light metro or light rail system opened on 31 August 1987 to serve the redeveloped Docklands area of East London, England...
(DLR) extension from Canning Town to Stratford International. The section south of Canning Town is largely duplicated by the DLR
King George VKing George V DLR station is a station on the Docklands Light Railway which opened on 2 December 2005 and named for King George V Dock, nearby...
branch and the stretch of track from Canning Town to Stratford follows the
Jubilee LineThe 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 notable for their larger size and safety features...
. The section south of Stratford had always been the Cinderella end of the line, when there were operating problems it was common for trains to be turned short at Stratford.
The whole of the remaining Silverlink Metro became part of
Transport for LondonTransport for London is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London in England...
's (TfL)
London OvergroundLondon Overground is a commuter rail service in London, UK, the brand applied by Transport for London to the services on four railway lines: the Watford DC Line, the North London Line, the West London Line and the Gospel Oak to Barking Line.The name has been used since 2007, when TfL took over...
in 2007.
From 1 September to 16 November 2008 the section from Willesden Junction to Gospel Oak, and from 22 to 28 September 2008 the section from Gospel Oak to Camden Road were closed for work to enhance freight capacity. The most significant work was installing slabtrack in the Hampstead Tunnel to bring to W10
loading gaugeA loading gauge defines the maximum height and width for railway vehicles and their loads to ensure safe passage through bridges, tunnels and other structures...
.
Former services
In addition to the primary Broad Street-Richmond service there were services that linked Broad Street with Harrow & Wealdstone and
Watford JunctionWatford Junction station is a railway station in Watford, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom. Located a short distance from the town centre, it is served by the West Coast Main Line , the Watford DC Line to Euston, currently operated by London Overground services and a branch line to St Albans. Journeys...
on the
West Coast Main LineThe West Coast Main Line is a busy mixed-traffic railway route in the United Kingdom. It provides fast, long-distance Intercity passenger services between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and southern Scotland....
. Most of these were routed via the line between
South HampsteadSouth Hampstead railway station is in Loudoun Road, London NW8, in the London Borough of Camden. It is about a third of a mile downhill from Swiss Cottage tube station. It currently has two platforms on the Euston to Watford DC Line, the platforms on the Slow Main lines having been mostly...
and
Camden RoadCamden Road railway station is in the London Borough of Camden in North London. The station and all trains serving it are operated by London Overground...
, calling at
Primrose HillPrimrose Hill was a railway station at Primrose Hill, in the London Borough of Camden, London, England.It was opened on 5 May 1855 as Hampstead Road, replacing an earlier station of that name . It was renamed Chalk Farm on 1 December 1862 and became Primrose Hill on 25 September 1950...
, although some travelled via
Hampstead HeathHampstead Heath is a railway station in London on the North London Line between Finchley Road & Frognal and Gospel Oak. Since 11 November 2007 the service has been operated by the London Overground....
and switched to the Watford line at Willesden Junction. By the time that Broad Street closed in 1985 the Watford services operated only in the rush hours, and they were diverted to Liverpool Street by way of a new link in
HackneyThe London Borough of Hackney is a London borough of north London, and forms part of inner London.Between 1999 and 2001 serious concerns were expressed about Hackney's performance as a council by the Audit Commission, and many aspects of council services were failing...
, known as the Graham Road Curve. However, with trains frequently cancelled, and some timed to arrive at Liverpool Street Station after the start of the working day (plus the evening workings also being timed to not be suitable for office workers), patronage was very low and after a few years they were withdrawn.
In 2000
Anglia RailwaysAnglia Railways was a British train operating company, owned by GB Railways, which between 5 January 1997 and 31 March 2004 operated mainline trains out of London Liverpool Street station and a number of local rail services in East Anglia....
started a service between
BasingstokeBasingstoke railway station, in the town of Basingstoke in the county of Hampshire in England, is on the South Western Main Line from London Waterloo, with local and fast services operated by South West Trains. It is also the terminus of First Great Western local services on the Reading to...
and
IpswichIpswich railway station is a railway station serving the town of Ipswich in Suffolk, England. The station is located on the Great Eastern Main Line 68¾ miles east of London Liverpool Street towards Norwich....
, utilising parts of the North London Line. The service was called
London Crosslink|}London Crosslink was a train service operated by Anglia Railways, which ran between Norwich and Basingstoke, using the North London Line to by-pass central London. Class 170 "Turbostar" diesel multiple units were used. The service ran from 30 May 2000 to 11 September 2002...
and ran up to five times a day at roughly two-hourly intervals. The service called only at principal stations such as
StainesStaines railway station is a railway station in Staines, Surrey. Destinations served include Reading, Windsor and Eton Riverside and Weybridge westbound, and London Waterloo eastbound....
,
FelthamFeltham railway station is a railway station in Feltham, in the London Borough of Hounslow. It was opened in 1848 by the Windsor Staines and South Western Railway. It is in Travelcard Zone 6....
, and
BrentfordBrentford railway station is in the London Borough of Hounslow, in west London, and is in Travelcard Zone 4. The station and all trains serving it are operated by South West Trains. It is the main stop used by rail passengers for Griffin Park, home of Brentford F.C....
. On the North London Line the trains called only at Stratford, Highbury & Islington, Camden Road (some services) West Hampstead and Willesden Junction. The service was withdrawn in 2002.
The AC electrification of the eastern part of the North London Line uses the previously unelectrified northern pair of tracks, which were also partially singled at the same time. Between
CanonburyCanonbury railway station serves the district of Canonbury within the London Borough of Islington in north London. It is on the North London Line. The station and all trains serving it are operated by London Overground. It is in Travelcard Zone 2...
and
Highbury & IslingtonHighbury & Islington station is a National Rail, London Overground, and London Underground station in the London Borough of Islington in north London. It serves the suburbs of Highbury and Islington....
there is a line which links to the
East Coast Main LineThe East Coast Main Line is a 393-mile long electrified high-speed railway link between London, Peterborough, Doncaster, Leeds, York, Newcastle and Edinburgh....
at
Finsbury ParkFinsbury Park Station is a busy transport interchange in North London. The interchange consists of an interconnected National Rail station, London Underground station and two bus stations. The main entrances are by the eastern bus station on Station Place...
. This used to carry passenger trains to / from various North London stations (such as
EdgwareEdgware is a suburb of North London situated north-west of Charing Cross. It should not be confused with Edgware Road, some miles to the south. Most of Edgware is in the London Borough of Barnet, but the western part is in the London Borough of Harrow and the Queensbury area is in the London...
,
Alexandra PalaceSet in Alexandra Park, Alexandra Palace was built in an area spanning Wood Green and Muswell Hill, North London, England, in 1873 as a public centre of recreation, education and entertainment and as North London's counterpart to the Crystal Palace in South London.-Overview:The Great Hall and West...
, High Barnet,
Welwyn Garden CityWelwyn Garden City railway station serves the town of Welwyn Garden City in Hertfordshire. The station is 20 miles north of London Kings Cross on the East Coast Main Line towards Stevenage. The station is managed by First Capital Connect. The station has recently had a facelift, including new...
and others) over part of the North London Line to Broad Street Station, however since the opening of the Great Northern Electrics suburban electrification which in the 1970s saw trains being diverted into
MoorgateMoorgate station is a London Underground and National Rail station in the City of London, on Moorgate, north of London Wall. At one time the station was named "Moorgate Street"...
and London King's Cross stations; this link has only been used for freight trains. It too was singled concurrent with the AC electrification of the eastern part of the North London Line.
Route
Most of the line runs in a curve across north London. Only
RichmondRichmond station is a London Underground, London Overground and National Rail station in Richmond in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in south west London....
and Kew Gardens stations at the western end are south of the
River ThamesThe River Thames is a major river flowing through southern England. While best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows through several other towns and cities, including Oxford, Reading and Windsor....
. The river crossing is made by
Kew Railway BridgeKew Railway Bridge spans the River Thames between Kew and Strand-on-the-Green, Chiswick. The bridge was designed by W.R. Galbraith and built by Brassey & Ogilvie for the London and South Western Railway. The bridge is part of an extension to the latter company's railway line from Acton Junction to...
on tracks which are shared with the London Underground District Line. The location of the eastern extremity has varied over the years. Between 1944 and 1986 it was at Broad Street station, then it switched to
North WoolwichNorth Woolwich is a place in the London Borough of Newham. It is located north of Woolwich proper which is on the south bank of the River Thames. The two places are linked by the Woolwich Ferry and the Woolwich foot tunnel.-History:...
, now cut back to
StratfordStratford station is a railway station in Stratford, Newham, East London on National Rail, London Underground, London Overground and Docklands Light Railway lines. It is served by the Underground Central and Jubilee lines, and by London Overground, National Express East Anglia and c2c. It is in...
. A tunnel, the Hampstead Heath tunnel, runs under
HampsteadHampstead is an area of London, England, located north-west of Charing Cross. It is located within Inner London. It is part of the London Borough of Camden. It is known for its intellectual, artistic, musical and literary associations and for the large and hilly parkland Hampstead Heath...
between Finchley Road & Frognal and Hampstead Heath.
The line is double track throughout with a mix of triple and quadruple track between Camden Road and Dalston Kingsland. The former North Woolwich branch included a section of single track between Custom House and North Woolwich stations, and the Broad Street branch was at one time formed of quadruple track. Both were third-rail electrified at time of closure.
The line is
electrifiedRailway electrification in Great Britain describes the past and present electrification systems used to supply traction current to railways and tramways in Great Britain with a chronological record of development, a list of lines using each system, and a history and a technical description of each...
using the
third railA third rail is a method of providing electric power to a railway train, through a continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway track. It is used typically in a mass transit or rapid transit system, which has alignments in its own corridors, fully or almost fully...
system from Richmond to Acton Central, Camden Road to Dalston Kingsland (southern pair of lines only) and Dalston Kingsland to Stratford.
Overhead linesOverhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains at a distance from the energy supply point...
are used from Acton Central to Camden Road, Camden Road to Dalston Kingsland (freight lines only) and Dalston Kingsland to Channelsea Junctions (link to Temple Mills, Stratford High Level and Liverpool Street).
When the through electric service to North Woolwich started in 1985 trains used the 3rd rail throughout. When the trains were replaced a few years later by dual-system Class 313 trains it became possible to use the overhead electrification system which had been added to parts of the line for the benefit of freight trains. There had been some unexpected difficulties with earth currents from the 3rd rail system which this overcame. This usage was steadily extended and the trains now make a number of changes between electrification systems during their short journey. These are at Dalston Kingsland, Camden Road and Acton Central.
Connections
The line crosses or comes into contact with a very large number of railway lines, especially lines radiating from central London. This does provide opportunities to move between separate sectors of suburban London without having to enter the central zone.
Interchanges shown on the tube map
- at Richmond, to and from South West Trains
South West Trains is the trading name of a train operating company operating in the United Kingdom, providing train services to the south-west of London, chiefly in Greater London and the counties of Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset, Devon, Somerset, Berkshire, Wiltshire and the Isle of Wight, the area...
services including the Kingston loop line
- at Gunnersbury, connecting NLL services north of the station to District line services east of the station
- at Willesden Junction, with the Bakerloo line
The Bakerloo line is a line of the London Underground, coloured brown on the Tube map. It runs partly on the surface and partly at deep level, from the Elephant and Castle in south-east to Harrow & Wealdstone in north-west of London. The lines serves 25 stations of which 15 are underground...
, Watford DC LineThe Watford DC Line is a commuter railway line from London Euston to Watford Junction.Services on the line are operated by London Overground...
and West London LineThe West London Line is a short railway linking Clapham Junction in the south to Willesden Junction in the north. It was built to enable trains to cross London....
.
- at West Hampstead, with the 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 notable for their larger size and safety features...
and First Capital ConnectFirst Capital Connect is a passenger train operating company in England that began operations on the National Rail network on 1 April 2006...
stations, each situated a short walk either side of the NLL station
- at Gospel Oak, to and from the Gospel Oak to Barking line of London Overground
- at Highbury & Islington, to and from the Victoria line
The Victoria line is part of the London Underground system and is a deep-level line running from the south to the north-east of London. It is coloured light blue on the Tube map and, in terms of the average number of journeys per mile, is the busiest line on the network...
and the deep-level main line tube via Finsbury Park to Moorgate, currently operated by First Capital ConnectFirst Capital Connect is a passenger train operating company in England that began operations on the National Rail network on 1 April 2006...
(and from January 2011, the East London LineThe East London line was a line of the London Underground, coloured orange on the Tube map. It ran north to south through the East End and Docklands areas of London, entirely in Travelcard Zone 2...
).
- at Stratford, to and from the Central line
The Central line is a London Underground line, coloured red on the tube map. It is a deep-level "tube" line, running east-west across London, and has the greatest total length of track of any line on the Underground. Out of the 49 stations served, 20 are below ground...
, main line services between Essex stations and Liverpool Street, the Jubilee line, and Docklands Light RailwayThe Docklands Light Railway is a light metro or light rail system opened on 31 August 1987 to serve the redeveloped Docklands area of East London, England...
Other interchanges
- at Brondesbury, to and from Kilburn station on the Jubilee line.
- at Finchley Road & Frognal, to and from Finchley Road station on the Metropolitan and Jubilee lines, a walk of about 400 m.
- at Camden Road, which is about 400 m from Camden Town on the Northern line.
- at Hackney Central which is about 500 m from Hackney Downs station for National Express East Anglia services.
- at South Acton, to and from Acton Town station on the Piccadilly and District lines. This is a walk of a little over 1 km.
Rolling stock
The London Overground passenger service uses
Class 313Class 313 electric multiple units were built by BREL at York Works from 1975-77, these being the first second-generation EMUs to be constructed for British Rail...
dual voltage electric trains compatible with both 750v DC third-rail and 25kV AC overhead power sources. Each train is made up of three coaches each and are part of a fleet of 23 units shared with other London Overground routes. They are in the process of being replaced by 24 three car
Class 378The Class 378 Capitalstar is a type of electric multiple unit which is part of Bombardier Transportation's Electrostar family and has been ordered for the new London Overground network...
trains in 2009, which will be extended to four cars in 2010.
Service levels
Despite published performance figures the North London Line is regarded by frequent travellers as offering a poor service, with extremely congested trains and an unreliable service with some trains cancelled shortly before they are due to arrive. A 2006
London AssemblyThe London Assembly is an elected body, part of the Greater London Authority, that scrutinises the activities of the Mayor of London and has the power, with a two-thirds majority, to amend the Mayor's annual budget. The Assembly was established in 2000 and is headquartered at City Hall on the south...
report described the current service as
"shabby, unreliable, unsafe and overcrowded", proposing the transfer of the service to
Transport for LondonTransport for London is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London in England...
(TfL) as a potential solution to improve the quality of the service due to upgrade plans which coincide with the extension of the
East London lineThe East London line was a line of the London Underground, coloured orange on the Tube map. It ran north to south through the East End and Docklands areas of London, entirely in Travelcard Zone 2...
.
A report on the future of the line can be found on the London Assembly website.
Confirmed
- By February 2011, the extended East London Line
The East London line was a line of the London Underground, coloured orange on the Tube map. It ran north to south through the East End and Docklands areas of London, entirely in Travelcard Zone 2...
will connect to the NLL with ELL services joining the line west of Dalston Kingsland, running to Highbury & Islington.
- By 2011, according to TfL, all lines will be provided with a 'turn up and go' service, which means a minimum of 4 trains per hour in both directions.
- Planned service patterns are:
- 4 tph Stratford - Camden Road - Gospel Oak - Willesden Junction - Richmond (as current service)
- 2 tph Stratford - Camden Road - Gospel Oak - Willesden Junction - Clapham Junction
- 2 tph Stratford - Camden Road
Proposed
- The route between Custom House and North Woolwich is proposed to be used by the Crossrail
Crossrail is a project to build major new railway connections under central London. The project's name refers to the first of two routes proposed by Cross London Rail Links Ltd, based around an east-west tunnel from Paddington to Liverpool Street station...
project as part of the Abbey Wood branch. There were plans for this section to be used temporarily by the Royal Docks Heritage RailwayThe Royal Docks Heritage Railway is a new heritage railway which was due to open in London, England during 2007. It is associated with a separate training organisation called RailSchool...
but the present status of this project is unclear.
- Maiden Lane station may be reopened by Camden Council however the Office of Rail Regulation has not included this in the current plans.
- Hounslow council
The London Borough of Hounslow is a London borough in West London, England.-Political composition:The council was controlled by Labour from 1971 until 2006...
have proposed that part of the North London Line be used as a branch of CrossrailCrossrail is a project to build major new railway connections under central London. The project's name refers to the first of two routes proposed by Cross London Rail Links Ltd, based around an east-west tunnel from Paddington to Liverpool Street station...
to HounslowHounslow railway station is in the London Borough of Hounslow, in west London, and is in Travelcard Zone 5. The station and all trains serving it are operated by South West Trains....
. This would see Crossrail services stopping at Acton CentralActon Central railway station is a railway station on the North London Line, between South Acton and Willesden Junction, in Travelcard Zone 3.-History:...
and South ActonSouth Acton railway station is in the London Borough of Ealing and the London Borough of Hounslow in South Acton, West London. It is on the North London Line, and the station and all trains serving it are operated by London Overground...
. It is unlikely to be included in the initial Crossrail bill, but could form part of a later extension.
Closed stations
Closed stations apart from those on the closed sections of the line are:
City Extension
On 1 November 1865 the NLR opened its City Extension mostly on a viaduct from a triangular junction at Dalston to Broad Street in the City with these stations:
The extension closed on 30 June 1986 but with although the track was lifted the viaduct remained in place and much is used for the
East London LineThe East London line was a line of the London Underground, coloured orange on the Tube map. It ran north to south through the East End and Docklands areas of London, entirely in Travelcard Zone 2...
development of the East Lond on line
The extended East London Line will be operated by
London OvergroundLondon Overground is a commuter rail service in London, UK, the brand applied by Transport for London to the services on four railway lines: the Watford DC Line, the North London Line, the West London Line and the Gospel Oak to Barking Line.The name has been used since 2007, when TfL took over...
, the operators of passenger services on the North London Line, with services eventually running as far as Highbury & Islington in the north for interchange with the Victoria line.
North Woolwich section
On 10 December 2006 the line between Stratford and North Woolwich was closed allow building between Stratford and Canning Town of a
Docklands Light RailwayThe Docklands Light Railway is a light metro or light rail system opened on 31 August 1987 to serve the redeveloped Docklands area of East London, England...
line to Stratford International. Part of the south end of closed section is to be used for
CrossrailCrossrail is a project to build major new railway connections under central London. The project's name refers to the first of two routes proposed by Cross London Rail Links Ltd, based around an east-west tunnel from Paddington to Liverpool Street station...
.
NLL stations closed were:
- Stratford low level
- West Ham
West Ham station is a London Underground and National Rail station on the District Line, Hammersmith & City Line, Jubilee Line and served by c2c train services. It is in Travelcard Zone 3, and is managed by London Underground...
- Canning Town
Canning Town station is a inter-modal transport interchange in East London. It is served by the London Underground Jubilee line, the Docklands Light Railway and local buses operated for London Buses...
- Custom House
Custom House station is in the Custom House area by the Royal Docks, east London. It is served by the Docklands Light Railway , and is in Travelcard Zone 3. It takes its name from the old Custom House, which formerly stood nearby....
DLR and
Jubilee lineThe 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 notable for their larger size and safety features...
services are not affected at the first three of those stations.
The DLR line to Stratforn International will use the former NLL low level platforms at Stratford. NLL trains now terminate at new platforms on the north side of the high level station.
Trivia
- The line was for long the only National Rail
National Rail is a title used by the Association of Train Operating Companies as a generic term to define the passenger rail services operated in Great Britain...
route shown on the London UndergroundThe London Underground, Underground or Tube is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and neighbouring areas of Essex, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire in the UK. The first section opened in 1863, and was the first underground railway system in the world, and, starting in...
mapThe tube map is the schematic diagram representing the lines and stations of London's rapid transit rail system, the London Underground ....
. It was added in 1977 .
- The North Cross Route
North Cross Route was the designation for the northern section of Ringway 1, the innermost circuit of the London Ringways network, a complex and comprehensive plan for a network of high speed roads circling and radiating out from central London designed to manage and control the flow of traffic...
, one side of the Ringway 1Ringway 1 or the London Motorway Box was the innermost of the series of four London Ringways, ring roads planned in the 1960s to circle London at various distances from the city centre...
inner ring roadRing road is another term for beltway. It may also refer to:* Ring Road * Ring Road * Ring Road * Ring road of Iceland* Ring Road * "Ring Road", a song by the electronic band, Underworld....
, would have paralleled the North London Line.