The final connection was a track connection via a long since defunct station called St Mary’s to Shadwell on what used to be the East London line and is now part of London Overground, though deeper below the surface than any of the remaining ‘subsurface’ stations on London Underground. The London Overground East London Line scheme has had an excellent safety record over the duration of the project. The site has twice recorded 1M accident free hours under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (Riddor) 1995. This was achieved in December 2008 and again in November 2009. In many ways the new East London Line performs the intents of the earlier 19th century built line which was to provide a through rail route between North and South London although that route was only ever used for freight as well as the occasional through railtour. The London Overground East London Line scheme has had an excellent safety record over the duration of the project. The site has twice recorded 1M accident free hours under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (Riddor) 1995. This was achieved in December 2008 and again in November 2009.

'And we trundled and jogged - the train and I
Through cuttingsthat cut through - who knows?
Till we stopped at a single platform
Andsat there in repose.'

- Shoreditch
Alan Gibley

A Subsurface Line

East London Line Closure

[Last modified: 2020-05-08]

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History
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Dates
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Features
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Services
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Topology
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Layout
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Depots
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Connections
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Rolling stock

History

The East London Line is the only LU line that was planned and built as amain-line railway, but its history goes much further back than that.It is also the only complete line (in the sense used in these pages)to be converted back to a main line.

The first tunnel under the Thames was proposed in 1798, but nothing came ofit. However, four years later the Thames Archway Company was formed to build atunnel from Rotherhithe to Limehouse in the docklands area of London, andconstruction started in 1805. After initial problems, Richard Trevithick wasappointed as engineer, and by the start of 1808 the initial drift - 1.5 m (5')high and 0.9 m (3') wide - reached from the southern shaft all the way to thelow tide mark on the northern shore, only 60 m (200') or so short of its target.However, on 1808-01-26, a breach in the tunnel roof flooded the workings, andthe project was abandoned.

Ten years later, in 1818, Marc Brunel - father of the more famous IsambardKingdom Brunel - patented the first version of the tunnelling shield. Five yearslater one of the Archway company's promoters learned of this, and backers werefound for a new tunnel, about a kilometre west of the previous site, joiningRotherhithe to Wapping; construction started on 1825-03-02 with Marc in charge.The tunnel was intended to be used by road traffic, with 12m (40') wide spiralramps coming down from the surface, but the first stage of the project was todig the southern vertical access shaft and drive under the river, using ashield, to eventually meet the northern shaft (which was dug somewhat later).

Test bores in the riverbed seemed to show a good solid layer of clay alittle below it, so Brunel decided to stay in the clay by placing the tunnelroof only 4.3 m (14') below the river bed. In fact, the clay was riddled withfaults allowing water to leak into the tunnel, and several times breakthroughsof the Thames flooded the workings; the first such turned out to be at a pointwhere dredging of the riverbed for gravel had brought it even closer to thetunnel.

Due to these and other problems, the project ran through a succession ofengineers in charge, including Isambard Brunel at the age of 20. 5 x 7 papers scrapped 's free printables digi and clip art print. The company'scapital was exhausted, and work had to stop completely several times - duringone of these hiatuses, the tunnel gained the nickname of 'the Great Bore'.During the final stages of the work, a driftway was dug from the northern shaftto the almost-complete tunnel, and when they met, Isambard's 3-year-old sonIsambard Kingdom Brunel III was handed through to become the first person everto make the complete crossing under the Thames and, probably, through any tunnelunder water. Meanwhile Marc Brunel was knighted in 1841 for his work on thetunnel.

The tunnel finally opened on 1843-03-25. Funding for the road access rampswas never found, so it was only accessible by walking down spiral stairways inthe construction shafts. The final tunnel was 11.6m (38') wide and 6.9m (22'6')high, with a dividing wall - complete with ornamental arches - down the centre.Large enough for a good-sized road, and more than enough for a double-trackrailway, it was instead just carrying a trickle of pedestrians (who could easilyhear ships' propellers in the river above, because of the closeness of the riverbed); market stalls were also set up.

The tunnel survived as a curiosity for over 20 years. Finally, in 1865,various people involved with the tunnel formed the East London Railway, whichpurchased it to form part of an underground rail link between the GER atLiverpool Street (where through trains via the ELR would reverse) and the SERand LBSCR, at New Cross (1) and New Cross Gate respectively; a third connectionran to the LBSCR at Old Kent Road. The first part of the link, from the southernlines through the tunnel to Wapping, opened in December 1869 (the tunnel hadremained in use as a footpath until July) while the remainder was opened 7 yearslater. Between Wapping and Shadwell the line ran through a second tunnel, thistime along the bottom of a dock (which has since been filled in).

At Spitalfields a branch turned off into extensive sidings underneath thecorresponding GER coal depot (and with a vertical hoist linking them); therewere plans to tunnel to meet the GER line at Cambridge Heath, but these nevercame to fruition and the tunnel dead-ended only 350m from the junction.

For many years trains ran to a range of destinations south of the river,such as Croydon, Addiscombe Road, and even Brighton, as well as to a separateterminus at New Cross (2). The ELR never owned or operated its own trains,always relying on others. In 1884 the line was leased to a consortium of thefive (six from 1885) companies using it, and on 1925-01-01 it was transferred tothe Southern Railway (which had absorbed three of the six lessors), whoimmediately leased it back to the consortium.

As part of the completion of the Circle Line, a link was built from theCircle at Aldgate to the ELR, and both the Metropolitan and the MetropolitanDistrict Railways ran trains on to the line from their respective Hammersmithtermini, initially seeing it as a way to expand southeastwards (for the first 5days trains ran in service as far east as Liverpool Street or Mansion House,then empty to St. Mary's, and then in service again on the ELR). The lattercompany abandoned the services in 1905 and the former in 1906, leaving the lineto the main-line companies, who saw it mostly as a goods rather than passengerroute. In 1913 the Metropolitan Railway came back to the line, providingpassenger services throughout.Initially trains ran from both southern termini toShoreditch and to South Kensington via Edgware Road and High Street Kensington;the former service remained essentially unchanged until 2007,but the latter was diverted to Hammersmith (1) on 1914-02-09,reduced to peak hours only on 1936-05-04,restored to all-day Monday to Friday on 1938-11-28, and finally ceased on 1939-11-18.

In 1939 there was concern that bomb damage could flood the under-rivertunnel, after which the water would rise through the shaft at Rotherhithestation and flood the surrounding low-level ground. Therefore a double floodgatewas installed at the north end of the station.


Photo [382kb] and info

The line eventually fell into LU ownership at nationalization. It remained abranch of the Metropolitan (becoming the 'Metropolitan Line - East LondonSection' in March 1970) until the 1980s, when the separate identity wasrestored. The Underground companies, and later LU, never served Liverpool Streetfrom the East London Line, as the through service had ended at electrification,but regular goods traffic came from there until 1962 and occasional passengerservices were to run until 1966 when the link was severed.

The line was closed in 1995 to carry out various repair work and toconstruct Canada Water station. The most significant part of the work was toseal the Thames Tunnel against leaks by 'shotcreting' it. A legalconflict with architectural interests wishing to preserve the tunnel'sappearance (and disputing the need for the treatment anyway) extended theclosure, which was originally planned to last only 6 months or so. Following anagreement to leave a short section at one end of the tunnel untreated, and moresympathetic treatment of the rest of the tunnel, the work went ahead and theroute reopened in 1998. This extended closing was partly due to deterioration ofother parts of the infrastructure, which in turn was partly because of the lackof regular maintenance during the extended closing and the inability to predictwhen such maintenance could restart - a vicious circle! Reopening of Shoreditchstation was delayed several months because, at the last minute, the RailwayInspectorate required 'Moorgate control' to be installed there.


Photo [402kb] and info

The line closed as an Underground line in late 2007 andwas integrated into the London Overground network as 'route 4'.It remains owned by London Underground, though the signalling is maintainedand operated by NR.

At the north end, a new alignment starting north of Whitechapel bypassesShoreditch and takes it up to theformer North London Railway (NLR) trackbed from Broad Street toDalston Junction, from where it continues to Highbury & Islington(there are three new stations and one reopened one on this part).At the other end, the line retained New Cross as one terminus, but was extendedin two directions:via New Cross Gate to West Croydon and with a branch to Crystal Palace,all over existing lines,and via the reinstated link from Silwood Junction to Old Kent Road Junctionand thence over existing lines to Clapham Junction(with an unpublicised branch to Battersea Park).Passive provision has been left on the latter for a new station, at Surrey Canal Road.There are also proposals to rebuild and reopen East Brixton station.

There is a suggestion that the Crystal Palace service could beextended via Balham to Clapham Junction.

Dates

1839-06-05New Cross Gate [London & Croydon Railway, later LBSCR]
1847-09-30New Cross Gate
1849-05-01New Cross Gate [LBSCR]
1850-09-26[0]Highbury & Islington to [Dalston Western Junction] opened[NLR]
1850-10-New Cross (1) [SER]
1858-09-01Canonbury
1865-11-01[2][Dalston Western Junction] to Broad Street opened [NLR]
Hoxton
1867-09-02Haggerston
1866-08-13Old Kent Road [LBSCR]
1869-12-07[1]Wapping to Surrey Quays opened [LBSCR]
Rotherhithe
0Surrey Quays to New Cross (2) opened [LBSCR]
1870-12-01Canonbury
1871-03-13 0Surrey Quays to Old Kent Road opened [LBSCR]
1872-11-04Bishopsgate [GER]
1874-02-020Liverpool Street to Bishopsgate opened [GER]
1876-04-10Liverpool Street to Bishopsgate started [LBSCR]
1Bishopsgate to Whitechapel opened [LBSCR]
1Whitechapel to Wapping opened [LBSCR]
1876-07-010Surrey Quays to New Cross Gate opened [LBSCR]
1876-10-31Surrey Quays to New Cross (2) closed
1880-04-010Surrey Quays to New Cross (1) opened [SER service to Liverpool Street]
1880-10-01Mildmay Park
1884-03-02Liverpool Street to Shadwell (1) withdrawn [SER]
1884-03-030St. Mary's to Shadwell (1) opened [SER]
1884-09-30St. Mary's to New Cross (1) withdrawn [SER]
1884-10-01ELR leased to a consortium of Metropolitan, District, LBSCR, LCDR, and SER
St. Mary's to Surrey Quays started [Metropolitan and District]
Surrey Quays to New Cross (1) started [Metropolitan]
0 Surrey Quays to New Cross (2) reopened [District]
1885-GER joined the consortium leasing the ELR
1885-12-31Liverpool Street to Shoreditch withdrawn [LBSCR]
1886-01-01Liverpool Street to New Cross Gate started [GER]
1886-08-31Surrey Quays to New Cross (2) closed
1886-09-01Surrey Quays to New Cross Gate started [District]
1905-07-31St. Mary's to New Cross Gate withdrawn [District]
1905-08-01Whitechapel to New Cross (1) started [SE&CR]
1906-12-02St. Mary's to Shadwell (1) closed
Shadwell (1) to New Cross (1) withdrawn [Metropolitan]
1911-06-30Surrey Quays to Old Kent Road closed
Services to south of New Cross (1) and New Cross Gate withdrawn
1913-03-30All existing services withdrawn
Liverpool Street to Bishopsgate withdrawn
Bishopsgate to Shoreditch closed to passenger trains
1913-03-31Shoreditch to Shadwell (1) started
St. Mary's to New Cross (1) restored
Surrey Quays to New Cross Gate started
1916-05-21Bishopsgate
1916-12-31Old Kent Road
1934-09-30Mildmay Park
1936-05-04?Entire line closed (General Strike)
1936-05-17Entire line reopened
1938-04-30St. Mary's
1939-11-18St. Mary's to Shadwell (1) closed
1940-05-05Haggerston
1940-09-10Shoreditch to New Cross (1) and New Cross Gate closed (bombs near Canada Water)
1940-10-03Shoreditch NLR
1940-10-30[5]Shoreditch to New Cross (1) and New Cross Gate reopened
Canada Water
1941-05-10Shoreditch to New Cross (1) and New Cross Gate closed (bomb damage)
1941-[5]Shoreditch to New Cross (1) and New Cross Gate reopened
Canada Water
1948-01-01Transferred to LU ownership
1966-04-17Liverpool Street to Shoreditch closed to goods traffic
1986-06-27[Dalston Western Junction] to Broad Street closed
1995-03-25Shoreditch to New Cross (1) and New Cross Gate closed
1998-03-25[4]Whitechapel to New Cross (1) and New Cross Gate reopened
Canada Water
1998-09-270Shoreditch to Whitechapel reopened
1999-08-19Canada Water
2002-11-22Wapping (firefighters'strike)
2002-11-30Wapping
2006-06-09Shoreditch to Whitechapel closed
2007-12-22Whitechapel to New Cross (1) and New Cross Gate closed
2008-01-22Line officially changed from 'closed' to 'under construction'
2010-01-18Line officially changed from 'under construction' to 'closed'
2010-02-19Highbury & Islington to [Dalston Western Junction] closed (major engineering)
2010-04-27[3]Dalston Junction to Whitechapel (re)opened
Shoreditch (NLR)
5Whitechapel to New Cross (1) and New Cross Gate reopened
2010-05-23New Cross Gate to West Croydon and Crystal Palace started
2010-06-01[1]Highbury & Islington to [Dalston Western Junction] reopened (London Overground route 1 services)
Canonbury
2010-12-17Highbury & Islington to [Dalston Western Junction] closed (resignalling)
2011-01-04[1]Highbury & Islington to [Dalston Western Junction] reopened (London Overground route 1 services)
2011-02-28Highbury & Islington to [Dalston Western Junction] started
0[Dalston Western Junction] to Dalston Junction reopened
2012-12-09[0]Surrey Quays to Old Kent Road reopened
Old Kent Road to Clapham Junction started
Wandsworth Road to Battersea Park started
2016-02-12Highbury & Islington to Shadwell closed (Crossrail works)
Surrey Quays to New Cross (1) closed (Crossrail works)
2016-02-22[6]Highbury & Islington to Shadwell reopened
0Surrey Quays to New Cross (1) reopened
2016-03-24Highbury & Islington to Shadwell closed (Crossrail works)
2016-04-02[6]Highbury & Islington to Shadwell reopened
2016-07-29Highbury & Islington to Shadwell closed (Crossrail works) [1]
2016-08-08[6]Highbury & Islington to Shadwell reopened
2017-12-22Highbury & Islington to Dalston Junction closed
2017-12-31[1]Highbury & Islington to Dalston Junction reopened
2020-03-20Sydenham to West Croydon withdrawn (maintenance)
2020-03-22Surrey Quays to New Cross closed (Covid-19)
2020-03-30Sydenham to West Croydon restored

[1]Surrey Quays to New Cross (1) was closed for at least part of this period as well,but sources disagree on the exact dates.

Features

The original line is basically double track.The extensions, including the route into New Cross Gate, will be double trackon their own alignment, though the sections from Dalston Junction toHighbury & Islington, from New Cross Gate to West Croydon,and from Peckham Rye to Wandsworth Road mostly usetwo of the tracks of a four-track line;the first of these parallels 'route 1' (Richmond and Clapham Junction to Stratford)of the London Overground.

At New Cross (1) the line originally connected to both sides of the main-line station,using a diveunder to reach the east (southbound) side;from 1884 all trains terminating there used that side.The connection to the west side was disused from 1940 and removed in 1968.At New Cross Gate the double track ran into a single platform which thenconnected to the down (southbound) main line beyond the station;again, this was used for all terminating trains.Northbound through trains would use a separate track that met the Old Kent Roadto Surrey Quays link at about location 355779.This was closed in 1964 and removed sometime later that decade.A new flyover was built to carry northbound trains across the main line.

The line is in tunnel from just north of Surrey Quays to Whitechapel,though some stations are in open cuttings.North of Whitechapel it rises on to viaduct for the section to DalstonJunction;this viaduct used to carry four tracks.The rest of the route is mostly at surface level.The Shoreditch branch was also in cutting and theNational Rail lines into Liverpool Street still run past the end of Shoreditchstation, though there has not been any connection since the late 1960s.From about 1928 all trains terminating at Shoreditch used the northboundplatform, and after the link to the main line was severed the trackwas removed from the southbound platform.

The line was initially electrified on the standard LU system, which itretained until closing in 2007, whilethe extended route (and the existing lines it connects to) iselectrified throughout on the NR third-rail system.Some reports of the 1998 reopening stated that theelectrical systems could be operated in 'third rail' or'fourth rail' mode, but other sources disagree.

Although Shadwell (1) on this line and Shadwell (2) on the Docklands LightRailway are completely separate stations, interchange between the two on asingle ticket is permitted.

Services

Before the 2007 closure

Trains ran alternately to the two southern termini. Shoreditch was open inthe peaks and on Sunday mornings, with all trains terminating alternately in thetwo platforms at Whitechapel at other times.

Minimum running time was 11 minutes to either southern terminus fromWhitechapel.

2010 onwards

The service consists of four separate components, one for each of the four southern termini.On Mondays to Saturdays each component operates at 4tph throughout the day, giving 16tph through the core section.The northern terminus for each component has varied:
Until Dec 2012Dec 2012 to Dec 2015Current
Clapham Junctionnot openHighbury & IslingtonDalston Junction
Crystal PalaceHighbury & IslingtonHighbury & IslingtonHighbury & Islington
New CrossDalston JunctionDalston JunctionDalston Junction
West CroydonHighbury & IslingtonDalston JunctionHighbury & Islington
On Sundays the service tends to be more complicated and has varied more in the past.At present it is:
before 09:0009:00-12:0012:00-22:30after 22:30
Clapham JunctionHighbury & Islington2tph 4tph4tph2tph
Clapham JunctionDalston Junction2tph [P]2tph [P]
Crystal PalaceHighbury & Islington2tph2tph4tph [2]2tph
New CrossDalston Junctionnone4tph4tph2tph
West CroydonDalston Junction4tph4tph [3]
West CroydonHighbury & Islington2tph [1]2tph [2]2tph [4]
[1] Southbound trains start at Dalston Junction before 08:00.
[2] During the transition around 12:00 a few services run to or from Dalston Junction.
[3] Northbound only.

Eskom East London Help Line

[4] Southbound only.
[P] Planned from 2017-12-10.

There is a suggestion in a recent TfL document that an further 2tph should be addedbetween Dalston Junction and Crystal Palace in the peaks to reduce congestion.

Battersea Park is served by one train each way Mondays to Fridays.

Minimum running time is 22 minutes from Dalston Junction toNew Cross and New Cross Gate, 37 minutes to Crystal Palace, 45 to Clapham Junction,and 50 minutes to West Croydon.It takes 5 minutes from Highbury & Islington to Dalston Junction.

East london tube line

Night Tube services started on 15th December 2017 between Dalston Junction and New Cross Gate,though not stopping at Whitechapel because of Crossrail works until 2018-12-14.The service was extended to Highbury & Islington from 2018-02-23.

Covid-19:services were 4tph between Dalston Junction and Clapham Junctionand 2tph between Highbury and Islington and each of Crystal Palace and West Croydon.

Topology

Layout

The East London Line previously used Ongar-based distances and these have been retainedon this page,though the line itself now uses miles and chains.

Like National Rail lines and unlike LU, the two directions are called 'up' (towards Highbury & Islington)and 'down'.

Locations are listed down the page in the 'down' direction.

31584741=54 [=1TB2=7ud8]Highbury & Islington
31984841=06[-][Canonbury West Junction]
32385040=62[=NS=ud=]Canonbury
32885039=93[-](Mildmay Park)
33285039=65[-][Dalston Western Junction, NR/LU boundary]
33584739.05[N=TT=S]Dalston Junction[2]
33583838.40[OP]Haggerston[3]
33583037.58[OP]Hoxton[3]
33382637.16[NS](Shoreditch NLR)[3]
33482336.71[-][end of NLR flyover from Broad Street, start of new flyover]
33582236.41[OP]Shoreditch High Street
34582035.35[-][Spitalfields Junction]
34382135.65[-][Vallance Road portal]
34781835.23[OP4]Whitechapel
34781634.99[-][Whitechapel Junction]
34980934.25[OP]Shadwell (1)
35080133.47[OP]Wapping
35279832.95[OP]Rotherhithe
35479432.63[OPX2]Canada Water
35579132.25[-][Surrey Quays portal]
35678932.08[OP]Surrey Quays
35778631.73[-][Silwood Junction, down line]
35778531.63[-][Silwood Junction, up line]
35977930.98[-][Canal Junction]
35977830.82[-][depot entrance]
30.32[-][NR/LU boundary on up line]
30.30[-][New Cross Gate North Junction]
36077230.22[-][New Cross Gate Up Junction]
36177030.06[=Nn=ss=S X]New Cross Gate
29.93[-][NR/LU boundary on down line]
36276629.63[-][New Cross Gate Down Junction]
36475728=73[=NnsS=]Brockley
35874127=06[=NnsS=]Honor Oak Park
35372925=64[=NnsS=]Forest Hill
35371524=39[=NnsS=]Sydenham
35371424=21[-][Sydenham down Junction]
35271324=01[-][Sydenham up Junction]
34970423=13[=NnsS=]Penge West
34669922=48[=NnsS=]Anerley
34068220=71[=N2=ns=SS=]Norwood Junction
33567219=55[-][Norwood Fork Junction]
33166919=23[-][Gloucester Road Junction]
32166117=86[V= ^=ns=]West Croydon
33281737=14[18 bays]{Liverpool Street}
33582236=46[=NS= wewe](Bishopsgate)
33882236=16[-][East London Junction]
33982136.03[=1T =](Shoreditch)
34182235.8[-][convergence with current route]
34382135.6[-][new and old track levels meet]
34281635.49[OP](St. Mary's)
34481735!45[-][St. Mary's Junction]
34781734.99[-][Whitechapel Junction]
35977930.98[-][Canal Junction]
36377730.51[-][Rolt Street Junction]
36677129.78[wew'A'='B'be'C'='D'V]New Cross (1)
36077430.37[-][approximate point of divergence from current route]
36277130.1[VV](New Cross (2))
35371424=21[-][Sydenham down Junction]
35271324=01[-][Sydenham up Junction]
34170522=38[=#u=Vd=V X+2]Crystal Palace
35678932.08[OP]Surrey Quays
35778631.73[-][Silwood Junction, down line]
35778531.63[-][Silwood Junction, up line]
35678231.07[-][northbound and southbound converge]
35577930.90[-]{{Surrey Canal Road}}
35277330.14[-][Old Kent Road Junction]
35277330=0[-](Old Kent Road)
35076829=51[IP]Queens Road Peckham
34176228=34[=ew= N=S X]Peckham Rye
33976228=12[-][Peckham Rye Junction]
33176227=28[-][Grove Tunnel east portal]
32976127=17[-][Grove Tunnel west portal]
32876126=99[=ew=NS= X]Denmark Hill
32776026=87[-][Denmark Hill Tunnel east portal]
32676026=81[-][Denmark Hill Tunnel west portal]
31575525=66[=ew=NS= X](East Brixton)
30575524=48[-][Shepherds Lane Junction]
29875723=82[ew =NS= X]Clapham High Street
29476223=19[ew =NS= X]Wandsworth Road
29376323=07[-][Factory Junction east]
29276422=89[-][Factory Junction west]
28776622=25[-][Longhedge Junction A]
28676522=15[-][Longhedge Junction B]
28576422=07[-][Longhedge Junction C]
27375720=64[-][Ludgate GW Junction]
27175620=29[=bBw=ew=ew..]Clapham Junction[4]
26875419=93[-][end of sidings]
29376323=07[-][Factory Junction east]
28777022=08[=NS=du=du]Battersea Park
  • Shadwell (2) is on the Docklands Light Railway.

[2] The old Dalston Junction station was arrangedin a V shape with four tracks on this branch and a further two on the branch towardsStratford.

[3] The line from Dalston Junction to Broad Streetused to be four tracks, and these stations had outside platforms on the eastern paironly (equivalent to the ALT code 'NS =NS=').

[4] Platforms 1 and 2 use the same side of the same island platform,with the platform 1 track ending half way along and the western half of the platformextending out to meet the platform 2 track (used by the East London Line).

Depots

Trains are maintained at New Cross Gate Depot.Until 2008 the line was served by New Cross Depot, a small depot on the west side of theNew Cross branch, with major work done by running trains to Neasden Depot on theMetropolitan Line.

Connections

The line is connected to National Rail at New Cross Gate and at Old Kent Road.Technically it runs over National Rail north of Dalston Western Junction, but ondedicated tracks.There is a single-track connection from Highbury & Islington to the North LondonLine westwards at Westbourne Road Junction;this connection is not signalled and can only be used under engineering possession.Passive provision is being left in place to allow a single-trackconnection from Dalston Junction to Dalston East Junction (on the NorthLondon Line towards Stratford) at a later date.

Until early 2008 a double track link connected the line to theDistrict Line just east of St. Mary's station (now closed).Eastbound District trains could run over the link to becomesouthbound East London Line trains south of Whitechapel;similarly northbound ELL trains could become westbound District trains.This link was cut as part of the rebuilding work.Links to the main lines at Shoreditch, New Cross, and New Cross Gate wereremoved around 1970.

1876

East London Line Tfl

Rolling Stock

The line is operated by DC-only class 378 Electrostar EMUs(other class 378s operated by LO are dual-voltage).

For the last years of its life under LU the line was operated by4-car A stock trains(using units with both cabs equipped[5]);these were part of the Metropolitan Line fleet and exchangedwith that line on a regular basis.

The only trains that were permitted to carry passengers were4-car A stock (where both cabs were equipped), 4-car C stock, and 3-cardouble-ended units of 1973 Tube Stock(passengers were not allowed to board or alightfrom 1973 Tube Stock at Canada Water due to the higher platforms).Longer trains, including 1959, 1967, and 1972 Tube Stock, could carrypassengers non-stop from Aldgate East or Whitechapel to New Cross Gate,or could run directly into New Cross Depot(though limited to certain sidings there).4-car trains of those stocks could operate empty anywhere on the line.The erstwhile link to the District Line, though double track, could notbe used in both directions simultaneously due to insufficient clearance.

[5] Some A stock units had had mostof the equipment removed from one cab.These units could only be used - except in the depot - when that end wascoupled to another unit.

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