Debden tube station
Encyclopedia
Debden is a London Underground
station on the Central Line
in Debden
, in the Epping Forest
district of Essex
. The station is between Loughton
and Theydon Bois
. It is located in Station Approach off Chigwell Lane (A1168) and is in Travelcard Zone 6
.
(later Great Eastern Railway
) as part of an extension of the railway's Loughton branch to Epping
and Ongar
. Initially called Chigwell Road, it was soon renamed on 1 December 1865 as Chigwell Lane, but remained as a one platform halt for the first years of its life.
Chigwell Lane was one of a number of GER stations that saw a temporary suspension of passenger services, due to the need to make economies, during the First World War. The station was closed from 22 May 1916 until 3 February 1919. As a consequence of the 1921 Railways Act
, the GER was merged with other railway companies in 1923 to become part of the London & North Eastern Railway (LNER).
As part of the 1935 - 1940 "New Works Programme" of the London Passenger Transport Board
, the LNER branch was to be transferred to form the part of the eastern extension of the Central Line. Although work commenced in 1938 it was suspended upon the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 and work only recommenced in 1946. British Railways
(BR, successor to LNER after nationalisation
in 1948) steam services were replaced by electric Central line passenger services on 25 September 1949. From the handover, the station was renamed Debden. BR goods services continued to be operated on the branch for years afterwards.
At one time, there were two sidings at Debden, and a majority of trains terminated there, with only a limited service operating on to Epping, however; in recent years, the Epping service has improved considerably, reducing the number of trains terminating at Debden. The present station buildings on the eastbound platform largely date from a reconstruction in 1974 although the original station master's house survives adjacent to the ticket office.
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
station on the Central Line
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, at , has the greatest total length of track of any line on the Underground. Of the 49 stations served, 20 are below ground...
in Debden
Debden, Epping Forest
Debden is a suburb of the town of Loughton, in the Epping Forest district of Essex, England. It takes its name from the ancient manor of Debden, which lay at its northern end. The area is predominantly residential, but is also the location of Epping Forest College, East 15 Acting School and the De...
, in the Epping Forest
Epping Forest (district)
Epping Forest is a local government district of the county of Essex, England. It is named after Epping Forest, of which the district contains a large part...
district of Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
. The station is between Loughton
Loughton tube station
Loughton is a London Underground station, some two miles north of the Greater London boundary, in the Epping Forest district of Essex.It is served by the Central Line and lies between Buckhurst Hill and Debden...
and Theydon Bois
Theydon Bois tube station
Theydon Bois is a London Underground station in the Epping Forest district of Essex. It is served by the Central Line and is between Debden and Epping...
. It is located in Station Approach off Chigwell Lane (A1168) and is in Travelcard Zone 6
Travelcard Zone 6
Fare zone 6 is an outer zone of Transport for London's zonal fare system used for calculating the price of tickets for travel on the London Underground, London Overground, Docklands Light Railway and, since 2007, on National Rail services. The zone was created in January 1991; from May 1983 it had...
.
History
The station was originally opened on 24 April 1865 by The Eastern Counties RailwayEastern Counties Railway
The Eastern Counties Railway was an early English railway company incorporated in 1836. It was intended to link London with Ipswich via Colchester, and then on to Norwich and Yarmouth. Construction began in late March 1837 on the first nine miles, at the London end of the line.Construction was...
(later Great Eastern Railway
Great Eastern Railway
The Great Eastern Railway was a pre-grouping British railway company, whose main line linked London Liverpool Street to Norwich and which had other lines through East Anglia...
) as part of an extension of the railway's Loughton branch to Epping
Epping tube station
Epping on the London Underground is the north-eastern terminus of the Central Line. The station before Epping is Theydon Bois, which is about three minutes travelling time away. Epping station is in the Epping Forest District of Essex...
and Ongar
Ongar tube station
Ongar tube station is a former London Underground station in the town of Chipping Ongar, Essex. Until its closure in 1994, it was the easternmost point of the Central line, and from 1961 until closure, it held the distinction of being the London Underground station farthest from Central...
. Initially called Chigwell Road, it was soon renamed on 1 December 1865 as Chigwell Lane, but remained as a one platform halt for the first years of its life.
Chigwell Lane was one of a number of GER stations that saw a temporary suspension of passenger services, due to the need to make economies, during the First World War. The station was closed from 22 May 1916 until 3 February 1919. As a consequence of the 1921 Railways Act
Railways Act 1921
The Railways Act 1921, also known as the Grouping Act, was an enactment by the British government of David Lloyd George intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, move the railways away from internal competition, and to retain some of the benefits which...
, the GER was merged with other railway companies in 1923 to become part of the London & North Eastern Railway (LNER).
As part of the 1935 - 1940 "New Works Programme" of the London Passenger Transport Board
London Passenger Transport Board
The London Passenger Transport Board was the organisation responsible for public transport in London, UK, and its environs from 1933 to 1948...
, the LNER branch was to be transferred to form the part of the eastern extension of the Central Line. Although work commenced in 1938 it was suspended upon the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 and work only recommenced in 1946. British Railways
Eastern Region of British Railways
The Eastern Region was a region of British Railways from 1948. The region ceased to be an operating unit in its own right in the 1980s and was wound up at the end of 1992...
(BR, successor to LNER after nationalisation
Nationalization
Nationalisation, also spelled nationalization, is the process of taking an industry or assets into government ownership by a national government or state. Nationalization usually refers to private assets, but may also mean assets owned by lower levels of government, such as municipalities, being...
in 1948) steam services were replaced by electric Central line passenger services on 25 September 1949. From the handover, the station was renamed Debden. BR goods services continued to be operated on the branch for years afterwards.
The station today
Debden station operates as an intermediate terminus for eastbound trains from central London and a number of peak hour trains end at the station rather than continue to Epping. A turnback siding east of the station allows eastbound services to reverse direction and enter the westbound platform to return to central London. The siding may also be used in the reverse direction, allowing westbound trains from Epping to be terminated at Debden during service disruptions and return east.At one time, there were two sidings at Debden, and a majority of trains terminated there, with only a limited service operating on to Epping, however; in recent years, the Epping service has improved considerably, reducing the number of trains terminating at Debden. The present station buildings on the eastbound platform largely date from a reconstruction in 1974 although the original station master's house survives adjacent to the ticket office.