North Weald tube station
Encyclopedia
North Weald tube station is a former London Underground station in Essex, England
. Located between Epping
and Blake Hall
stations on the Central line
the station is part of the Epping Ongar Railway
. It serves the village of North Weald.
on 1 April 1865, serving principally as a goods station taking agricultural produce from the nearby farms into central London. During World War II
, it was frequently used by airmen travelling to and from the nearby North Weald Airfield
. Steam locomotive
s operated by British Rail
for the London Underground ran a shuttle service from Epping to Ongar
(stopping at North Weald) from 1949 to 1957, when the track was electrified and taken over by the Underground's Central Line
.
While the Epping to Ongar branch was normally operated as an isolated section of the Central Line, for two days every year trains were run from London to terminate at North Weald. These trains served the North Weald airshow
on the Saturday and Sunday of its opening at the aerodrome almost adjacent to the station. The normal Epping to Ongar shuttle dovetailed with this service passing the terminating train on the adjacent line during its southbound journey.
The line from Epping to Ongar is a single track line with the exception of North Weald station which functioned as the only available passing place for trains travelling in opposite directions. The station's two platforms were both used from 1949 until 1976 when the westbound track was lifted. Until this time, access to the two platforms was controlled from the original Eastern Counties Railway signal box still sited on the southbound platform to this day. Until this occurred, North Weald was the last section of the London Underground network to be signalled using mechanical semaphore signals. Although disused, the illuminated track diagram in the signal box continued to show the progress of trains until its closure.
removed the running subsidy
for the line because it was not within the boundaries of Greater London, and no comparable subsidy was forthcoming from the local government agencies in Essex, which meant that fare levels were much higher than on the rest of the London Underground network. Initially, the Sunday service was dropped, and then the Saturday service. Subsequently, the service was restricted to a rush hour service only of just 7 trains in each direction per day (3 in the morning and 4 in the evening). The Epping to Ongar line, including North Weald station, was finally closed on 30 September 1994.
. These works are designed with the long term future of the branch and to enable the use of locomotive hauled trains (hauled by steam and diesel locomotives).
The station itself has been extensively restored, with all the rooms being restored to their original uses, restoring the station back to LNER / BR (E) colours.
The original GER signalbox dating from 1888 has been restored, complete with its original lever frame, as part of the works to signal the passing loop which has been reinstated through the station. The Up (westbound) platform has been restored, with a new DDA ramp installed and an original GER latticework footbridge (formally from Woodford) is in the process of being installed to replace the BR concrete structure.
The branch will once again run locomotive hauled trains between Ongar and North Weald, with a diesel shuttle towards Coopersale and connecting heritage buses to Epping.
The railway company have a long term aim to once again run trains to Epping, both to encourage tourism and to run services for local people as it is hoped that a new platform can be built to be serviced by their trains, providing a viable interchange with LU services to put back the rail services removed in 1994.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Located between 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 Blake Hall
Blake Hall tube station
Blake Hall station is a disused station in Essex, formerly on the Central Line of the London Underground between North Weald and Ongar. It was named after Blake Hall, a country house located a mile or so to the north east of the station in the village of Bobbingworth, and inhabited by a family of...
stations 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...
the station is part of the Epping Ongar Railway
Epping Ongar Railway
The Epping Ongar Railway operates on a preserved railway along the final section of the old Great Eastern Railway and London Underground Central Line branch line between Epping and Ongar, with an intermediate station at North Weald...
. It serves the village of North Weald.
History
The station was opened 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...
on 1 April 1865, serving principally as a goods station taking agricultural produce from the nearby farms into central London. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, it was frequently used by airmen travelling to and from the nearby North Weald Airfield
North Weald Airfield
North Weald Airfield is an operational airfield, near the village of North Weald Bassett in Epping Forest, Essex, England. It was an important fighter station during the Battle of Britain, when it was known as the RAF Station RAF North Weald. It is the home of North Weald Airfield Museum...
. Steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
s operated by British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
for the London Underground ran a shuttle service from Epping to 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...
(stopping at North Weald) from 1949 to 1957, when the track was electrified and taken over by the Underground's 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...
.
While the Epping to Ongar branch was normally operated as an isolated section of the Central Line, for two days every year trains were run from London to terminate at North Weald. These trains served the North Weald airshow
Airshow
An air show is an event at which aviators display their flying skills and the capabilities of their aircraft to spectators in aerobatics. Air shows without aerobatic displays, having only aircraft displayed parked on the ground, are called "static air shows"....
on the Saturday and Sunday of its opening at the aerodrome almost adjacent to the station. The normal Epping to Ongar shuttle dovetailed with this service passing the terminating train on the adjacent line during its southbound journey.
The line from Epping to Ongar is a single track line with the exception of North Weald station which functioned as the only available passing place for trains travelling in opposite directions. The station's two platforms were both used from 1949 until 1976 when the westbound track was lifted. Until this time, access to the two platforms was controlled from the original Eastern Counties Railway signal box still sited on the southbound platform to this day. Until this occurred, North Weald was the last section of the London Underground network to be signalled using mechanical semaphore signals. Although disused, the illuminated track diagram in the signal box continued to show the progress of trains until its closure.
Closure
The Epping to Ongar branch was not heavily used and became increasingly unprofitable. The service was further undermined when the Greater London CouncilGreater London Council
The Greater London Council was the top-tier local government administrative body for Greater London from 1965 to 1986. It replaced the earlier London County Council which had covered a much smaller area...
removed the running subsidy
Subsidy
A subsidy is an assistance paid to a business or economic sector. Most subsidies are made by the government to producers or distributors in an industry to prevent the decline of that industry or an increase in the prices of its products or simply to encourage it to hire more labor A subsidy (also...
for the line because it was not within the boundaries of Greater London, and no comparable subsidy was forthcoming from the local government agencies in Essex, which meant that fare levels were much higher than on the rest of the London Underground network. Initially, the Sunday service was dropped, and then the Saturday service. Subsequently, the service was restricted to a rush hour service only of just 7 trains in each direction per day (3 in the morning and 4 in the evening). The Epping to Ongar line, including North Weald station, was finally closed on 30 September 1994.
Current ownership
North Weald Station, as with the rest of the 6.5 mile branch reaching to the outskirts of Epping station, is currently undergoing significant improvement and infrastructure works in connection with its use as a heritage railwayHeritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
. These works are designed with the long term future of the branch and to enable the use of locomotive hauled trains (hauled by steam and diesel locomotives).
The station itself has been extensively restored, with all the rooms being restored to their original uses, restoring the station back to LNER / BR (E) colours.
The original GER signalbox dating from 1888 has been restored, complete with its original lever frame, as part of the works to signal the passing loop which has been reinstated through the station. The Up (westbound) platform has been restored, with a new DDA ramp installed and an original GER latticework footbridge (formally from Woodford) is in the process of being installed to replace the BR concrete structure.
The branch will once again run locomotive hauled trains between Ongar and North Weald, with a diesel shuttle towards Coopersale and connecting heritage buses to Epping.
The railway company have a long term aim to once again run trains to Epping, both to encourage tourism and to run services for local people as it is hoped that a new platform can be built to be serviced by their trains, providing a viable interchange with LU services to put back the rail services removed in 1994.