North Woolwich railway station
Encyclopedia
North Woolwich railway station in North Woolwich
in east London
was the eastern terminus of the North London Line
. It was in Travelcard Zone 3
. The next station was .
from Stratford
. The service was later extended beyond Stratford to Palace Gates
. In 1963 diesel traction replaced steam and the service was cut back to Stratford with peak-hour trains to Tottenham Hale. The route became an extension of the North London Line in 1979. From the 1980s only one track of the double track line was used through the Connaught Tunnel under the Royal Docks
and on to North Woolwich where the station building and a platform were closed and replaced by minimalist entrance and passenger shelter on the south side. In 1985 the line from North Woolwich was electrified on the third rail
system with the service running round inner north London to (a route part third rail and part overhead wire).
From 1984 to 2008 the original station buildings and one disused platform served as the North Woolwich Old Station Museum
dedicated to the history of the Great Eastern Railway
.
The station and the line to Stratford closed on 9 December 2006 to allow conversion of the North London Line between Stratford and to a Docklands Light Railway
(DLR) line. At closure the station was served by Silverlink Trains. King George V DLR station
which opened in December 2005 on the extension from Canning Town gives a replacement service to the North Woolwich area.
is approved to re-use the Connaught Tunnel and nearby NLL route by 2018, with a new tunnel under the Thames near the site of North Woolwich station.
This has thwarted two earlier schemes for using the fragment of railway near the station which had been seen as having no viable railway use:
North Woolwich
North 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:...
in east London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
was the eastern terminus of the North London Line
North London Line
The North London Line is a railway line which passes through the inner suburbs of north London, 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 Rail...
. It was in Travelcard Zone 3
Travelcard Zone 3
Fare zone 3 is a 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 next station was .
History
The station opened on 14 June 1847 as the southern terminus of the Eastern Counties and Thames Junction RailwayEastern Counties and Thames Junction Railway
The Eastern Counties and Thames Junction Railway in east London connected the Royal Docks with the Eastern Counties Railway . Authorised in 1844, it opened in 1846, and was absorbed by the ECR in 1847...
from Stratford
Stratford station
Stratford station is a large multilevel railway station in Stratford, east London. The station is served by the National Rail services National Express East Anglia, London Overground and c2c, by London Underground's Central and Jubilee lines, and by the Docklands Light Railway . Stratford is in...
. The service was later extended beyond Stratford to Palace Gates
Palace Gates (Wood Green) railway station
Palace Gates railway station was a railway station on the Palace Gates Line in Wood Green, north London. It was located on the corner of Bridge Road and Dorset Road....
. In 1963 diesel traction replaced steam and the service was cut back to Stratford with peak-hour trains to Tottenham Hale. The route became an extension of the North London Line in 1979. From the 1980s only one track of the double track line was used through the Connaught Tunnel under the Royal Docks
Royal Docks
The Royal Docks comprise three docks in east London - the Royal Albert Dock, the Royal Victoria Dock and the King George V Dock. They are more correctly called the Royal Group of Docks to distinguish them from the Royal Dockyards, Royal being due to their naming after royal personages rather than...
and on to North Woolwich where the station building and a platform were closed and replaced by minimalist entrance and passenger shelter on the south side. In 1985 the line from North Woolwich was electrified on the third rail
Third rail
A third rail is a method of providing electric power to a railway train, through a semi-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...
system with the service running round inner north London to (a route part third rail and part overhead wire).
From 1984 to 2008 the original station buildings and one disused platform served as the North Woolwich Old Station Museum
North Woolwich Old Station Museum
The North Woolwich Old Station Museum was a small railway museum in East London. It was housed in what was the original Great Eastern Railway terminal station building at North Woolwich railway station. The building was in use as a ticket office until 1979 when it was replaced by a more austere...
dedicated to the history of the 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...
.
The station and the line to Stratford closed on 9 December 2006 to allow conversion of the North London Line between Stratford and to a Docklands Light Railway
Docklands Light Railway
The Docklands Light Railway is an automated light metro or light rail system opened on 31 August 1987 to serve the redeveloped Docklands area of London...
(DLR) line. At closure the station was served by Silverlink Trains. King George V DLR station
King George V DLR station
King George V DLR station is a station on the Docklands Light Railway which opened on 2 December 2005 and named after King George V Dock, nearby. The station is in the London Borough of Newham and is located in Travelcard Zone 3. Station and on-train announcements refer to the station as 'King...
which opened in December 2005 on the extension from Canning Town gives a replacement service to the North Woolwich area.
Future
CrossrailCrossrail
Crossrail is a project to build a major new railway link under central London. The name refers to the first of two routes which are the responsibility of Crossrail Ltd. It is based on an entirely new east-west tunnel with a central section from to Liverpool Street station...
is approved to re-use the Connaught Tunnel and nearby NLL route by 2018, with a new tunnel under the Thames near the site of North Woolwich station.
This has thwarted two earlier schemes for using the fragment of railway near the station which had been seen as having no viable railway use:
- The North Woolwich Old Station MuseumNorth Woolwich Old Station MuseumThe North Woolwich Old Station Museum was a small railway museum in East London. It was housed in what was the original Great Eastern Railway terminal station building at North Woolwich railway station. The building was in use as a ticket office until 1979 when it was replaced by a more austere...
mentioned above, which has now closed. - The Royal Docks Heritage RailwayRoyal Docks Heritage RailwayThe Royal Docks Heritage Railway, endorsed in 2006 by Newham London Borough Council, was proposed to open during 2007, taking over the North Woolwich Old Station Museum and the closed section of the North London Line between and railway stations...
for a new museum at the site with a heritage railwayHeritage railwaythumb|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...
.