London Overground Lea Valley Line is a Transport for London operated Overground line in London, England. Running between London Liverpool Street, Enfield Town and Cheshunt, they are two commuter lines and two branches in North East London, so named because they run along the Lower Lea Valley of the River Lea.
History[]
The first section was opened by the Eastern Counties Railway (ECR) on 20 June 1839 from the London end at Devonshire Street to Romford, extended on 1 July 1840 to Bishopsgate (London end) and Brentwood. The Northern and Eastern Railway (N&ER) opened its first section from that line at Stratford to Broxbourne on 15 September 1840, and to Harlow in 1841; though it remained a separate entity, its line was leased to the ECR from 1 January 1844. A branch from Broxbourne to Hertford opened in 1843.
Enfield was reached on 1 March 1849 by the single-track Enfield Town branch from the N&ER at Angel Road via Lower Edmonton. The ECR was incorporated into the Great Eastern Railway (GER) in 1862. A shorter route to Edmonton was provided by the GER in 1872, from Bethnal Green via Hackney Downs and Stoke Newington, which opened on 27 May; the section via Seven Sisters and Lower Edmonton, at a new high-level station provided adjacent to the old low-level station, opened on 22 July. The line from there to Enfield was doubled at the same time. The old line between Angel Road and Lower Edmonton was closed to passenger trains in 1939, except for occasional diversionary traffic including the period in the 1950s when the rest of the local network was being electrified under the Eastern Region; the line closed completely in 1964 and the track was removed soon after.
Another branch, the Chingford branch line, went from Lea Bridge to Walthamstow, Shern Hall Street, in 1870, extended southwards to Hackney Downs in 1872 and northwards to Chingford in 1873.
In 1958, Class 125s were introduced.
In 1969, the Class 125s were replaced by Class 305s.
In 1980, the Class 305s were replaced by Class 315s.
On 5 February 2012, the route was retained by Abellio Greater Anglia.
On 31 May 2015, the route passed to London Overground and was included in the sale from Abellio Greater Anglia's Ilford depot.
On 3 March 2020, brand new Class 710 Aventras were introduced.
In April 2020, the Class 317/7 and 8 were withdrawn and replaced by brand new Class 710/1 Aventras.
On 5 October 2020, the Class 315 was withdrawn and the line was converted into a full Class 710 Aventra operation.
Current Route[]
The Lea Valley Line operates via these primary locations.
- London Liverpool Street
- Bethnal Green
- Cambridge Heath
- London Fields
- Hackney Downs
- Rectory Road
- Stoke Newington
- Stamford Hill
- Seven Sisters
- Bruce Grove
- White Hart Lane
- Silver Street
- Edmonton Green
Enfield Town branch
- Bush Hill Park
- Enfield Town
Cheshunt branch
- Southbury
- Turkey Street
- Theobalds Grove
- Cheshunt
Gallery[]
