G.E.R.

 

The decline of inner London passenger traffic (on mainline railways) caused the closure of three Great Eastern Railway stations between Liverpool Street and Stratford: Bishopsgate Low Level (a replacement for the original High Level terminus), Globe Road, and Coborn Road, all closed at the same time, although the latter did reopen intermittently between the two world wars.

 

BISHOPSGATE (HIGH LEVEL)

(1840 - 1875)

Bishopsgate High Level station was the original terminus for the GER line. It was replaced (as a terminus) by Liverpool Street and rebuilt entirely to function as a goods yard. It was very successful and busy until WWII but traffic dwindled afterwards and a largely destructive fire in 1964 hastened the end of it.

The site remained undeveloped until about half of it was demolished for the new East London Line route and accompanying Shoreditch High Street station, which opened in 2010.

The remaining part is planned to be incorporated into a new development of mixed use tower block and parts of the old goods yard will be accessible to future pedestrians.

 


The viaduct carrying the GER mainline to the old terminus is disused all the way to a point near Bethnal Green (mainline) station, near to where the above photos was taken.

(photo: 2006)

 

 

For further details and photos of this station, see www.disused-stations.org.uk

 

BISHOPSGATE (LOW LEVEL)

(1872 - 1916)

1) Liverpool St station.
2) Broad Street station, closed in 1986.
3) Bishopsgate Low Level station, built to compensate for the closure of Bishopsgate High Level station
4) The site of Bishopsgate High Level station, its use restricted to goods traffic after the new terminus at Liverpool Street was opened. The new Shoreditch High Street station on the East London Line extension will be built here.
5) Shoreditch station, transferred to London Underground and closed in 2006.

 

 

 


The 'fast' westbound platform into Liverpool Street is still highly visible from passing trains. The fast eastbound platform and the two slow line platforms were located further west, underneath Commercial Street.

(June 2006)

 

 

 

The fast westbound platform seen from a passing train.

(Nov 2006)

 

 

 

Eastward view of the remaining 'fast' westbound platform.

(photo: Jun 2024)

 

 

 

Westward view from the 'fast' westbound platform toward the area where the other three platforms were.

(photo: Jun 2024)

 

 

 

Closer westward view from the 'fast' westbound platform toward the area where the other three platforms were.

(photo: Jun 2024)

 

 

 

Eastward view of the remaining 'fast' westbound platform, taken from the remains of Bishopsgate High Level goods yard.

(photo: Jun 2024)

 

 

 

Westward view of the remaining 'fast' westbound platform, taken from the remains of Bishopsgate High Level goods yard.

(photo: Jun 2024)

 

 

 

The current means of accessing the 'fast' westbound platform. There was no ticket office here, just an exit point.

(photo: 2010)

 

 

For further details and photos of this station, see www.disused-stations.org.uk


GLOBE ROAD

(1884 - 1916)

1) Globe Road station location
2) Stepney Green station on London Underground's District Line.

 

 

 


Westward view of the station location.

(June 2006)

 

COBORN ROAD

(1865 - 1946)


1) Coborn Road station
2) Bow station. Formally a NLR station, it has been replaced by a DLR station on the south side of the road.
3) Bow Road GER station
4) Bow Road District Line station.

 

 

 


Surviving station entrance doorway.

(June 2006)

 

 

 


Hopefully the building works will incorporate the remaining doorway of the station rather than cause its destruction. In this photo, the rear of it is virtually hidden by the diggers, although other original fragments are visible.

(June 2006)

 

 

 

Platform level and the wall visible in the photo above can also be seen here.

(June 2006)

 


BOW ROAD

(1876 - 1949)

A stone's throw away from the North London Railway's Bow station (which was replaced by Bow Church station on the Docklands Light Railway), it was opened between Stratford and Burdett Road by the Great Eastern Railway.

The line itself is not usually used for regular passenger services and has been reduced to a single track.

1) Coborn Road station
2) Bow station. Formally a NLR station, it has been replaced by a DLR station on the south side of the road.
3) Bow Road GER station
4) Bow Road District Line station, the only one that has never closed.

 

 

 


(June 2006)

 

 

 


Eastward view from Bow Road (the road). A portion of the staircase up to track level is still just about visible.

(June 2006)

 

 

 

Closer view of the above.

(June 2006)

 

 

 

Westward view of the station building.

(June 2006)

 

 

 

A view in the opposite direction at track level taken from a rare passenger service along the route. The station building is just beyond the brick wall - its flat roof can just be made out on the left hand side.

(photo: Jun 2012)

 

 

 

Eastward view at track level, heading north along the platform. The brick structure for the stairs up from the station building is still in situ.

(photo: Jun 2012)

 

 

 

Eastward view at track level, further northward, showing part of the platform still remaining.

(photo: Jun 2012)

 

 

 

Eastward view at track level .

(photo: Jun 2012)

 

 

 

South-eastward view at track level, at the northernmost end of the platform.. The space where the south/western track was is obvious here.

(photo: Jun 2012)

 

 

 

North-westward view at track level of the western platform at the northernmost end of the platform..
The one track remaining along this section of line is the north/eastern track. It runs next to the western platform (seen here) thus there is less of the platform space visible than that of the opposite platform, which has the extra missing track between it and passing trains.

(photo: Jun 2012)

 

For further details and photos of this station, see www.disused-stations.org.uk

 

 

Reference: London Railways by Edwin Course. B T Batsford Ltd, London, 1962.

 

 

Fenchurch Street line (LT&SR)