Opened in 1846 between Stratford and Canning Town, the line was extended to North Woolwich the following year. Services were extended north to Palace Gates in 1887 although that line (northwards from Seven Sisters) was closed to passengers in 1963.

1979 saw the North Woolwich branch incorporated into the North London Line, pre-empting the closure of the Broad Street line (Broad Street station had hitherto provided the eastern terminus for the North London Line).

All North London line services were withdrawn from the section south of Stratford in 2006. The DLR extension to Stratford International has taken over the line as far south as Canning Town. The Custom House to North Woolwich section will be used by Crossrail.

When the Victoria Dock was built, a swing bridge was put in at its entrance. However it was thought that the opening and closing of the bridge would interfere with the train services so a new route for the line was built to the north of the dock. The route of the line was interruped again when the adjacent Albert Dock was opened; a new cut & cover tunnel was built underneath its entrance.

The tunnel has been extensively altered and repaired in preparation for its re-use by Crossrail.

#1 - is the (former) North London line descending into the Connaught Road Tunnel from Custom House station (now Crossrail).
#2 - is the site of the line that led to the Beckton and Gallions branches, as well as the previous route to North Woolwich.
#3 - the Beckton branch of the Docklands Light Railway that utilises parts of the routes of the original Beckton and Gallions branches.

(photo: 2007)

For an explanation of the lines mentioned above and also the nearby Connaught Road station, see www.disused-stations.org.uk.

For a view from the same bridge in Dec 2015, showing the Crossrail work progressing, see Diamond Geezer's Flickr page.

Heading toward the tunnel from Custom House station. The surface route that the line used to take branched off to the left, out of shot.

(photo: 2006)

Descending toward the tunnel.

(photo: 2006)

The tunnel layout is symmetrical. There are long buttressed sections at both tunnel approaches.

(photo: 2009 by John Simmonds)

© 2009 John Simmonds

Photo taken from the side of a train shortly before closure. This view is looking back toward Custom House.

(photo: 2006)

A section of the roof that was damaged by a WWII bomb and subsequently patched up..

(photo: Sep 2014)

The initial double tracked width became two single track tunnels. Note the airshaft in the roof.

(photo: 2009)

Taken from slightly further back five years later: the two single tunnels have been removed and replaced by one double track tunnel. The concrete sections at the bottom of the walls on either side show where the floor has been lowered - the original tunnel floor was at the top of the concrete sections.

(photo: Sep 2014)

Looking up at the airshaft. There is a matching one at the other end of the single bore tunnels. They are situated either side of Connaught Bridge.

(photo: 2009 by John Simmonds)

© 2009 John Simmonds

The same airshaft five years later after the twin tunnels were removed and a new box section inserted when the dock above the tunnels was drained dry.

(photo: Sep 2014)

Surface view looking in a south-easterly direction. The north-western airshaft is in the foreground. The south-eastern one on the other side of the dock entrance is arrowed, showing that the route of the tunnel skews across the line of the bridge.

The bridge - Connaught Bridge - is a replacement for the one that used to carry the line over the dock entrance (the first alignment of the line followed what is now Silvertown Way and North Woolwich Road. The building of the Royal Victoria Dock cut through the railway's route so a new alignment around the north of the dock was built. This lasted until the Royal Albert dock was built, again cutting through the line's route, at which point the Connaught Tunnel was built).

(photo: 2009)

The original Connaught swing bridge carrying road traffic (one lane only) and the railway line that used to go over the Albert Dock. The swing bridge remained in use by the dock company but was replaced by the Connaught Tunnel for passenger trains.
This view is facing north.

(photo and copyright: Tom Burnham from his Flickr site. Used with permission.)

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