NORTH WOOLWICH LINE

 

 

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).

 

NORTH WOOLWICH

(1847 - 2006)

The Crossrail project, will use the marooned stub of track between Custom House and North Woolwich, surfacing from its London side tunnel just west of Custom House station and continuing in the North Woolwich direction before diving into tunnel again under the Thames.

There will be no replacement station at North Woolwich. The original station building is Grade II listed, so that at least will survive.


The elegant station building which remained in use until 1979. It was badly damaged during World War II and its roof was replaced by a flat conrete one, which still remains. The building was home to the marvellous North Woolwich Old Station Railway Museum until late 2008.

(photo: 2005)

 

 

 


Interior of the old station building / museum.

The now defunct London Rail Heritage Centre had a nice plan to develop the station site and line as far as Custom House for "...heritage operation, but also trains for training and testing purposes" but unfortunately nothing came of it.

(photo: 2006)

 

 

 


Interior of the old station building / museum.

(photo: 2007)

 

 

 


And the lovely ladies providing the friendly chat on this visit.

(photo: 2007)

 

 

 


Photo taken just before closure in 2006 of the replacement booking office, opened in 1979, looking far more attractive in this photo than it actually was. It also seemed to be rarely open, the machine outside providing the normal means of obtaining tickets.

Move your cursor over the image to see the same view, albeit in daylight, in 2009, three years after the closure of the branch.

 

 

 

The interior of the ticket office.

(photo: 2006)

 

 

 

(photo: 2006)

 

...continues on next page...

 

 

Reference:
London Railways by Edwin Course. B T Batsford Ltd, London, 1962.
London's Local Railways by Alan A. Jackson. Capital Transport Publishing, Middlesex, 1999.

 

 

North Woolwich pt.2