Hackney Downs | |
---|---|
Location | Hackney Central |
Local authority | London Borough of Hackney |
Managed by | London Overground |
Owner | Network Rail |
Station code(s) | HAC |
DfT category | C2 |
Number of platforms | 4 |
Fare zone | 2 |
OSI | Hackney Central [1] |
National Rail annual entry and exit | |
2019–20 | 3.658 million [2] |
– interchange | 3.146 million [2] |
2020–21 | 1.628 million [2] |
– interchange | 1.050 million [2] |
2021–22 | 2.387 million [2] |
– interchange | 1.439 million [2] |
2022–23 | 2.750 million [2] |
– interchange | 1.563 million [2] |
2023–24 | 3.058 million [2] |
– interchange | 2.273 million [2] |
Key dates | |
27 May 1872 | Opened as Hackney Downs Junction |
1896 | Renamed Hackney Downs |
Other information | |
External links | |
Coordinates | 51°32′54″N0°03′36″W / 51.5483°N 0.0601°W |
London transportportal |
Hackney Downs is a London Overground and National Rail station in Hackney Central and serves the old common land of Hackney Downs in Lower Clapton in the London Borough of Hackney, it is on the Lea Valley lines and West Anglia Main Line. It is 2 miles 78 chains (4.8 km) down the line from London Liverpool Street and has a direct passenger link to Hackney Central station, providing interchange with the North London line of the Overground network.
On the London Overground, Lea Valley Lines the station is between London Fields and either Clapton (on the Chingford branch) or Rectory Road (on the Cheshunt/Enfield Town branch). Main line trains, operated by Greater Anglia, call at Hackney Downs between Liverpool Street and ‹See TfM› Tottenham Hale. Its three-letter station code is HAC and it is in Travelcard zone 2.
The station was originally named Hackney Downs Junction until 1896. [3] [4]
London Overground | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Legend | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The station was opened on 27 May 1872 when the Great Eastern Railway opened the first part of its new line from Enfield Town to Stoke Newington. This was an exercise to provide new routes to the expanding suburbs of northeast London and to give a faster journey time to Enfield, whose trains at that time were routed via Stratford and Angel Road.
Just under a month later, another line opened linking Hackney Downs to Coppermill Junction just south of Tottenham Hale on what was then the main line to Cambridge. This new route offered a reduction in journey time for Cambridge and Shern Hall Street station in Walthamstow on the Chingford line services but also relieved congestion at Stratford railway station. [5]
The route to Edmonton (on the existing Enfield branch line) fully opened on 1 August 1872 and the Chingford line was opened in November 1873. When the station opened it had two platforms and two centre roads.
The station layout was changed in 1894 when the line between Bethnal Green and Hackney Downs was increased from two tracks to four tracks. The layout was changed to a four platformed station and had two signal boxes. [6]
After the Railways Act 1921 the country's railways were grouped into four companies, with effect from 1 January 1923. At Hackney Downs the London & North Eastern Railway (LNER) took over operations of the GER services. The semaphore signalling was replaced by single searchlight signals which were able to display three-aspects (Green, Yellow or Red) through different a changeable lens arrangement, in 1935. It was also in 1935 that electrification of the lines through Hackney was suggested, although many years were to pass before these plans came to fruition. [7] [8]
The 1935 re-signalling saw the closure of Hackney Downs South signal box with the North signal box (which dated from 1872) becoming plain Hackney Downs. [9]
On nationalisation in 1948 responsibility for operating the station fell to British Railways (Eastern Region).
The lines through Hackney were electrified in the late 1950s with electric services commencing operation on 21 November 1960. The original 1872 signal box was replaced by a new signal box located on platforms 2 and 3 in May of the same year. [10]
The ticket hall was rebuilt in the early 1980s along with changes to the roofs on the platforms. The island platform's wooden roof was replaced with steel sheeting on the existing frames whilst the side platforms were left unaltered other than the removal of their "dog-tooth" fascia boards.
To coincide with the closure of Broad Street station in 1986 a new line linking the North London Line to the Slow Lines just south of Hackney Downs was opened to allow operation of Watford - Liverpool Street services. This occupied the site of the former Graham Road GER goods depot which was accessed from the North London line. Passenger services ceased circa 1992 although empty stock trains have used it since. The line is little used in 2017.
The signal box, installed in 1960 when the line was electrified, closed in May 2001 when signalling on the line was centralised at Liverpool Street. Ticket barriers were installed in 2011.
A pedestrian link between Hackney Downs and Hackney Central stations was opened in 2015 by London Overground Rail Operations. Until Hackney Central's closure in 1944, a passenger connection had linked the two stations. However, when Hackney Central re-opened in 1985, the footway was not reinstated and passengers transferring between the two stations were obliged to leave one and walk along the street to the other, until the link was rebuilt. [11]
The Lea Valley Lines were previously operated by Abellio Greater Anglia as part of the East Anglia franchise. In 2015 they transferred to London Overground operation. [12] [13] Some West Anglia Main Line services continue to call at Hackney Downs.
The typical service of trains per hour (tph) is as follows:
Operator/line | Frequency to destination |
---|---|
London Overground | 8 tph to London Liverpool Street 2 tph to Cheshunt 2 tph to Enfield Town 4 tph to Chingford |
Greater Anglia | 2 tph to London Liverpool Street 2 tph to Hertford East |
Additional services call at the station during peak hours.
On Sundays, the station is served by hourly Greater Anglia services that continue beyond Broxbourne on the main West Anglia Main Line (via Harlow Town) that terminate at Cambridge North rather than the usual half hourly services to Hertford East.
Preceding station | National Rail | Following station | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
London Liverpool Street towards | Greater Anglia | Tottenham Hale towards | ||
Preceding station | London Overground | Following station | ||
London Fields towards Liverpool Street | Weaver line | Stoke Newington towards Cheshunt or Enfield Town | ||
Bethnal Green towards Liverpool Street | Clapton towards Chingford |
London Buses routes 30, 56 and 276 serve the station.
Liverpool Street station, also known as London Liverpool Street, is a major central London railway terminus and connected London Underground station in the north-eastern corner of the City of London, in the ward of Bishopsgate Without. It is the terminus of the West Anglia Main Line to Cambridge; the Great Eastern Main Line to Norwich; commuter trains serving east London and destinations in the East of England, including the Weaver line of the London Overground; and the Stansted Express service to Stansted Airport.
Stratford is a major multi-level interchange station serving the town of Stratford and the mixed-use development known as Stratford City, in the London Borough of Newham, East London for London Underground, London Overground, Docklands Light Railway (DLR) and Elizabeth line services. National Rail services also operate on the West Anglia Main Line and the Great Eastern Main Line, 4 miles 3 chains (6.5 km) from Liverpool Street.
Walthamstow Central is an interchange station between the Victoria line of the London Underground, of which it is the northern terminus, and London Overground Weaver line services on the Lea Valley lines. Located in Walthamstow in the London Borough of Waltham Forest, it lies at a distance of 6 miles 16 chains (10.0 km) from London Liverpool Street in Travelcard Zone 3.
Rectory Road is a London Overground station on the Lea Valley lines in the West Hackney area of the London Borough of Hackney, east London.
Chingford railway station is the terminus of the Chingford branch of the Lea Valley Lines, located in Chingford in the London Borough of Waltham Forest, 10 miles 33 chains (16.8 km) down the line from London Liverpool Street. It has been operated by London Overground since 31 May 2015. The station is close to Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge.
Highams Park is a railway station on the Chingford branch of the Lea Valley lines, located in Highams Park in the London Borough of Waltham Forest, north-east London. It is 8 miles 52 chains (13.9 km) down the line from London Liverpool Street and is situated between Wood Street and Chingford. It has been operated by London Overground since 2015.
Hackney Central is a station on the Mildmay line of the London Overground, located in the London Borough of Hackney. It lies between Dalston Kingsland and Homerton in Travelcard Zone 2. The station and the trains serving it are operated by Transport for London.
Wood Street is a railway station on the Chingford branch of the Lea Valley lines, located in Upper Walthamstow in the London Borough of Waltham Forest, north east London. It is 7 miles 7 chains (11.4 km) down the line from London Liverpool Street and is situated between ‹See TfM›Walthamstow Central and Highams Park. It has been operated by London Overground since 2015.
Bethnal Green is a London Overground station on the Lea Valley lines in the southern part of Bethnal Green, in East London. The station is 1 mile 10 chains down the line from London Liverpool Street; the next station is either Hackney Downs or Cambridge Heath. It is an interchange station between three services operated by London Overground. Its three-letter station code is BET and it is in Travelcard zone 2.
Cambridge Heath is a railway station operated by London Overground in Cambridge Heath, East London. The station is 1 mile 61 chains (2.8 km) down the line from London Liverpool Street and is situated between Bethnal Green and London Fields on the Lea Valley lines to Cheshunt and Enfield Town. Its three-letter station code is CBH and it is in Travelcard zone 2.
London Fields is a London Overground station on the Lea Valley Lines, serving the district of London Fields in the London Borough of Hackney, east London. It is 2 miles 35 chains (3.9 km) down-line from London Liverpool Street and is situated between Cambridge Heath and Hackney Downs. Its three-letter station code is LOF and it is in Travelcard zone 2.
St. James Street is a railway station on the Chingford branch of the Lea Valley lines, located in Walthamstow in the London Borough of Waltham Forest, east London. It is 5 miles 55 chains (9.2 km) down the line from London Liverpool Street and is situated between Clapton and ‹See TfM›Walthamstow Central. It has been operated by London Overground since 2015.
Enfield Town railway station is the terminus of the Enfield Town branch of the Lea Valley Lines, located in Enfield Town, north London, 10 miles 55 chains (17.2 km) down the line from London Liverpool Street.
Edmonton Green is a London Overground station on the Lea Valley lines which formerly was a part of the West Anglia Main Line, located in Edmonton in the London Borough of Enfield, north London. It is 8 miles 45 chains (13.8 km) down the line from London Liverpool Street and is situated between Silver Street to the south and Bush Hill Park and Southbury to the north.
The Lea Valley lines are a set of suburban rail lines running along the Lea Valley in East London, North London and Hertfordshire to Liverpool Street and Stratford. Historically part of the Great Eastern Railway, the lines now form part of the Anglia Route of Network Rail. Services are operated by London Overground and Greater Anglia.
Cheshunt is a National Rail and London Overground station on the Lea Valley Lines in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, England. On the West Anglia Main Line, it is 14 miles 1 chain (22.6 km) from London Liverpool Street and situated between Waltham Cross and Broxbourne. One of three northern termini on the Lea Valley section of the London Overground network, it is also the final station on the Southbury Loop after Theobalds Grove.
The West Anglia Main Line is one of the two main line railways that operate out of ‹See TfM›Liverpool Street. It runs generally north through Cheshunt, Broxbourne, Harlow, Bishop's Stortford and Audley End to Cambridge, with branches between serving Stratford, Hertford and Stansted Airport. The line runs along the boundary between Hertfordshire and Essex for much of its length.
The Chingford branch line is a railway line between Clapton Junction and Chingford station. Services run between Liverpool Street station and Chingford, and are operated by London Overground. The branch is part of the Lea Valley Lines.
Lower Edmonton railway station was a station in Edmonton, London opened in 1849 by the Eastern Counties Railway as part of the original Enfield Town branch line. Originally named Edmonton it was renamed as Lower Edmonton low level to distinguish it from neighbouring Lower Edmonton high level. It closed to passengers in 1939 although the line on which it stood lasted until 1964.
The Enfield Town branch is a branch of the Lea Valley Lines, running from Enfield Town to the West Anglia Main Line at Hackney Downs. It is a combination of the original Enfield branch built by the Eastern Counties Railway (ECR) in 1849 and a later line built by the Great Eastern Railway (GER) from Hackney Downs to Edmonton in 1872. The line is currently a double-tracked suburban railway with services running between Liverpool Street station and Enfield Town as well as services running from Liverpool Street to Cheshunt via the Southbury Loop. Part of the original branch is closed and little visible remains today.