Eastern Counties and Thames Junction Railway facts for kids

The Eastern Counties and Thames Junction Railway (EC&TJR) was an important railway line in east London. It helped connect the Royal Docks to the main Eastern Counties Railway (ECR) network. This railway was approved in 1844 and started running trains in 1846. It later became part of the ECR in 1847. The ECR then joined with other railways to form the Great Eastern Railway in 1862. Some records also suggest it was taken over by the North London Railway at one point.

History of the Railway Line

The EC&TJR company was officially created on 4 July 1844. Its first section opened on 29 April 1846. This part ran from Stratford to Bow Creek. It was mainly used to carry coal from a pier on the River Lea.

Expanding the Line

Just one year later, the railway was made longer. It reached North Woolwich by going through Silvertown. This extension allowed people to connect with the Woolwich Ferry.

When the Royal Victoria Dock opened in 1855, the railway line faced a challenge. Trains between Canning Town and North Woolwich needed to cross the dock entrance. A special swingbridge was built for this. However, opening the bridge for ships made train journeys longer.

To solve this, the railway built a new route north of the dock. This new path included two new stations: Custom House and Tidal Basin. The older, southern line was still used by local factories. It was then called the Silvertown Tramway.

Building Tunnels and Branches

Later, the Albert Dock was built. To avoid another swingbridge problem, the railway constructed the Connaught Tunnel in 1878. This tunnel was about 600 metres (2,000 feet) long. It went under the new dock's entrance. In 1935, the tunnel was reinforced with iron. This was because larger ships were scraping its roof.

In 1872, a new branch line opened from Custom House. It went north-east to Beckton. This line served the Beckton Gas Works, a large gas factory. In 1880, another branch opened to Gallions. This line ran east along the north side of the Royal Albert Dock.

At the same time, the line connected to the Palace Gates Line. This allowed trains to run from North Woolwich all the way to Palace Gates in North London. By 1892, parts of the line were expanded to four tracks.

Changes and Closures

During the Blitz (World War II bombings), the lines to Beckton and Gallions were damaged. They had to close. Tidal Basin station also closed. The Beckton line later reopened for goods, but it closed permanently in 1972.

The line from Palace Gates to North Woolwich continued until 1963. After that, services were changed to go to Tottenham Hale. Eventually, trains only went as far as Stratford.

In 1979, the train service from North Woolwich to Stratford changed again. It was rerouted via the old North London Railway line. This new service was called the Crosstown Linkline. It was a first version of today's North London Line. In 1985, the line was electrified. This meant electric trains could run all the way from Richmond. However, the section south of Stratford was not as popular. This was partly because only one track through the Connaught Tunnel was electrified.

Modern Railway Uses

Today, parts of the old Eastern Counties and Thames Junction Railway have been reused for new transport links.

Jubilee Line Extension

The Jubilee Line Extension is part of the London Underground system. It was built along the path of the old railway tracks. This section, from Canning Town to Stratford, opened in 1999. It took over much of the passenger traffic.

Docklands Light Railway

Some parts of the line between Custom House and Gallions were used for the Beckton branch of the Docklands Light Railway (DLR). A small part of the Beckton line was also used.

In December 2006, the North London Line section between Stratford and North Woolwich closed. The part between Canning Town and Stratford was then changed. It became the Stratford International branch of the DLR. This opened in September 2011.

Elizabeth Line

The section of the railway from Custom House to North Woolwich has been reused. This includes the Connaught Tunnel. These parts are now used by the Elizabeth line, a new railway service across London.

Stations on the Line

Here are some of the main stations that were part of the Eastern Counties and Thames Junction Railway:

Main Line Stations (opened 1846)

• Stratford
• Stratford Market (first called Stratford Bridge, closed 1957, reopened 2011 as Stratford High Street)
• Canning Town
• Tidal Basin (opened 1858, closed 1943)
• Custom House (opened 1855)
• Silvertown (opened 1863, closed 2006)
• North Woolwich (closed 2006)

Branch from Custom House to Beckton (opened 1872, closed 1972)

• Beckton

Branch from Custom House to Gallions (opened 1874, closed 1940)

• Connaught Road
• Central
• Manor Way
• Gallions