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Old Bethnal Green Road, LONDON, E2 9RH

The line from Bethnal Green Junction to Stoke Newington was opened on 27th May 1872. This had intermediate stations very closely spaced: at Cambridge Heath, just south of the bridge over the Regent's Canal, and at London Fields, Hackney Downs, Rectory Road and Stoke Newington. The section south of Hackney soon became very congested and the line was quadrupled between Hackney Downs and Bethnal Green with the new fast lines on the east side of the viaduct serving only Hackney Downs and Bethnal Green stations. This was completed in June 1894. Cambridge Heath and London Fields stations were closed because of Government pressure during the First World War to effect economies as there were parallel electric tramways. Both were reopened in 1919. In his book 'London's Local Railways' (1978) from which the above information was obtained, Alan A Jackson described a visit to the line in 1955: "The dreary stations almost untouched, their soot-stained brickwork and cavernous stairways giving shelter to the ghosts of corduroy-trousered workmen and consumptive clerks clutching their cheap tickets." The brickwork has been cleaned up but much of the rest of the description still rings true. In this view from the end of the up platform, the fast lines are out of sight to the left. The next station in this direction is Bethnal Green.

Looking north-northwest.

Looking south-southwest.

The line from Bethnal Green Junction to Stoke Newington was opened on 27th May 1872. This had intermediate stations very closely spaced: at Cambridge Heath, just south of the bridge over the Regent's Canal, and at London Fields, Hackney Downs, Rectory Road and Stoke Newington. The section south of Hackney soon became very congested and the line was quadrupled between Hackney Downs and Bethnal Green with the new fast lines on the east side of the viaduct serving only Hackney Downs and Bethnal Green stations. This was completed in June 1894. Cambridge Heath and London Fields stations were closed because of Government pressure during the First World War to effect economies as there were parallel electric tramways. Both were reopened in 1919. In his book 'London's Local Railways' (1978) from which the above information was obtained, Alan A Jackson described a visit to the line in 1955: "The dreary stations almost untouched, their soot-stained brickwork and cavernous stairways giving shelter to the ghosts of corduroy-trousered workmen and consumptive clerks clutching their cheap tickets." The brickwork has been cleaned up but much of the rest of the description still rings true. In this view from the end of the up platform, the fast lines are to the left beyond the wall. The next station in this direction is Bethnal Green.

The railway through here opened in 1872 by the Great Eastern Railway, was later quadrupled in 1894, although the new pair of tracks did not pass through platforms at Cambridge Heath, avoiding these on the eastern side. There appears to be disagreement as to whether Cambridge Heath station opened in 1872 with the line, or did not actually open until 1884.

View northward at Hackney Road, towards Hackney Downs on the main ex-GER line from Liverpool Street to Bishop's Stortford and Cambridge. This station served only the local trains to Chingford and Enfield Town.

Looking northwest.

Running along the railway line behind