Ongar Extension Railway, later the Central Line (EHER 80735)

In April 1865 the Loughton Branch Railway was extended 11.5 miles to Ongar, the Loughton terminus becoming a goods yard. Built as a single line it was doubled to Epping. The line also took underground railway trains of the Central Line from 1959-1994.

Information from NRHE import: In April 1865 the Loughton Branch Railway was extended 11.5 miles to Ongar, the Loughton terminus becoming a goods yard. Built as a single line it was doubled to Epping. The line also took underground railway trains of the Central Line from 1959-1994. <1> The Central Line opened on 30th July 1900 as a cross-London route from Bank to Shepherd's Bush, and was extremely well patronised from the outset. In 1908, the line was extended west to Wood Lane to serve the adjacent White City Exhibition, and four years later was extended at its eastern end from Bank to Liverpool Street. In 1920, the line was further extended to the west as far as Ealing Broadway. The 1939-1945 war intervened before plans for more ambitious extensions at each end of the line could be implemented, but these plans were revived after the war. New tracks next to the existing main line railway were brought into use from North Acton to West Ruislip, as were new tunnels from Liverpool Street to Leyton and from Leytonstone to Newbury Park. North of both of these tunnels the Central took over existing suburban lines, to Ongar via Epping, and to Woodford via Hainault. The Epping to Ongar shuttle service, which was run under contract as a steam-hauled service by British Rail until 1957, was closed in 1994. <2> See also <3> <4> <5> <6>.