The very first test trains have run on the new extension of the London Overground which will given travellers south-east London better rail connections to the rest of the capital.
From December 9, passengers from Lewisham and Croydon will be able to travel on the existing East London Line section of the London Overground along a new electrified section of track to Clapham Junction.
The new extension runs from Surrey Quays along a new section of track to Peckham and then along the existing electrified line to Clapham Junction.
At Clapham, passengers can connect with further London Overground services which run north of the Thames to north west London. The links improve journey options reducing the need to travel through central London.
Four trains an hour will run from Clapham to Highbury and Islington, via Surrey Quays where passengers will have to change to head south to New Cross and Croydon. Travellers heading north will have to change at Surrey Quays to get the Clapham extension.
The extension means that the London Overground becomes a truly orbital rail network, which connects 20 of London’s 33 boroughs.
Transport for London’s Chief Operating Officer for Rail, Howard Smith said: “The electrification and first train journey on this exciting new rail connection, marks the final major milestone in its construction.
“This new track will provide the final link to make London’s hugely successful Overground a fully orbital railway for London. ”
The work is costing about £75 million and is funded by the Mayor of London’s office, TfL, Department for Transport and Network Rail.
It completes a project began in with the start of work on the £1bn line connecting Dalston to New Cross, Crystal Palace and Croydon, which opened in 2010. Last year the line was extended to Highbury and Islington, where it linked to the Overground services between west London and Stratford.
For further details and a map of the new extension please visit the Transport for London website
By Joanne Fagg
A small point, but I think the second paragraph of this item is rather misleading. Passengers in neither ‘Lewisham’ or ‘Croydon’ as town centres will benefit directly from this extension. The line provides no direct link from either. As you indicate later, it runs from Surrey Quays to Clapham Junction, neither of which are actually in either Borough, and requires quite a convoluted journey to take advantage of from Lewisham – i.e. Lewisham -> New Cross -> Surrey Quays.
I disagree with you on just one issue, David Riddle, I don’t think the error in the second paragraph is a “small point”.
A constant irritation I have regarding EastLondonLines.co.uk is that the contributing journalists frequently show they have little or no grasp of the geography of London, its boroughs and the local transport system.
But thanks, indeed, Mr Riddle for explaining the error of their ways.
Hi both,
ELL journo (and Lewisham resident) here. Heaven knows if you’ll receive an update to this comment thread a few months on, but you’re absolutely right – the extension is far more relevant for those north of the river than those in Lewisham and Croydon (who can already get to Clapham fairly quickly via East Croydon). Just wanted to say thanks for pointing this out and please continue to let us know, by comments or by email, when we get something wrong. I certainly appreciate it, and I hope those who succeed me will too – if not, too bad for them.