Test train at Clapham Junction. Pic: Transport for London
The first passenger trains on new tracks linking the East London Line to Peckham and Clapham Junction will run on December 9, Transport for London has confirmed.
TfL’s website now claims passenger services will commence in time for Christmas, linking Hackney and Tower Hamlets to south London with a single journey.
The new line will split off from Surrey Quays to wind south-west through Peckham and Denmark Hill towards Clapham High Street and Clapham Junction in Battersea.
Click to zoom in. Pic: Transport for London
Four trains per hour will run between Dalston and Clapham Junction, a major hub for trains in and out of central London from all across the south coast.
The project involved 1.3km of new track built by contractor Birse Metro and major works at Clapham Junction to extend platforms – at a total cost of £75m split between the TfL and the national Department for Transport.
EastLondonLines reported in July that the first test trains had run on the new line, after it was electrified in June.
It means that for the first time Londoners can travel around the whole circumference of London by staying on the overground, although they’ll have to switch trains at Clapham Junction and Dalston Kingsland.
A journey from Shoreditch High Street to Clapham Junction currently means three changes, while getting to Denmark Hill from the same could involve four changes or an hour-long journey by overground and bus.
But southbound passengers beware: the route will add yet another trap for sleepy or unobservant travellers trying to get south via New Cross Gate.
Ruby Pope, 23, a marketing executive who lives in New Cross but works at Canary Wharf, said: “It’s already enough of a scramble to get on the right line when it’s late. I can definitely foresee an increase in the amount of times I’ll have to explain to drunk travellers at New Cross station that, no, sadly, this isn’t Crystal Palace.”
Watch a time-lapse video of the construction of the Surrey Canal bridge below:
While the new line goes *through* Clapham, it doesn’t go *to* Clapham. Clapham Junction is not in Clapham, it’s in Battersea.
Sorry, surely the expense isn’t £75, as it says in the 5th paragraph.
Also, do you mean riders will switch trains at Clapham Junction and Dalston Junction, as opposed to Dalston Kingsland? Dalston Kingsland only has two platforms, and services the route heading towards Stratford, not the East London Line.
I’m pleased to hear of the Overground extension happening soon. It will really open up more areas for travel south of the river.
“they’ll have to switch trains at Clapham Junction and Dalston Kingsland”
Think you mean Dalston Junction, not Dalston Kingsland.
Well-spotted, Doreen. It is, of course, £75 million.
At the time of writing there was some ambiguity as to whether the trains would run from Dalston Junction or whether they would run the full route from Highbury and Islington. I thus chose to play it safe by indicating passengers could get off at Dalston Kingsland, walk a few minutes, and get on the ELL at Dalston Junction. It should also be possible to change at Hi & I or Canonbury, which would be more convenient.
Clapham High St is definitely Clapham! Good for Stockwell too! Can’t wait.
The new service will be good, BUT the South London Line from London Bridge to Victoria will finish, and so Clapham High Street and Wandsworth Road will lose all their trains to Central London – unless there is a last-minute change I’m not aware of.
it’s a shame that there is not interchange between clapham high st and clapham north to connect the overground properly with the underground. Also a shame we had to lose the victoria to london bridge route.
Happy about the East London extension at last. But not sure all the fuss about Clapham Junction being in Battersea etc is about? Not sure why some Wandsworth residents get their knickers in a twist over this issue. Most people in the rest of London believe Clapham Junction to be synonymous with Clapham and many people living between the Commons and around CJ (like me) would like to think so or don’t care. The area is more geographically linked to Clapham than Battersea. Hence the confusion. By the way Clapham was historically in Wandsworth and parts of the Clapham SW4 postcode still lies in Wandsworth. Clapham Junction is an area in its own right and if people want to refer to it as Clapham for short that’s fine too.
@Mike Scott
As a local from the Wandsworth road, the new service serves Clapham High St. Which is Clapham is it not, or do you know something i don’t? Also when was Clapham Junction referred to as Battersea? It’s Clapham Junction. I know no one who would refer to visiting Clapham Junction as a trip to Battersea.
@Leeross
Get off at Clapham High St cross the road and enter Clapham North(or vice versa)…simples!
Battersea/Wandsworth residents dont get their knickers in a twist on the question of Clapham Junction being in Clapham, Clapham is about half a mile from the centre of Clapham Junction. Clapham Junction is in the borough of Wandsworth, Clapham is Lambeth, its never been a issue with original Wandsworth/Battersea people, its only a issue with all the rich new arrivals over recent years who like to pretend the Junction is in Clapham because they think it sounds posher than Battersea.