Stratford London Central Line

[grumpyxch]

I have spent some time looking at aerial photos of Stratford Station in East London, trying to find out if the Central Line tracks come to the surface, go through the station, then go underground under the four Norwich and Shenfield tracks. I know the Central Line is underground at Bethnal Green, and I know after Stratford Station they come to the surface up towards Temple Mills where they go off towards Epping. I also know there is at least one Central Line track on the surface in the station, but is that line a dead-end? The photos I have are not that clear, and obviously, aerial photos wont show tracks that are always underground, so would someone please let me know what happens there

Thankyou

 

[fgwrich]

I have spent some time looking at aerial photos of Stratford Station in East London, trying to find out if the Central Line tracks come to the surface, go through the station, then go underground under the four Norwich and Shenfield tracks. I know the Central Line is underground at Bethnal Green, and I know after Stratford Station they come to the surface up towards Temple Mills where they go off towards Epping. I also know there is at least one Central Line track on the surface in the station, but is that line a dead-end? The photos I have are not that clear, and obviously, aerial photos wont show tracks that are always underground, so would someone please let me know what happens there

Thankyou

Would a look over Carto Maps be helpful?

Detailled London transport map (track, depot, ...)

cartometro.com

 

[Harpo]

Stratford Central line is as you suggest, underground until Stratford London end, on the surface through the station, then diving underneath again at the country end.

All of it’s network where it resurfaces again to the north east was originally part of the Great Eastern Railway but became the Central line’s eastern end.

Through working by BR over the former GE network continued well into the 60s including loco-hauled excursions and DMU staff trains until the BR link was removed.

 

[swt_passenger]

The current aerial view is fairly broken up on the westbound Central, but if you use this search code:
GXRV+4R5 London
Then it should put you at the two portals at the London end.

The country end portals are fairly separated and can be found at the locations here:
GXVX+7FM London (Eastbound)
GXVX+CQJ London. (Westbound)

 

[DelW]

It's my understanding that when the Central Line was extended through Stratford, the tracks were brought to the surface through Stratford station specifically to provide cross-platform interchange with the main line suburban lines, in both directions.

 

[Harpo]

It's my understanding that when the Central Line was extended through Stratford, the tracks were brought to the surface through Stratford station specifically to provide cross-platform interchange with the main line suburban lines, in both directions.

Yes. It also has cross-platform interchange with the District at Mile End.

 

[swt_passenger]

It's my understanding that when the Central Line was extended through Stratford, the tracks were brought to the surface through Stratford station specifically to provide cross-platform interchange with the main line suburban lines, in both directions.

That’s correct as far as I’ve read in a number of previous discussions.

 

[Mawkie]

Would a look over Carto Maps be helpful?

And the less detailed TfL map of sections which are in, and out, of tunnels.

https://content.tfl.gov.uk/tube-map-with-tunnels.pdf

(Image showing the Central Line through Stratford Station in an open section, with tunnels either side.)

 

[grumpyxch]

Would a look over Carto Maps be helpful?

Detailled London transport map (track, depot, ...)

cartometro.com

Thankyou. I hadn't ever heard of Carto Maps

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 6 Jul 2025 ==

Stratford Central line is as you suggest, underground until Stratford London end, on the surface through the station, then diving underneath again at the country end.

All of it’s network where it resurfaces again to the north east was originally part of the Great Eastern Railway but became the Central line’s eastern end.

Through working by BR over the former GE network continued well into the 60s including loco-hauled excursions and DMU staff trains until the BR link was removed.

Thankyou. I knew the history of the line, particularly the ex-GER tracks out towards Epping. What I couldn't find confirmation of was the path the Central trains took through Stratford station, though I knew that I had seen Central Line trains in the above-surface platforms. The photos I had seemed to terminate at the east end of the platform, and I couldn't make out a second 4-rail platform for trains going the other way. That made me think perhaps the through lines didn't surface at the BR station.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 6 Jul 2025 ==

And the less detailed TfL map of sections which are in, and out, of tunnels.

https://content.tfl.gov.uk/tube-map-with-tunnels.pdf

View attachment 183250
(Image showing the Central Line through Stratford Station in an open section, with tunnels either side.)

I've used the pdf you supplied to get the full map, so now I understand what the bit of map is trying to tell me. Just as well because I am slightly colour blind and I thought the lower diagonal line represented the Central Line - logical really because the Central Line has to cross the Maryland line to the east of Stratford in real life, and is not what that bit of map shows.
Anyway, thankyou. Now I understand your map, it helps answer my question

 

[MaidaVale]

Bit of a crude diagram using google maps satellite view, although this is essentially the track layout from above. The solid red lines are the surface sections, the dotted lines are the below-ground sections and the white rectangles are the tunnel portals. They're pretty much directly at either end of the platforms.

 

[MPW]

Stratford Central line is as you suggest, underground until Stratford London end, on the surface through the station, then diving underneath again at the country end.

All of it’s network where it resurfaces again to the north east was originally part of the Great Eastern Railway but became the Central line’s eastern end.

Through working by BR over the former GE network continued well into the 60s including loco-hauled excursions and DMU staff trains until the BR link was removed.

Wow I didn't know that. Isn't deep level tube tunnels? Or were they small enough trains to fit in?

 

[Taunton]

A good place to observe the arrangement is from the large pedestrian overpass that goes from the Stratford stations into the Westfield shopping centre, above all the tracks. You can see it going right across the station in the image above, and from there you can see all four portals of the Central Line tunnels. The separate direction tube tracks are split by National Rail tracks on the other side of their platforms

 

[Harpo]

Wow I didn't know that. Isn't deep level tube tunnels? Or were they small enough trains to fit in?

The through working was only over the original GER routes from/to the BR boundary north east of Stratford.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

Wow I didn't know that. Isn't deep level tube tunnels? Or were they small enough trains to fit in?

The deep level tube-tunnelled section - between Leytonstone and Newbury Park - was never part of the Great Eastern Railway: It was constructed specifically as part of the Central Line extension, and so would I believe never have seen mainline trains. The mainline route was a now severed link from Ilford to Newbury Park, and then continuing via Hainault to Woodford - which is all surface level. (Plus the separate line from Stratford to Epping/Ongar - also all surface level - would have connected at Stratford via the surface level national rail lines rather than today's Central line tunnel between Stratford and Leyton)

 

[Tetchytyke]

Just to add to @DynamicSpirit ‘s post, the Carto map shows where the two lifted heavy rail lines were.