Waltham Cross railway station

Waltham Cross railway station is on the West Anglia Main Line, serving the suburban town of Waltham Cross in Hertfordshire, and the neighbouring Waltham Abbey in Essex, England. It is 12 miles 63 chains (20.6 km) down the line from London Liverpool Street and is situated between Enfield Lock and Cheshunt. Its three-letter station code is WLC and it is in Travelcard zone 7.

Waltham Cross
Station building in 2013
Waltham Cross
Location of Waltham Cross in Hertfordshire
LocationWaltham Cross
Local authorityBorough of Broxbourne
Grid referenceTL365003
Managed byGreater Anglia
OwnerNetwork Rail
Station codeWLC
DfT categoryE
Number of platforms2
Fare zone7
National Rail annual entry and exit
2014–15 0.882 million[1]
2015–16 1.031 million[1]
2016–17 1.113 million[1]
2017–18 1.156 million[1]
2018–19 1.208 million[1]
Railway companies
Original companyNorthern and Eastern Railway
Pre-groupingGreat Eastern Railway
Post-groupingLondon and North Eastern Railway
Key dates
1842[2] 1840.[3]First station opened as Waltham
1 December 1882Renamed Waltham Cross
1885Re-sited
1 May 1894Renamed Waltham Cross & Abbey
20 February 1969Renamed Waltham Cross
Other information
External links
WGS8451.6851°N 0.0266°W / 51.6851; -0.0266
 London transport portal

The station and all trains serving it are operated by Greater Anglia. The station has 4 Oyster card readers rather than ticket barriers.

During the 2012 Olympic Games, Waltham Cross and Cheshunt provided the main rail access to the Lee Valley White Water Centre.

History

Early years (1840-1862)

The first station, together with the railway line from Stratford to Broxbourne, was opened by the Northern & Eastern Railway (N&ER) on 15 September 1840. Originally called Waltham and later renamed to Waltham Cross, it was originally on a site to the north of the road between Waltham Cross and Waltham Abbey.[4]

Following on from negotiations in 1843, the Eastern Counties Railway took over operation of the N&ER from 1 January 1844 paying rent and dividing the profits.[5]

By the 1860s the railways in East Anglia were in financial trouble, and most were leased to the ECR; they wished to amalgamate formally, but could not obtain government agreement for this until 1862, when the Great Eastern Railway was formed by amalgamation. Thus Cheshunt became a GER station in 1862.[6]

Great Eastern Railway (1862-1922)

A signal box was provided in 1881 on the up side just north of the road bridge. Many years later when the road was widened the box was actually located under the bridge itself.[7]

In 1885 the station was relocated to the current site south of the road bridge. A subsequent renaming to Waltham Cross and Abbey was later rescinded.

In 1911 the Waltham Abbey and Cheshunt Gas & Coke Co had two sidings on the down side north of the station. A three siding goods yard was located on the up side of the line.[8]

London & North Eastern Railway (1923-1947)

On 1 January 1923 the GER became part of the London & North Eastern Railway. During Wprld War 2 the yards were busy with traffic from the Lea Valley armaments industry.

British Railways (1948-1994)

The nationalisation of Britain's railways saw the operation of Waltham Cross station pass to British Railways Eastern Region.

From 1958 local passenger services between Cheshunt and London via Tottenham Hale were normally operated by Class 125 diesel multiple units.

As late as the early 1960s the goods yards located north of the station were busy in traffic but these were closed in the 1960s in preparation of the electrification of the Lea Valley line.[9]

The mechanical signal box was closed on 13 January 1969 with its duties being taken over by a panel at Brimsdown.[10] The lines through Waltham Cross were electrified on 5 May 1969.[11]

The Privatisation area (1994-current)

In 2011, a major redevelopment was carried out at the station in preparation for the London 2012 Olympics.

From 2 January 2013, Oyster cards are accepted at the station. The station is in Travelcard zone 7.

The station building prior to the 2011 redevelopment.

Service

The typical off-peak service between Monday-Saturday is two trains per hour to London Liverpool Street via Tottenham Hale, two trains per hour to Hertford East, one train per hour to Stratford, and one train per hour to Bishops Stortford.

On Sunday, the typical off peak service is two trains per hour to Stratford via Tottenham Hale and two trains per hour to Hertford East.

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References
  1. "Station usage estimates". Rail statistics. Office of Rail Regulation. Please note: Some methodology may vary year on year.
  2. Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations. Yeovil: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 240. ISBN 1-85260-508-1. R508.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  3. Chronology of London Railways by H.V.Borley
  4. Mitchell, Vic; Brennand, Dave (2014). Stratford - Cheshunt. Midhurst, UK: Middleton Press. p. 85 caption xiii. ISBN 978-1-908174-53-6.
  5. Allen 1955, p. 12
  6. Vaughan, Adrian (1997). Railwaymen, Politics and Money. London: John Murray. pp. 134, 135. ISBN 0-7195-5150-1.
  7. Mitchell, Vic; Brennand, Dave (2014). Stratford - Cheshunt. Midhurst, UK: Middleton Press. p. 89. ISBN 978-1-908174-53-6.
  8. Watling, John (April 1996). "Waltham Cross (picture caption)". Great Eastern Journal. 86: 2.
  9. Mitchell, Vic; Brennand, Dave (2014). Stratford - Cheshunt. Midhurst, UK: Middleton Press. pp. 86–88. ISBN 978-1-908174-53-6.
  10. Mitchell, Vic; Brennand, Dave (2014). Stratford - Cheshunt. Midhurst, UK: Middleton Press. p. 89. ISBN 978-1-908174-53-6.
  11. White, H.P., A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain Volume 3 Greater London, David & Charles, 1987
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