Published on: Wednesday, 11 May 2016
Last updated: Wednesday, 5 October 2016
Leyton’s Lea Bridge Station is re-opening to passengers on 16 May 2016 after 31 years of closure.
The station, which will be managed by Abellio Greater Anglia, will provide passengers with direct links to both Stratford and Tottenham Hale and journey times of five minutes apiece. Services will run on a half hourly basis, seven days a week.
Stratford is the nearest high-speed station to central London, connecting to services going to Europe, and Tottenham Hale provides easy and fast connections to Stansted Airport, meaning the new station will open the western part of Waltham Forest up to further commercial opportunities in London and beyond.
The scheme to re-open the station has been funded with a mixture of £5million from Waltham Forest Council capital funding, £1.1million from the Department for Transport’s New Stations Fund and £5.5million from Section 106 contributions (managed by the Stratford Transport Implementation Group).
The new station is expected to be used by 352,000 passengers a year by 2031. When it opens it will have two new platforms, a new footbridge and lifts, station canopy, ticket vending machines, Oyster readers, waiting shelters and help points.
Jamie Burles, Managing Director, Abellio Greater Anglia, said: "We're looking forward to the opening of the new station at Lea Bridge. It will make our rail network more accessible and convenient to thousands of existing and potential rail passengers. The development of the station has been a great partnership project between the London Borough of Waltham Forest, Abellio Greater Anglia, Network Rail and the Department for Transport.
With half hourly services, seven days a week, in both directions to Stratford and Tottenham Hale, the new station enables local residents to have easy access to rail journeys into and across central London and beyond; up the West Anglia route to Stansted Airport and Cambridge; up the Great Eastern Main Line to Chelmsford, Colchester, Ipswich and Norwich; and of course to Stratford International Rail Station for Eurostar services to France and Belgium. We hope the station will prove to be a great success."
Chris Robbins, Leader of Waltham Forest Council said : “Lea Bridge Station will really help open Leyton up for growth, giving the area better and faster links to some of London’s crucial transport hubs, and making it a more attractive prospect for developers, businesses and residents.
For years it’s been a project we have committed to making happen, and going forward it will form the centrepiece of wider plans to rejuvenate the area and create a new Leyton village, spurring even more regeneration and change.”
The first full day’s service at Lea Bridge Station will start just after 6am on the morning of Monday 16 May 2016, although limited services are expected to be running from approximately 8pm on Sunday 15 May. Services through the station will run approximately every 30 minutes. To find out more about station facilities and train times, visit www.nationalrail.co.uk .
The official opening of the new Lea Bridge Station will take place with a special ceremony from 9.30am on Monday 16 May. Members of the media are welcome to attend.