North Woolwich line

NORTH WOOLWICH LINE

Opened in 1846 between Stratford and Canning Town, the line was extended to North Woolwich the following year. Services were extended north to Palace Gates in 1887 although that line (northwards from Seven Sisters) was closed to passengers in 1963.
1979 saw the North Woolwich branch incorporated into the North London Line, pre-empting the closure of the Broad Street line (Broad Street station had hitherto provided the eastern terminus for the North London Line).

SILVERTOWN

(1863 - 2006)

The Crossrail project will use the marooned stub of track between Custom House and North Woolwich, surfacing from its London side tunnel just west of Custom House station and continuing in the North Woolwich direction before diving into tunnel again under the Thames.

Crossrail is being designed to allow for a possible station at Silvertown, although its location will be different from the station shown here (presumably closer to the City Airport). All remains of Silvertown station had been swept away by June 2012 as part of the Crossrail works.

View of the tunnel as it emerges at the Silvertown end. The previous (second) surface level route was located to the left of the tunnel.

The very first route via the south side of what became the Victoria Dock is to be seen on the far left, still with some its track intact. As it still served local factories, it was known as the Silvertown Tramway. Have a close look at what remains of it and compare with the photo below.

(photo: 2005)

Photo from 1984 showing far more remains of the Silvertown Tramway.

(Copyright photo by Tom Burnham from his Flickr site. Used with permission).

Photo taken in March 2012.

"Plenty of [Crossrail] work now going on in the tunnel, with numerous construction vehicles driving in and out. On the left hand side, the old Silvertown Tramway gates have gone; but the small section of tracks embedded in the road beyond survives. In amongst all the construction, this 15-metre section of embedded track is the only real remaining clue as to the Tramway's existence."

Eastward view of the solitary remaining track and platform at Silvertown station as seen in 2006. The original route of the line can be seen joining from the right.

For a not dissimilar view from around 1910 showing the station with both its tracks and the now demolished westbound platform, move your cursor over the image.

Looking toward Silvertown station at the Silvertown Tramway's tracks still embedded in the road. The factories on the right are on the north bank of the Thames.

(photo: 2006)

The tracks of the Silvertown Tramway clearly leading toward Silvertown station.

(photo: 2005)

Silvertown station and its one remaining platform.

(photo: 2005)

Silvertown platform heading toward North Woolwich.

(photo: 2006)

(photo: 2003)

Looking back towards the west. The Victoria Dock avoiding route veers round to the right, the original route continues straight on.

(photo: 2005)

(photo: 2005)

(photo: 2005)

The station in 2009, three years after closure.

The station's waiting room in May 2012. At the time of the photo, it was all that remained of Silvertown station. A month later, even this was gone.

Photo from 1971 showing both tracks and their platforms still intact. The Silvertown Tramway can just be seen on the right of the photo.

(Copyright photo by Tom Burnham from his Flickr site. Used with permission).

The station in 2009, three years after closure.

The station in 2011, nearly five years after closure.

The station site in March 2012.

"The clearance that has taken place sees the removal of the overgrowth, track bed and most of the station platform. The platform building survives, as does the smaller shelter further down (out of sight of the camera), and the back wall - presumably because these are the only means of keeping the building site and Albert Road apart. Note how some bits of furniture have survived - a hollow station nameboard clings to the wall in the foreground; bottom left of picture one of those black-box-on-a-silver-pole things remains in situ. All lamp posts have now gone and it would only take the removal of the station building and the back wall before you would have almost no clue that there was ever a railway here before."

The station site in June 2012, having finally lost all remnants of the actual station.

Reference: London Railways by Edwin Course. B T Batsford Ltd, London, 1962.

North Woolwich Line: North Woolwich