Epping to Ongar: Underground evidence

NATIONALISATION of the railways in the postwar era resulted in the London Transport Executive taking over operation of the Epping to Ongar line from September 25, 1949.

During the following eight years, services continued to be operated by steam locomotives hired from British Railways until electrification followed in 1957. With an electrical sub-station promised for Blake Hall, the line was initially operated using ‘light’ electrification from the existing sub-station at Epping. Therefore, the line initially operated with only enough power to run three or four-car trains, which ran as a shuttle rather than through services to central London.

As in steam days, passengers had to change trains at Epping to reach Ongar, and the limitations of building on green belt land meant the promised extra electrical sub-station never materialised. Arguably, it was these factors that had the greatest impact upon the growth of the line – or lack of.

With communities living adjacent to the three stations beyond Epping never likely