Graham Road Curve, Hackney.

[class303]

I understand this is one of the least used lines in London and I'm interested in it for this reason. Is there any regular workings over it? Also when was the last time it saw an electric train?

I'd be interested in photographing something on the curve. Many thanks

 

[313103]

It has hardly seen any train movement on it since the former WAGN franchise was split. Then many ECS movements were made. It is probably the early 1990s since a passenger train used the curve.

 

[Lee_Again]

Some time between 1993 and 1996 I was on a train at Finsbury Park that was diverted to Liverpool St. Through the Canonbury Tunnel, NLL, Graham Road Curve and then onwards to Liverpool St. This was about the time when King's Cross was closing about every 2 weeks because of bomb scares.

My (bad) memory tells me that the curve was relatively new at about that time. I think it was built to allow 315,317 trains to access Hornsey.

 

[alholmes]

It's had some regular use recently, albeit not by a passenger service. The West Anglia RHTT train would run down (from Enfield Town, I think) to London Fields, and reverse there to take the Graham Road curve to the NLL onwards to Richmond. It was booked to be at London Fields at about 12:40, Monday - Friday lunchtime. Not sure about weekends.

I'm assuming these services have now finished for the season, so you may have to wait till next Autumn to photograph one on the curve.

 

[bgstrowger]

Some time between 1993 and 1996 I was on a train at Finsbury Park that was diverted to Liverpool St. Through the Canonbury Tunnel, NLL, Graham Road Curve and then onwards to Liverpool St. This was about the time when King's Cross was closing about every 2 weeks because of bomb scares.

My (bad) memory tells me that the curve was relatively new at about that time. I think it was built to allow 315,317 trains to access Hornsey.

The curve was built in the mid 80s before Broad Street was closed to allow the few remaining peak hour services to Watford Junction to be diverted into Liverpool Street.

 

[barrykas]

Graham Road curve was opened in the mid-1980s to allow the Watford Junction - Broad Street service to be diverted into Liverpool Street, though that service was withdrawn around 1992.

When Hull Trains were sub-leasing Anglia Railways 170s, the curve (along with Canonbury curve) was used for stock transfers between Liverpool Street and Kings Cross.

 

[dk1]

When Hull Trains were sub-leasing Anglia Railways 170s, the curve (along with Canonbury curve) was used for stock transfers between Liverpool Street and Kings Cross.

Some Basingstoke services got occasionaly routed that way too. Was often an issue with crew route familiarisation from what i can remember.

 

[O L Leigh]

That would have required a reversal too.

As has been said, the curve hasn't been used regularly since the WA Cl317s were transferred from Hornsey to Ilford. It's just the RHTT, occasional Nitwit Rail test trains and, just possibly, renewals trains that use it now.

O L Leigh