Lea Bridge station

[Be3G]

As a local I would very much like to see a Chingford - Stratford service. The trick will be how you schedule it without damaging the service to Liv St, the ECS runs from Chingford into Liv St and provide something moderately sensible in terms of headways at Lea Bridge and into / out of

As another local I'd also like to see this too. I live in North Chingford and often travel down to Westfield but get slightly exasperated that there's no quick and easy way of doing the journey. I can go via Hackney or via Tottenham Hale, but if I don't make good connections the journey's not much quicker than doing the long slog on the 97. In fact, from the Chingford station area even just a 179 and the Central line can give the other options a run for their money I find.

Based on current infrastructure, I think the quickest feasible route from Chingford to Stratford would be via a frequent, reliable bus service to Ponders End station (doesn't take long on a 313, when one bothers to turn up) and then the train from there. Considering the line speed of the WAML, I don't think that'd take inordinately longer than a train from Chingford via the hall farm curve. Sadly Ponders End station currently only sees direct trains to Stratford on Sundays though.

 

[jon0844]

I prefer to go to Westfield on Sunday. I like the fact the shops are open 12-6 rather than 10-4 or 11-5.

 

[Taunton]

One of the downsides of the new Lea Bridge station is that the adjacent Lea Valley Ice Skating Rink, the big one in NE London, relatively isolated and with an adequate car park, feels they now have to introduce parking charges there to combat any attempt by commuters coming in along Lea Bridge Road from Essex to do all day parking there, hitherto never a problem. This is described in notices at the Ice Rink. The charges start on June 1.

So the new station is going to cost us money without even using it.

 

[jon0844]

Surely they could do as many other car parks do and allow free parking for an hour or so, then hit people hard with a high price. And users of a facility could get their parking validated for free by asking for more time if wanting to skate for longer?

Make sure the car park is gated (given it's pretty hard, if not impossible, to enforce private parking tickets) and job done - no more commuters using it (or if they do, paying for it).

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

One of the downsides of the new Lea Bridge station is that the adjacent Lea Valley Ice Skating Rink, the big one in NE London, relatively isolated and with an adequate car park, feels they now have to introduce parking charges there to combat any attempt by commuters coming in along Lea Bridge Road from Essex to do all day parking there, hitherto never a problem. This is described in notices at the Ice Rink. The charges start on June 1. So the new station is going to cost us money without even using it.

A similar occurrence happened a few years ago when the Heald Green Hotel that is situated next to Heald Green railway station (notorious for its paucity of parking spaces) decided to become a Travel Inn with a "Beefeater" restaurant and had one of those Travelodges attached, which the nearness of Manchester Airport was deemed to be good business. Originally, the large car park was free of charge but workers at nearby business parks who were not sufficiently high enough in their company to have a dedicated parking space next to their company premises decided to arrive early in the morning and to take up all the available spaces.

The Travel Inn, being no fools,who saw that their Travelodge customers were thus inconvenienced, promptly put the management of their car park into the hands of a specialist company who also performs such a service for other parts of the hotel group and rigourously enforces the clearly stated parking fees there, which are well displayed on large signs in large typeface in prominent situations in the car park.. Any non-resident wishing to park has to obtain a daily permit from the hotel reception and pay the daily parking cost which is high enough to deter those business park staff from parking there unless they feel their salary can bear those costs. People staying at the Travelodge have such costs incorporated in their bills, though heavily discounted in comparison to casual parkers.

 

[Kite159]

Surely they could do as many other car parks do and allow free parking for an hour or so, then hit people hard with a high price. And users of a facility could get their parking validated for free by asking for more time if wanting to skate for longer?

Make sure the car park is gated (given it's pretty hard, if not impossible, to enforce private parking tickets) and job done - no more commuters using it (or if they do, paying for it).

Most customer friendly method is to have gates or barriers, with car parking tickets to be validated inside the rink or a nominal charge (say £2 an hour) to exit for any non-users of the ice rink.

But most likely they will go down the route of getting some knuckle duster PPC in to harass the genuine customers who forget to type their registration into a machine in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying ‘Beware of the Leopard.

------

I hope to catch a bus from Clapton to grab the first Stratford bound service on Sunday, if the line reopens on time (if not, the first Delay Repay claim for Lea Bridge!)

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

But most likely they will go down the route of getting some knuckle duster PPC in to harass the genuine customers who forget to type their registration into a machine in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying ‘Beware of the Leopard.

Even noting your smiley, did your hyperbole creativity usage suddenly go into overdrive..

 

[hounddog]

Even noting your smiley, did your hyperbole creativity usage suddenly go into overdrive..

More like infinite improbability drive.

 

[jon0844]

But most likely they will go down the route of getting some knuckle duster PPC in to harass the genuine customers who forget to type their registration into a machine in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying ‘Beware of the Leopard.

I'm sure they'll skip the gates and go for unenforceable (for the most part) ticketing and relying on around 60% of people paying. Cheaper than installing equipment that needs maintenance, and would likely stop anyone parking that isn't using the facilities - so raising no money to pay for the barriers/cctv etc.

Hence why a few notices on lamp posts are the favoured option for most private car parks.

 

[MarkRedon]

Even noting your smiley, did your hyperbole creativity usage suddenly go into overdrive..

Oh, Paul: I thought that you were a literary man? This is of course a quote of the great Arthur Dent from the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. See: http://hitchhikersguidequotes.tumblr.com/post/14333727462/mr-prosser-but-mr-dent-the-plans-have-been

For those who have not heard of Arthur Dent: it should be noted that Dent is so well known in certain outlying parts of the western spiral arm of the Galaxy that he has had a 15 mile high statue erected to him on the planet Brontitall - see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Places_in_The_Hitchhiker's_Guide_to_the_Galaxy. Sadly, there is no mention of railways in this literary tome, and I shall probably be banned for going off topic.

 

[Kite159]

I'm sure they'll skip the gates and go for unenforceable (for the most part) ticketing and relying on around 60% of people paying. Cheaper than installing equipment that needs maintenance, and would likely stop anyone parking that isn't using the facilities - so raising no money to pay for the barriers/cctv etc.

Hence why a few notices on lamp posts are the favoured option for most private car parks.

Or having CCTV cameras log the comings and goings, hence my reference to logging registrations, as it's cheaper than actually managing the car park with a proper person

Although looking at Google Maps, it seems that Ice-Rink is around half-way between the new station at Lea Bridge and the station at Clapton, in which case would it really get the bothersome commuters parking there when Clapton has a more frequent service with the benefit of running direct to the city, rather than changing at Stratford (or Totty Hale) on a half hourly service?

 

[trivran]

Sadly, there is no mention of railways in this literary tome, and I shall probably be banned for going off topic.

Surely you haven't forgotten about Fenchurch?

 

[IanD]

Surely you haven't forgotten about Fenchurch?

And Dent, the highest station in England.

 

[scott118]

...lifted from the AGA feed.

2 trains an hour will stop at Lea Bridge (between Stratford & Tottenham Hale) -opens on Mon 16/05

 

[jon0844]

What a moody looking photo!

Should have got someone out there with a wide angle lens to do the station justice.

 

[MarkRedon]

And Dent, the highest station in England.

Thank you for reminding me. One of my very favourite British stations… I have frequently walked to and from it and I even have a picture as my Windows screen background. And to keep things on-thread: a much, much more beautiful location than Lea Bridge – and a very much prettier station.

 

[Busaholic]

As another local I'd also like to see this too. I live in North Chingford and often travel down to Westfield but get slightly exasperated that there's no quick and easy way of doing the journey. I can go via Hackney or via Tottenham Hale, but if I don't make good connections the journey's not much quicker than doing the long slog on the 97. In fact, from the Chingford station area even just a 179 and the Central line can give the other options a run for their money I find.

Based on current infrastructure, I think the quickest feasible route from Chingford to Stratford would be via a frequent, reliable bus service to Ponders End station (doesn't take long on a 313, when one bothers to turn up) and then the train from there. Considering the line speed of the WAML, I don't think that'd take inordinately longer than a train from Chingford via the hall farm curve. Sadly Ponders End station currently only sees direct trains to Stratford on Sundays though.

I read columns both on this forum and elsewhere that when the Vic Line was closed at the northern end last summer the alternative express bus service laid on between Walthamstow Central and Stratford Station did very well, both in terms of numbers carried and, on the whole, in the journey times. Could be worth asking the new Mayor to look into providing something similar on a permanent basis, maybe starting at Chingford Station and serving a couple of other stops before WC.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

What statements concerning rail transport have been made by Sadiq Khan since he first stood for the role of Mayor of London that gave insight into his thoughts on the matter?

 

[IanD]

What statements concerning rail transport have been made by Sadiq Khan since he first stood for the role of Mayor of London that gave insight into his thoughts on the matter?

No price increases for 4 years (= less money for investment).

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

No price increases for 4 years (= less money for investment).

Sounds like a good deal for the passengers, though.

With regards money for investment, London has a few on-going projects where money seems to be no object, so that region has not been starved of it.

 

[jon0844]

Fares are such that people will still moan that they're too high even in four years, and will probably then moan about the lack of investment and cuts.

LO prides itself for having fully staffed stations, but what about in the future?

 

[AndrewS_Hatton]

I read columns both on this forum and elsewhere that when the Vic Line was closed at the northern end last summer the alternative express bus service laid on between Walthamstow Central and Stratford Station did very well, both in terms of numbers carried and, on the whole, in the journey times. Could be worth asking the new Mayor to look into providing something similar on a permanent basis, maybe starting at Chingford Station and serving a couple of other stops before WC.

Ahh - that is where I came in - almost.

About last year, in my enquiries about the history of the Walthamstow area and the growth of the district of several ancient manors as it became a suburb, that I was considering transport between the City and that particular suburb (personally I am a Highams Park boy).

I do not recall in detail and cannot instantly access what I discovered about carters and stage coaches and the early railway. (I have neurological problems affecting the function of my memory - dyspraxia & dyslexia).

I believe the provision of the line London - - - Clapton - St James Street - initially Shernhall Street & north eastwards became delayed meanwhile folk needed to commute daily and then came the Lea Bridge Station. So before the via Clapton line was used stage coaches ran from central Walthamstow - where the buildings were going up in the Hoe Street & then named Marsh Street area. I found a daily coach service had run via - I think, Markhouse Road and on to - Lea Bridge Station - hence I found this VERY thread and joined up.

Maybe history will go full circle if the suggested Express Bus Service becomes established, albeit - sensibly to Stratford now it is an international hub, rather than transferring via Lea Bridge

The station itself was at road level, on a bridge over the tracks, and passengers went down steps to get to the platforms

Before the coming of this station, the local coach company, Wraggs, had run a horse horse drawn coach service right into the City of London, and continued to do so for a few years after the railway opened.

As the trains became more accepted, and because the station was at some distance from the large houses spread around Hoe Street and Marsh Street (Later re-named the High Street) Wraggs changed their service, offering instead a horse coach to the station.
The station was used almost entirely by gentlemen travelling to City offices, and there were no cheaper early tickets for workmen for many years.


==============================================

In the later years of the eighteenth century, Francis Wragg of Marsh Street was running a stage coach commuter service to the City, with seven services running to and from Walthamstow each day. When Lea Bridge Station opened in the 1840s, Wragg’s began to offer a coach between Marsh Street and the station, as it was a longish walk.


Fanny Keats, younger sister of the poet John Keats, lived in Marsh Street in 1819-20, staying in one house and attending an Academy for Young Ladies in another. When her brother visited, he walked from Hampstead, as he did not have the money to take a coach.

In 1870 the railway got to Walthamstow and a station opened at Hoe Street.[NOTE I think after a temporary station had been located at Shernhall Street]

 

[Amaroussi]

…I hope to catch a bus from Clapton to grab the first Stratford bound service on Sunday…

Quote abridged for clarity.

I may join in at the Hale at 20:14, but the sunset is 2047 BST tomorrow.

 

[AndrewS_Hatton]

A comment I carefully constructed has not appeared - I had an automatic response it was to be moderated - but I have seen nothing further - I guess I am doing something wrong - I'll not post again if this does not appear - maybe the moderator does not like links.

I see there is an event by a Walthamstow walking group tonight starting at St James Street station - I think I read at 7pm and going to Lea Bridge - I'll not post the link - I guess those able to search should find it.

 

[plcd1]

I read columns both on this forum and elsewhere that when the Vic Line was closed at the northern end last summer the alternative express bus service laid on between Walthamstow Central and Stratford Station did very well, both in terms of numbers carried and, on the whole, in the journey times. Could be worth asking the new Mayor to look into providing something similar on a permanent basis, maybe starting at Chingford Station and serving a couple of other stops before WC.

The service that did well was the 558 that paralleled the 158 and then ran down to Seven Sisters. That loaded ridiculously well in the peaks - I went to observe it at Seven Sisters. It was poorly used off peak as I saw it regularly with barely anyone on it. There was an attempt at raising a petition to keep the 558 but it was always doomed to fail.

The Stratford - Walthamstow service was poorly used IME. I travelled on it once from Stratford and there was barely a handful of people on it. It also got horribly bogged down in peak traffic on Orient Way. Loadings from the Walthamstow end were equally poor partly because the start stop was not well signposted.

TfL asked for tender options to extend the W19 to Lea Bridge stn from Argall Ind Estate but there is no bus stand at the station so it won't be happening. Heaven knows what Waltham Forest didn't think to create a little stand for a bus to serve the station I know not, especially as the Ind Est has to be a prime source of potential customers. It's a walkable distance but not pleasant in the wind, rain and cold.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Quote abridged for clarity.

I may join in at the Hale at 20:14, but the sunset is 2047 BST tomorrow.

I am surprised no-one has yet made a posting about catching the first train out from Lea Bridge on Sunday night.

 

[Kite159]

I am surprised no-one has yet made a posting about catching the first train out from Lea Bridge on Sunday night.

Which wouldn't have been me as I decided to stay home today to attack the garden as it was looking a bit long in places.

I wonder if there will be temporary signs at Stratford & Tottenham Hale to remind drivers to stop?

 

[MrPIC]

Theres been briefing booklets about the station, and for the last couple of weeks it has been shown on sheilas as a "ghost stop" for drivers to practice stopping there in readiness for the opening. Some genius decided to place the AWS magnet for the signal right where a 4 car should stop on the down platform, I hope nobody gets caught out by it!
I wonder whether the PIDS has been updated to include Lea Bridge, I foresee the codes not working and subsequently no announcments on these services!

 

[jopsuk]

I wasn't there, but it looks like a lot of people were! Quite the party, and the driver seemed to be taking the melee in his stride. Noticed a chap in Great Northern uniform there

 

[AndrewS_Hatton]

Excellent Video Folk history from the streets in the making - well done to all.

Some seem more interested in photographing railways noways than going places.

I just wish that loop from 1840 to James St/Clapton had stayed open when I was young - I would have been able to get from Highams Park to Broxbourne quickly. I did not realise it was possible back then - though I probably could could not afford it. When I went fishing under my own steam on the River Lea I just went as far as Waltham Cross a few times which was about the limit of my 13 year old cycling with a rod strapped to the cross bar.

I guess today's 13 year olds make videos and post them to social media - I drowned worms and sat on river banks!