Epping Station – 30th August 2021
In Essex Councillors Call For Underground Link, I discussed the pros and cons of extending the Central Line from Epping station to Harlow.
As I didn’t have any pictures of Epping station. I went to the station and took these.
This map from cartometro.com shows the track layout at Epping station.
Note.
- There are two platforms both of which are used to terminate trains.
- Platform 2 is step-free, but Platform 1 is only step-free for exit only.
- There is a large car park with 541 spaces including twelve for disabled drivers.
I suspect this means, that someone who has difficulty with the bridge and has parked their car in the car park has a problem.
To my mind there are two obvious solutions.
- Put in a second step-free bridge at the station.
- If no trains go past the ends of the platform, it might be possible to build a level walkway across the two tracks.
It would all depend on the budget and any plans to extend the Central Line to Harlow or on to the tracks of the Epping Ongar Railway.
It would certainly be possible to extend Platform 1 to serve as a platform for the Epping Ongar Railway and have a walkway across the tracks to give step-free access between all three platforms.
- It would make the heritage Epping Ongar Railway into a unique London tourist attraction with direct access from the Underground.
- It might even be possible for the heritage railway to run connection services between Epping and Ongar at times, when they would be financially worthwhile and operationally possible.
There are certainly possibilities.
The Anonymous Widower 
Epping Station may be the end of the line today but the Central line used to run further on to Onger but the line was cut back . However, a section of the route has become an heritage railway and thus extension from Epping would either mean the end of the line for the heritage railway or construction of a new route from Epping Station .
I can’t see how this idea can be plausible given the number of stations the line Would stop at compared to the faster mainline passengers use today.
One useful change at Epping Station would be to look severing the line beyond Epping Station in order to build a link between platforms making the offside platform accessible from the station entrance . Longer term extension of the heritage line to Epping Station could benefit both railways with heritage trains using platforms beyond the existing platforms
Comment by Melvyn | August 30, 2021 |
I was writing the last section of the post, whilst you were writing your comment. Merseyrail has head-on connections, where two trains use the same platform at Ormskirk and Kirkby, as does the Overground at Clapham Junction.
How many people would take their kids for a ride on a steam train, if all they needed to do was get on the Central Line?
Comment by AnonW | August 30, 2021 |
My mum is 81 years old and lives in Buckhurst Hill, she can use the slope provided in the underpass at Buckhurst Hill Station, her nearest station to come and visit me and my daughter, her grand daughter in Epping, but she fears that upon disembarking the train at Epping, it might mean having to get out onto the platform side that has only a stair exit, to take you to the ticket office platform. She has just been knocked over by a car, reversing back into her while she was crossing behind it. She now has a fractured pelvis and cannot walk far at all. She could not climb the stairs at Epping. This means she cannot visit Epping from Buckhurst Hill. A walk way between the platforms sounds like a brilliant idea, and would mean better business for Ongar wailway and businesses in Ongar generally I believe.
Comment by Ms Lorna Denton | July 23, 2023 |