View source for East London line

{{Short description|Railway line in London}}
{{Distinguish|East London Transit}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2017}}
{{Infobox rail line
| name            = East London line
| color           = 
| logo            = 
| logo_width      = 
| image           = Unit 378146 near Hoxton.jpg
| image_width     = 300 px
| caption         = [[British Rail Class 378|Class 378]] train at Hoxton in 2010, with the [[City of London]] skyline in background
| type            = [[Commuter rail|Suburban rail]], [[Rapid Transit]]
| system          = [[National Rail]]
| status          = Operational<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/about-tfl/culture-and-heritage/londons-transport-a-history/london-overground#on-this-page-0|title=London Overground|publisher=Transport for London|access-date=7 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161009165804/https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/about-tfl/culture-and-heritage/londons-transport-a-history/london-overground#on-this-page-0#on-this-page-0|archive-date=9 October 2016|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
| locale          = [[Greater London]]
| start           = {{stl|London Underground|Highbury & Islington}}<br/>{{Stnlnk|Dalston Junction}}
| end             = {{Stnlnk|New Cross}}<br/>{{Stnlnk|Crystal Palace}}<br/>[[West Croydon station|West Croydon]]
| stations        = 23
| routes          = 3
| daily_ridership = 
| open            = 1933 to 2007 (As East London Line)<br />27 April 2010 (preview service)<ref name="ELL BBC">{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8620188.stm |work=BBC News Online |location=London |title=East London Line officially opened by Boris Johnson |date=27 April 2010 |access-date=27 April 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150418154822/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/8620188.stm |archive-date=18 April 2015 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all }}</ref><br/>23 May 2010 (full service)<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23826543-party-time-for-east-london-line.do |title=Party Time for East London Line |first=Megan |last=Clarke |date=21 April 2010 |work=London Evening Standard |access-date=23 April 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100423134529/http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23826543-party-time-for-east-london-line.do |archive-date=23 April 2010 }}</ref>
| close           = 
| owner           = [[Transport for London]] (TfL)<br/>[[Network Rail]]
| operator        = [[London Overground]]
| character       = 
| depot           = New Cross Gate
| stock           = [[British Rail Class 378|Class 378 "Capitalstar"]]
| linelength_km   = 
| tracklength_km  = 
| tracks          = Double track; sections with four tracks
| gauge           = {{Track gauge|sg|al=on|lk=on}}
| electrification = 750 [[Volt|V]] [[Direct current|DC]] [[third rail]]
| speed           = 
| elevation       = 
| map             = [[File:East London line.png|300px]]<br />([[:commons:File:East London line.png|Click to expand]])
| map_state       = uncollapsed
}}

The '''East London line''' is a railway line running north to south through the [[East London|East]], [[London Docklands|Docklands]] and [[South London|South]] areas of London. It is used by [[London Overground]] services. It was previously a line of the [[London Underground]].

Built in 1869 by the '''East London Railway Company''', which reused the [[Thames Tunnel]] intended for horse-drawn carriages, the line became part of the London Underground network in 1933. After nearly 75&nbsp;years as part of that network, it closed on 22 December 2007 for an [[East London line extension|extensive refurbishment and expansion]], reopening as part of the Overground network in April 2010.<ref>{{cite web | title = East London Line alternative transport strategy update | publisher = [[London Underground]] | date = 27 November 2006 | url = http://www.gold.ac.uk/east-london.pdf | access-date = 24 December 2006 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070928004526/http://www.gold.ac.uk/east-london.pdf |archive-date = 28 September 2007}}</ref><ref name="linefacts"/><ref name=first>{{cite news | url=http://www.railnews.co.uk/news/metro/2009/10/08-first-train-runs-on-east.html | title=First train runs on East London Railway | newspaper=Railnews | location=Stevenage | date=8 October 2009 | access-date=8 October 2009 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091023083839/http://www.railnews.co.uk/news/metro/2009/10/08-first-train-runs-on-east.html | archive-date=23 October 2009 | url-status=live | df=dmy-all }}</ref> Phase 2, which links the line to the [[South London line]] with a terminus at {{stnlink|Clapham Junction}}, opened on 9 December 2012, creating an orbital railway around inner London.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/projectsandschemes/15401.aspx |title=Clapham Junction to Surrey Quays &#124; Transport for London |access-date=2012-11-06 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100516134652/http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/projectsandschemes/15401.aspx |archive-date=2010-05-16 }}</ref><ref name="outerorbital"/>

In 2024, London Overground services on the line were rebranded the '''[[Windrush line]]'''.

==History==

===Establishment of the East London Railway===
The East London Railway (ELR) was created by the East London Railway Company, a consortium of six railway companies: the [[Great Eastern Railway]] (GER), the [[London, Brighton and South Coast Railway]] (LB&SCR), the [[London, Chatham and Dover Railway]] (LCDR), the [[South Eastern Railway (UK)|South Eastern Railway]] (SER), the [[Metropolitan Railway]], and the [[District Railway]]. The latter two operated what are now the [[Metropolitan line|Metropolitan]], [[Circle line (London Underground)|Circle]], [[District line|District]] and [[Hammersmith & City line|Hammersmith & City]] lines of the London Underground. The incorporation of the East London Railway took place on 26 May 1865 with the aim of providing a link between the LB&SCR, GER and SER lines.<ref name="McCarthy">{{cite book |last1=McCarthy |first1=Colin |last2=McCarthy |first2=David |title = Railways of Britain – London North of the Thames |publisher = Ian Allan Publishing |location= Hersham, Surrey |isbn=978-0-7110-3346-7 |year=2009 |pages=14–15}}</ref>

The companies reused the [[Thames Tunnel]], built by [[Marc Brunel|Marc]] and [[Isambard Kingdom Brunel]] between 1825 and 1843 for horse-drawn carriages. The tunnel, with generous headroom and two carriageways separated by arches, connected [[Wapping]] on the north bank of the Thames with [[Rotherhithe]] on the south bank. A triumph of civil engineering, it was a commercial failure and by the 1860s it had become an unpleasant and disreputable place.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_7740000/7740557.stm Brunel's Thames Tunnel] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110131120244/http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_7740000/7740557.stm |date=31 January 2011 }} ''Today'', BBC News, 22 November 2008.</ref>

The tunnel was the most easterly land connection between the north and south banks of the Thames, close to the docks on both banks of the river, and was not far from mainline railways at either end. Converting the tunnel for railway use thus offered a means of providing a cross-Thames rail link. On 25 September 1865 the East London Railway Company took ownership of the tunnel at a cost of £800,000.<ref>{{cite news |title=Railway And Other Companies, East London |newspaper=The Times | location = London |date=2 September 1869}}</ref> Over the next four years the company built a railway through the tunnel to connect with the existing lines. The company's engineer was [[Sir John Hawkshaw]], who was also responsible for the major re-design and completion of I K Brunel's long-abandoned [[Clifton Suspension Bridge]] at Bristol.<ref>{{ cite book | last = Beaumont | first = Martin | title = Sir John Hawkshaw 1811–1891 | publisher = The Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Society www.lyrs.org.uk | year = 2015 | pages = 68–69, 108–111 | isbn = 978-0-9559467-7-6 }}</ref> The section of the railway construction work from Wapping to Bishopsgate, which was very difficult, was carried out by the firm "T. & C. Walker and Co." ([[Thomas Andrew Walker]] and his younger brother Charles).<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lee |first=Charles E. |title=The East London Line and The Thames Tunnel: A Brief History. |date=1976 |publisher=London Transport |isbn=0-85329-068-7 |location=London |pages=14–16}}</ref> 

The line opened in stages as financing became available:

* 7 December 1869: {{Stnlnk|New Cross Gate}} (then New Cross) to {{Stnlnk|Wapping}} opened, operated by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR), with intermediate stations at [[Surrey Quays railway station|Deptford Road]] (now Surrey Quays) and {{Stnlnk|Rotherhithe}}.
* 13 March 1871: A spur opened from just south of what is now [[Surrey Quays railway station|Surrey Quays station]] to the [[South London line]]'s [[Old Kent Road railway station|Old Kent Road station]]. Passenger services were withdrawn from 1 June 1911 and freight last used the line in 1964; the track was subsequently removed. This alignment was relaid and restored to passenger service by London Overground in late 2012.
* 10 April 1876: Wapping to {{stl|London Underground|Shoreditch}}, through a cut-and-cover tunnel constructed in part along the bottom of an infilled dock. At Shoreditch a connection was made with the Great Eastern Railway to {{stl|London Underground|Liverpool Street}}. Intermediate stations were at {{Stnlnk|Shadwell}} and [[Whitechapel station|Whitechapel]].
* 1 April 1880: A spur to {{Stnlnk|New Cross}} (South Eastern Railway) opened.
* 3 March 1884: A spur to the Metropolitan and Metropolitan District Railways opened south of [[Whitechapel station|Whitechapel]] using [[St Mary's Curve]]. This enabled [[Metropolitan Railway]] and [[District Railway|Metropolitan District Railway]] (District) trains to commence through services to the East London Railway later that year. Although passenger services via this spur ceased in 1939,<ref name=Rose>{{cite book |last=Rose |first=Douglas |title=The London Underground: A Diagrammatic History |edition=8th |date=December 2007 |orig-year=1980 |publisher=Capital Transport |location=Harrow Weald |isbn=978-1-85414-315-0 }}</ref><ref name=CULG>{{cite web
|url=https://www.davros.org/rail/culg/eastlondon.html#dates
|title=East London Line, Dates
|work=Clive's UndergrounD Lines Guide
|access-date=2022-01-28
}}</ref><ref name="LURS">{{Cite magazine |date=October 2018 |magazine=Underground News |publisher=London Underground Railway Society|issue=682|pages=549|title=Train Services on the East London Line|issn=0306-8617}}</ref> it was retained to transfer empty trains to the rest of the sub-surface network.

===Early use===
[[File:East london railway 1915.jpg|thumb|left|Map of the East London Railway in 1915]]
{{East London Line RDT|collapse=NO}}

The East London Railway Company owned the infrastructure but it was operated by its controlling railways. Steam trains were initially operated by the {{abbr|GER|Great Eastern Railway}}, {{abbr|LB&SCR|London, Brighton and South Coast Railway}} and the {{abbr|SER|South Eastern Railway}}. The {{abbr|LB&SCR|London, Brighton and South Coast Railway}} used its [[LB&SCR A1 Class|LBSCR A1 Class]] Terrier locomotives, which [[William Stroudley]] designed partly with this line in mind. It carried both passenger and goods trains; the {{abbr|LB&SCR|London, Brighton and South Coast Railway}} operated between Liverpool Street and [[Croydon]], the {{abbr|SER|South Eastern Railway}} running between {{Stnlnk|Addiscombe}} and Liverpool Street from April 1880 until March 1884. From March to September 1884 the {{abbr|SER|South Eastern Railway}} service ran from Addiscombe to [[St Mary's (Whitechapel Road) tube station|St Mary's]] (MR & MDR Joint Station). Metropolitan Railway services from St Mary's to {{Stnlnk|New Cross}} ({{abbr|SER|South Eastern Railway}}) and Metropolitan District Railway services from St Mary's to {{Stnlnk|New Cross Gate}} ({{abbr|LB&SCR|London, Brighton and South Coast Railway}}) commenced on 1 October 1884.<ref name=Rose/> On 6 October through services started from [[Hammersmith tube station (Circle and Hammersmith & City lines)|Hammersmith]] (Hammersmith & City) to New Cross ({{abbr|SER|South Eastern Railway}}) and from {{stl|London Underground|Hammersmith|District}} (MDR) to New Cross ({{abbr|LB&SCR|London, Brighton and South Coast Railway}}).

{{Infobox UK legislation
| short_title           = East London Railway (Various Powers) Act 1868
| type                  = Act
| parliament            = Parliament of the United Kingdom
| long_title            = An Act to confer further Powers on the East London Railway Company for the Execution of Works, and otherwise with reference to their Undertaking; and for other Purposes.
| year                  = 1868
| citation              = [[31 & 32 Vict.]] c. clxiii
| introduced_commons    = 
| introduced_lords      = 
| territorial_extent    = 
| royal_assent          = 31 July 1868
| commencement          = 
| expiry_date           = 
| repeal_date           = 
| amends                = 
| replaces              = 
| amendments            = 
| repealing_legislation = 
| related_legislation   = 
| status                = 
| legislation_history   = 
| theyworkforyou        = 
| millbankhansard       = 
| original_text         = 
| revised_text          = 
| use_new_UK-LEG        = 
| UK-LEG_title          = 
| collapsed             = yes
}}
{{Infobox UK legislation
| short_title           = East London Railway Act 1871
| type                  = Act
| parliament            = Parliament of the United Kingdom
| long_title            = An Act for enabling the East London Railway Company to abandon parts, and to alter the levels of other parts, of their authorised Railways; and for other purposes.
| year                  = 1871
| citation              = [[34 & 35 Vict.]] c. cl
| introduced_commons    = 
| introduced_lords      = 
| territorial_extent    = 
| royal_assent          = 24 July 1871
| commencement          = 
| expiry_date           = 
| repeal_date           = 
| amends                = 
| replaces              = 
| amendments            = 
| repealing_legislation = 
| related_legislation   = 
| status                = 
| legislation_history   = 
| theyworkforyou        = 
| millbankhansard       = 
| original_text         = https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/Vict/34-35/150/pdfs/ukla_18710150_en.pdf
| revised_text          = 
| use_new_UK-LEG        = 
| UK-LEG_title          = 
| collapsed             = yes
}}
{{Infobox UK legislation
| short_title           = East London Railway Act 1876
| type                  = Act
| parliament            = Parliament of the United Kingdom
| long_title            = 
| year                  = 1876
| citation              = [[39 & 40 Vict.]] c. lii
| introduced_commons    = 
| introduced_lords      = 
| territorial_extent    = 
| royal_assent          = 
| commencement          = 
| expiry_date           = 
| repeal_date           = 
| amends                = 
| replaces              = 
| amendments            = 
| repealing_legislation = 
| related_legislation   = 
| status                = 
| legislation_history   = 
| theyworkforyou        = 
| millbankhansard       = 
| original_text         = 
| revised_text          = 
| use_new_UK-LEG        = 
| UK-LEG_title          = 
| collapsed             = yes
}}
{{Infobox UK legislation
| short_title           = East London Railway Act 1877
| type                  = Act
| parliament            = Parliament of the United Kingdom
| long_title            = An Act to enable the East London Railway Company to raise further Capital, and to make further provision with respect to their authorised Junction with the Main Line of the Great Eastern Railway; and for other purposes.
| year                  = 1877
| citation              = [[40 & 41 Vict.]] c. clvi
| introduced_commons    = 
| introduced_lords      = 
| territorial_extent    = 
| royal_assent          = 2 August 1877
| commencement          = 
| expiry_date           = 
| repeal_date           = 
| amends                = 
| replaces              = 
| amendments            = 
| repealing_legislation = 
| related_legislation   = 
| status                = 
| legislation_history   = 
| theyworkforyou        = 
| millbankhansard       = 
| original_text         = https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/Vict/40-41/156/pdfs/ukla_18770156_en.pdf
| revised_text          = 
| use_new_UK-LEG        = 
| UK-LEG_title          = 
| collapsed             = yes
}}
Before the development of the [[Kent coalfield]]s in the early part of the 20th century, house coal from the north for distribution in south London and as far afield as [[Maidstone]] and [[Brighton]] was an important source of revenue. Access at the north end of the line was difficult: trains were limited to 26 wagons and had to be shunted into the [[Great Eastern Railway|Great Eastern]]'s [[Liverpool Street station]] and drawn forward onto the {{abbr|ELR|East London Railway}}. To avoid this reversal, a line was planned from the {{abbr|ELR|East London Railway}} north of Whitechapel to the {{abbr|GER|Great Eastern Railway}} at [[Bethnal Green railway station|Bethnal Green]]. Acts for this were passed: an act of Parliament{{which|date=April 2025}} in 1866, and the '''{{visible anchor|East London Railway (Various Powers) Act 1868}}''' ([[31 & 32 Vict.]] c. clxiii). When the {{abbr|GER|Great Eastern Railway}} route to Hackney Downs Junction, now [[Hackney Downs railway station|Hackney Downs]], was constructed in 1872, the route was altered to connect at [[Cambridge Heath railway station|Cambridge Heath]], with the '''{{visible anchor|East London Railway Act 1871}}''' ([[34 & 35 Vict.]] c. cl) as an abandonment act for the previous route, and two new acts the '''{{visible anchor|East London Railway Act 1876}}''' ([[39 & 40 Vict.]] c. lii) and the '''{{visible anchor|East London Railway Act 1877}}''' ([[40 & 41 Vict.]] c. clvi). A short length of the latter tunnel was built, and from October 1900 additional capacity was offered by a wagon lift, carrying two ten-ton wagons, from the Great Eastern coal depot at Spitalfields to a siding laid in the tunnel stub. The surface junction was taken up in 1966 and the lift closed in 1967, after a fire at the Spitalfields depot.<ref name="Klapper">{{cite magazine |last1=Klapper|first1=Charles|title=Centenary of the East London Line |magazine=Railway World |date=February 1970|volume=31|issue=357}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=London Railway Atlas|last=Brown|first=Joe|publisher=Ian Allan Publishing|year=2012|isbn=978-0-7110-3728-1|pages=85}}</ref><ref>{{cite book
| last      = Gordon
| first     = W.J.
| title     = Our Home Railways (volume one)
| publisher = Frederick Warne
| year      = 1910
| location  = London
| page      = 153 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book
| last      = Klapper
| first     = Charles
| title     = London's Lost Railways
| publisher = Routledge and Kegan Paul
| year      = 1976
| location  = London
| pages     = 94–98
| isbn      = 0-7100-8378-5}}</ref>

When the Metropolitan District Railway was electrified in 1905 it ceased using the {{abbr|ELR|East London Railway}}, the last trains running on 31 July 1905;<ref name=Rose /> the Metropolitan Railway suspended its service after 2 December 1906.<ref name=Rose /> {{abbr|LB&SCR|London, Brighton and South Coast Railway}} and {{abbr|GER|Great Eastern Railway}} services continued, and {{abbr|SER|South Eastern Railway}} services recommenced on 3 December 1906.

The line was electrified, with the controlling railways funding the upgrade and the Metropolitan Railway providing the rolling stock. Electric services began on 31 March 1913 and ran from the two southern termini to Shoreditch and {{stl|London Underground|South Kensington}} via {{stl|London Underground|Edgware Road}} and {{stl|London Underground|High Street Kensington}}. In 1914 the service to South Kensington was diverted to {{stl|London Underground|Hammersmith|Hammersmith & City}}, on what is now the [[Hammersmith & City]] line.

{{Infobox UK legislation
| short_title           = Southern Railway Act 1925
| type                  = Act
| parliament            = Parliament of the United Kingdom
| long_title            = An Act to empower the Southern Railway Company to construct works and acquire lands to extend the time for the completion of certain works and for the compulsory purchase of certain lands to abandon certain authorised works to transfer to the said Company the undertaking of the East London Railway Company and for other purposes.
| year                  = 1925
| citation              = [[15 & 16 Geo. 5]]. c. l
| introduced_commons    = 
| introduced_lords      = 
| territorial_extent    = 
| royal_assent          = 31 July 1925
| commencement          = 
| expiry_date           = 
| repeal_date           = 
| amends                = 
| replaces              = 
| amendments            = 
| repealing_legislation = 
| related_legislation   = 
| status                = 
| legislation_history   = 
| theyworkforyou        = 
| millbankhansard       = 
| original_text         = https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/Geo5/15-16/50/pdfs/ukla_19250050_en.pdf
| revised_text          = 
| use_new_UK-LEG        = 
| UK-LEG_title          = 
| collapsed             = yes
}}
After the [[Railways Act 1921|1923 grouping]] the goods service was operated by [[London and North Eastern Railway]] (as successors to the GER), with the Metropolitan Railway continuing to provide passenger services.  Ownership was transferred to the [[Southern Railway (UK)|Southern Railway]] by the '''{{visible anchor|Southern Railway Act 1925}}''' ([[15 & 16 Geo. 5]]. c. l), but the railway continued to be leased to the joint committee, now comprising the Southern Railway (47.5%), the LNER (17.5%), the Metropolitan Railway (17.5%), and the District Railway (17.5%).<ref>R.K. Kirkland, [https://sremg.org.uk/RlyMag/EastLondonRailway.pdf The East London Railway], ''[[Railway Magazine]]'', May 1951</ref> 
{{Clear}}

===London Underground era===
{{Infobox rail line
| name           = East London line
| logo           = File:London flag boxes - Underground East London line.svg
| logo_width     = 250px
| logo_alt       = 
| image          = File:New Cross station - geograph.org.uk - 641821.jpg
| image_width    = 250
| image_alt      = A grey, red and blue A Stock Stock East London Line train waiting to depart New Cross Station for Whitechapel.
| caption        = A [[London Underground A60 Stock]] train at [[New Cross station]] in 2007
| type           = Sub-surface
| system         = [[London Underground]]
| mapcolour      = Dark orange
| mapcolourlink  = Tube map
| owner          = [[Transport for London]]
| stations       = 8 (9 until 2006)
| ridership2     = 10,702,000<ref name="linefacts"/> passenger journeys
| open           = 1869
| close          = 2007
| depot          = New Cross<br />Neasden
| stock          = [[London Underground A62 Stock|A Stock]]
| linelength_mi  = 4.6
| tracklength_mi = 
| map_name       = [[Transport for London]] rail&nbsp;lines
| map            = {{London rail lines}}
| map_state      = collapsed
}}
{{East London Line original RDT}}
[[File:Wapping tube station 1.jpg|thumb|[[Wapping railway station|Wapping station]] on the East London line, built into the original northern entrance shaft of the Thames Tunnel. The station was rebuilt in the early 1980s.]]
[[File:Shoreditch to Liverpool St.jpg|thumb|The link to Liverpool Street, 1991]]
[[File:Shoreditch stn closed.JPG|thumb|A dilapidated and [[graffiti]]ed [[Shoreditch tube station|Shoreditch Underground station]] in December 2007. It closed on 9 June 2006, after 93 years of Underground service.]]
[[File:LondonUnderground-AStock.jpg|thumb|A train of A stock stands at Surrey Quays]]

In 1933, the East London Railway came under the control of the [[London Passenger Transport Board]]. Although the infrastructure was still privately owned, passenger services were operated as the "East London Branch" of the [[Metropolitan line]]. The railways were nationalised in 1948, and became part of the [[British Transport Commission]] along with the Underground. Goods services continued to use the line until 1962, with occasional passenger trains from Liverpool Street until 1966. The short length of track connecting Shoreditch to Liverpool St was removed in 1966. The service to Shoreditch was reduced, with {{stl|London Underground|Whitechapel}} becoming the northern terminus for much of the time; by the time {{stl|London Underground|Shoreditch}} station closed in 2006, it was only open at peak times on weekdays and most of Sundays (for [[Brick Lane Market]]).

Services to and from stations further west were curtailed during the early part of the Underground era. The service to Hammersmith was reduced to peak hours only in 1936 and withdrawn in 1939,<ref name=Rose/><ref name=CULG/><ref name="LURS"/> leaving the East London branch as an isolated line. Until 1999, its only passenger interchange to the rest of the Underground was at Whitechapel, with interchanges to [[British Rail|main line]] trains at the two New Cross stations. In the 1980s and 1990s, the line gained two important new connections: {{Stnlnk|Shadwell}} became an interchange with the [[Docklands Light Railway]] in 1987, and a station was added at {{stl|London Underground|Canada Water}} in 1999 for interchange with the [[Jubilee line]]. The line was closed entirely between March 1995 and March 1998 for major maintenance and refurbishment works,<ref>[http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/s/shoreditch_el/ "Station Name: Shoreditch (East London Line)"]. disused-stations.org.uk. Retrieved 20 January 2023.</ref> during which time a rail-replacement bus service operated.

The identity of the East London line changed considerably during the London Underground era. On Tube maps between 1933 and 1968 it was depicted in the same colour as the Metropolitan line.<ref name="beck map">[http://www.lib.cam.ac.uk/deptserv/maps/exhibitionimages/Beck2.JPG] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140302142356/http://www.lib.cam.ac.uk/deptserv/maps/exhibitionimages/Beck2.JPG|date=2 March 2014}}, 1933 Beck map.</ref> In 1970, it was renamed the "Metropolitan line&nbsp;— East London Section", in Metropolitan line purple with a white stripe down the middle. In the 1980s it became a line in its own right (though it was still grouped operationally with the Metropolitan line) and from 1990 its colour on the map changed to orange.<ref name="ltm-1990">{{cite web |title=Poster: We've turned the East London line orange to aid you |url=https://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/collections/collections-online/posters/item/1990-76 |website=London Transport Museum |publisher=Transport for London |access-date=31 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220831182447/https://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/collections/collections-online/posters/item/1990-76 |archive-date=31 August 2022 |location=London |date=1990}}</ref> In 1995, London Underground threatened to close the line if it did not receive [[listed building]] consent from the [[London Docklands Development Corporation]] for the [[shotcreting]] of four arches of [[Thames Tunnel]].<ref>{{cite magazine |editor-first=James|editor-last=Abbott|title=East London Line threatened with closure|magazine=[[Modern Railways]]|date=November 1995|volume=52|number=566|page=663}}</ref> Maintenance passed to the [[Metronet (British infrastructure company)|Metronet]] consortium in 2003 under a [[public-private partnership]], although the operation of trains continued to be the responsibility of [[Transport for London|Transport for London (TfL)]]. According to TfL, the line carried 10.7&nbsp;million passengers per year before its temporary closure in 2007.<ref name="linefacts">[http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/corporate/modesoftransport/tube/linefacts/?line=eastlondon East London line facts], Transport for London. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930190020/http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/corporate/modesoftransport/tube/linefacts/?line=eastlondon |date=30 September 2007 }}</ref>

====Physical characteristics====
The line was the only Underground line not to penetrate [[Travelcard Zone 1]] and (apart from the [[Northern City Line|Moorgate to Finsbury Park]] service, transferred to [[British Rail]] in 1976) the only line designed and constructed for mainline trains.<ref name=":0">{{cite book |last=Bextor |first=Robin |year=2013 |title=Little Book of the London Underground |location=Woking |publisher=Demand Media Limited |isbn=9781909217379 }}</ref> At {{convert|5.6|mi|km}} in length it was the second-shortest line (after the [[Waterloo & City line]]), with nine stations and an end-to-end journey time of 14 minutes. It ran in tunnel from Whitechapel to Surrey Quays, with the remainder on the surface or in cutting. Whilst much of the line was built as [[cut-and-cover]], it also contained overground and tube construction features.<ref name=":0" /> The deepest point is at Wapping station, constructed in the Thames Tunnel's original entrance shaft {{convert|60|ft|m}} below the surface.<ref name="linefacts" />

It connected with [[South Eastern Main Line]] services at New Cross and [[Brighton Main Line]] services at New Cross Gate. Underground connections were at Canada Water ([[Jubilee line]]) and Whitechapel ([[District line|District]] and [[Hammersmith & City line|Hammersmith & City]] Lines). A non-contiguous connection with the [[Docklands Light Railway]] was at {{Stnlnk|Shadwell}}, with the DLR station some {{convert|160|ft|m}} away on a viaduct. Although the interchange was via the street, through ticketing was permitted.

A link with the Metropolitan and District lines was made just south of Whitechapel via [[St Mary's Curve]]. This has been out of passenger use since 1939<ref name=Rose/><ref name=CULG/><ref name="LURS"/> but was still used to transfer rolling stock to and from the Metropolitan line's main depot at [[Neasden tube station|Neasden]]. The curve can easily be seen on the northbound and eastbound approaches to Whitechapel station, although a temporary wall was built across the line in January 2008, close to the junction with the District line.{{Citation needed|date=February 2008}}.

Most of the line was double track, with Shoreditch station and the final sections into the southern termini single track, the latter because of lack of space. This required trains to alternate between the two southern termini.

====Rolling stock====
The line used [[Metropolitan line]] [[London Underground A60 Stock|A60 and A62 sub-surface rolling stock]] built by Cravens of Sheffield in two batches between 1960 and 1962. It was upgraded between 1995 and 1998 with improved suspension, lighting, heating and ventilation. The rolling stock was regularly interchanged with that used on the main Metropolitan line and usually carried both East London and Metropolitan line maps, but ELL trains were four-car units with a driving cab at each end, unlike Metropolitan line trains, which, aside from the [[Chesham shuttle]], ran as eight-car trains. Metropolitan line trains were mostly two single-ended units coupled together with fully operational driving cabs at each end: the Met could use any ELL trains, but the ELL could use only double-ended units.

Seven four-car trains operated the line (six off-peak, seven during peak hours when Shoreditch was open). Off peak, train seven became the spare. The line operated some of the shortest trains on the network, necessitated by short platforms. The small number of trains made the line particularly sensitive to disruption caused by vandalism, train faults or staff shortages. Sometimes in the early 2000s only two trains were running. Trains were operated by just a driver: the decision to withdraw the guards prompted an unsuccessful strike by the [[National Union of Railwaymen]] in May 1985.<ref>{{cite news |title=Illegal subway strike called off in London |newspaper=Globe & Mail |date=21 May 1985 |location=Toronto}}</ref>

Light maintenance and stabling took place at a small depot near New Cross, with heavier work at the main Metropolitan line depot at Neasden. Between 1985 and 1987, D78 stock operated the line before being replaced by A60 and A62 stock.  During the 1970s the line was operated by [[1938 tube stock|1938 Tube stock]].

====Stations====
The stations in operation during most of the London Underground era, in order from north to south, were as follows:
{|class="wikitable"
|-
! Station !! Opened !! First Underground service !! Notes
|-
|-
| [[Shoreditch tube station|Shoreditch]] (replaced by {{Stnlink|Shoreditch High Street}}) || 10 April 1876 || 31 March 1913 || Closed on 9 June 2006, prior to whole line's temporary closure for conversion to Overground.
|-
| [[Whitechapel station|Whitechapel]] || 10 April 1876 || 31 March 1913 || Interchange with [[District line|District]] and [[Hammersmith & City line|Hammersmith & City]] Lines.
|-
| {{Stnlnk|Shadwell}} || 10 April 1876 || 1 October 1884 || Interchange with [[Docklands Light Railway]].
|-
| {{Stnlnk|Wapping}} || 7 December 1869 || 1 October 1884 || Thames Tunnel link to Rotherhithe
|-
| {{Stnlnk|Rotherhithe}} || 7 December 1869 || 1 October 1884 || Thames Tunnel link to Wapping
|-
|nowrap| {{stl|London Underground|Canada Water}} {{Access icon}} ||nowrap| 19 August 1999 ||nowrap| 19 August 1999 || Interchange with [[Jubilee line]] opened 17 September 1999.
|-
| {{Stnlnk|Surrey Quays}} || 7 December 1869|| 1 October 1884 || Station was opened as Deptford Road, renamed Surrey Docks in 1911, and again renamed in 1989.
|-align=center
|colspan=4| ''line splits''
|-
| {{Stnlnk|New Cross Gate}} || 7 December 1869 || 1 October 1884 || Interchange with [[Southern (train operating company)|Southern]] mainline services. Mainline station was opened as New Cross in 1839, and renamed in 1923.
|-
| {{Stnlnk|New Cross}} {{Access icon}} || 1 April 1880 || 1 October 1884 || Interchange with [[Southeastern (train operating company)|Southeastern]] mainline services. Mainline station was opened in 1850.
|}
<!--
 ''Note: Were both stations called New Cross on 1 October 1884?'' Yes they were. New Cross Gate was renamed in 1923 after "Grouping".
-->

===Conversion to Overground ===
[[File:Canada Water station MMB 06 378XXX.jpg|thumb|right|A {{brc|378}} train at {{rws|Canada Water}}.]]
Engineering work on the [[East London line extension]] started in 2005 and the underground service ended in December 2007.

In 2007 '''London Buses route ELW''' Whitechapel – Shadwell – Wapping was introduced, operating every 10 minutes, every 15 minutes at evenings and weekends.<ref name=BBC>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2007/12/13/ell_closure_feature.shtml "All change on the East London line"], BBC London. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090531211910/http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2007/12/13/ell_closure_feature.shtml |date=31 May 2009 }}</ref> It was operated with route-branded single-deck buses.{{citation needed|date=December 2015}} Starting on 23 December 2007 it was extended from Whitechapel to Shoreditch (Monday-Friday 07:00-10:30 & 15:30–20:30, Sunday 07:00-15:30) from 19 July 2008.{{citation needed|date=December 2015}} The frequency of the route was cut to four buses per hour in September 2009.<ref>{{cite press release|url=http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/media/newscentre/metro/13183.aspx |title=Changes to East London line replacement buses |publisher=Transport for London |date=21 September 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120924062611/http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/media/newscentre/metro/13183.aspx |archive-date=2012-09-24 }}</ref> It was reduced to weekends-only from 28 April 2010, and withdrawn on 9 May 2010.

Between 2006 and May 2008 other rail replacement buses were provided. '''Route ELS''' Whitechapel – Shoreditch (Monday-Friday 07:00-10:30 & 15:30–20:30, Sunday 07:00-15:30) commenced 10 June 2006 and was withdrawn on 19 July 2008. It was replaced by a peak-hour extension of route ELW.{{citation needed|date=December 2015}}

'''London Buses route ELC''' New Cross Gate – New Cross – Surrey Quays – Canada Water (Monday-Friday every 5–10 minutes, weekends every 15 minutes)<ref name=BBC /> started on 23 December 2007. It was withdrawn on 25 September 2009 following a 40% drop in passenger numbers. Transport for London estimated that this saved around £1&nbsp;million over the period to June 2010.<ref>[http://static.london.gov.uk/mqt/public/question.do?id=27898 The London Assembly: Bus cuts] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110827233133/http://static.london.gov.uk/mqt/public/question.do?id=27898 |date=27 August 2011 }}</ref>

'''London Buses route ELP''' Canada Water – Rotherhithe (every 15 minutes) began on 23 December 2007 and was withdrawn on 24 February 2008 due to lack of use: tickets were valid between Bermondsey and Canada Water on standard [[London Buses route 381|route 381]].<ref name=BBC />

Unlike the previous East London line closure, no replacement bus service was provided across the River Thames through the [[Rotherhithe Tunnel]]. London Transport was concerned that demand would be so high and buses would be so small that the frequency could have to be one bus every 30 seconds. There was also an issue that the Rotherhithe Tunnel is restricted to vehicles with a width no more than {{convert|7|ft|m}}, which had been employed on previous occasions. However, by 2007 no such vehicles were commercially available that were low-floor compliant: the only ones with this width, as previously used, were minibuses with higher floors. As bus policy by this time was 100% low floor, it meant that no such service could be provided.

A limited train service was introduced on 27 April 2010 and full service began on 23 May 2010.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8699262.stm| title=Full service begins on newly extended East London Line | work=BBC News Online| location=London | date= 23 May 2010| access-date=23 May 2010}}</ref>

===History of the extended route===
Mostly on viaduct, the route from Highbury and Islington to Shoreditch was opened in 1865. It was constructed by the [[North London Railway]] as its [[North London Line City Branch|city branch]] to allow its passenger trains to reach the [[City of London]].  As originally built the line had four stations, at [[Dalston Junction railway station|Dalston Junction]], [[Haggerston railway station|Haggerston]], [[Shoreditch railway station|Shoreditch]] and a large terminus at [[Broad Street railway station (London)|Broad Street]]. At Dalston Junction, a line branched to the North London line eastwards, allowing services to Hackney, Bow and Poplar (East India Road). This route closed to passengers in 1944 and goods on 4 July 1966.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Mitchell |first1=Vic |last2=Smith |first2=Graham |title=North London Line |date=1997 |publisher=Middleton Press |location=Midhurst UK |isbn=1-873793-944 |at=figs. 18-20}}</ref>

At its peak, Broad Street was the third-busiest station in London (after [[Liverpool Street station|Liverpool Street]] and [[London Victoria station|Victoria]]). At the start of the 20th century, more than one train per minute arrived or departed Broad Street during rush hour, with over 27 million passengers in 1902. Intermediate station traffic stagnated due to bus and tram competition, and Haggerston and Shoreditch stations were closed in 1940 following bomb damage in [[World War II]]. The line remained busy up to the 1950s, receiving traffic from the [[East Coast Main Line]], [[West Coast Main Line]] and other routes. However, it declined following the war and was closed on 30 June 1986. While Broad Street station's site was immediately sold for office use, becoming the [[Broadgate]] development, the route north was mothballed. The present Haggerston and Dalston Junction stations have been built next to and on the original sites, but Shoreditch High Street station is on a new alignment connecting the two routes.
{{Clear}}

==Extension==
{{Main|East London line extension}}

===Phase 1===
[[File:EastLondonLineRouteMap.png|thumb|East London line Extension plans as envisaged in 2006. Dalston Junction and Clapham Junction are shown as future interchanges with the proposed [[Crossrail 2]] ([[Chelsea, London|Chelsea]]-[[Hackney Central|Hackney]]) line.]]

The former line was extended northwards from [[Whitechapel station|Whitechapel]], with new stations at {{Stnlnk|Shoreditch High Street}}, {{Stnlnk|Hoxton}}, {{Stnlnk|Haggerston}} and {{Stnlnk|Dalston Junction}} using {{convert|2.2|mi|km}} of new trackbed between Whitechapel and the Broad Street viaduct, and disused trackbed for most of rest of the distance. A further extension to {{stl|London Underground|Highbury & Islington}} was opened in February 2011.

It was extended south to connect to the {{stl|London Underground|London Bridge}} arm of the [[Brighton Main Line]], linked via a northbound flyover north of New Cross Gate. Other than the new flyover and some associated works around New Cross Gate, it uses almost entirely existing track, running south to [[West Croydon station|West Croydon]] via {{Stnlnk|Brockley}}, {{Stnlnk|Honor Oak Park}}, {{Stnlnk|Forest Hill}}, [[Sydenham railway station (London)|Sydenham]], {{Stnlnk|Penge West}}, {{Stnlnk|Crystal Palace}} (by way of a branch), {{Stnlnk|Anerley}} and {{Stnlnk|Norwood Junction}}.

The official opening of most of phase 1 of the [[East London line extension]] took place on 23 May 2010.<ref>{{cite news
 |last         = Crerar
 |first        = Pippa
 |title        = East London line's opening puts Hackney on rail map
 |url          = http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23828313-new-pound-1-billion-east-london-rail-route-opens.do
 |newspaper    = London Evening Standard
 |date         = 27 April 2010
 |access-date  = 26 August 2010
 |url-status   = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20100706200921/http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23828313-new-pound-1-billion-east-london-rail-route-opens.do
 |archive-date = 6 July 2010
}}</ref> Use of the line was forecast to increase from the previous 10.4&nbsp;million passengers per year to 35.4&nbsp;million, and to 50&nbsp;million when phase 2 is finished.<ref>{{cite press release |title=London takes over responsibility for building East London line extension |url=http://www.london.gov.uk/view_press_release.jsp?releaseid=4547 |date=16 November 2004 |publisher=Greater London Authority |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061104035034/http://www.london.gov.uk/view_press_release.jsp?releaseid=4547 |archive-date=4 November 2006 }}</ref> Transport for London acquired 20 new four-car {{brc|378}} [[Bombardier Transportation|Bombardier]] ''Capitalstar'' [[electric multiple units]] to operate on the line. Unlike the dual-voltage 378s on the [[North London line|North London]] and [[West London line|West London]] lines, the East London line units can only receive power from the [[third rail electrification]], although, like all modern EMUs, they have the potential to be retro-fitted.

The track and the northern extension remain under TfL ownership, and the stations from Dalston Junction to Surrey Quays are part of the London Overground network.<ref>[http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/corporate/overground-signs-standard-issue03_1.pdf London Overground signs standard] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130203045028/http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/corporate/overground-signs-standard-issue03_1.pdf |date=3 February 2013 }}.</ref> The extension runs northwards from Whitechapel to {{Stnlnk|Dalston Junction}}, and south to {{Stnlnk|Crystal Palace}} and [[West Croydon station|West Croydon]].

===Highbury & Islington extension===
{{East London Line (Phase 2) RDT}}
The line was extended northwards to {{stl|London Underground|Highbury & Islington}} on 28 February 2011,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/projectsandschemes/15397.aspx |title=Highbury & Islington extension in May 2011 |publisher=Transport for London |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120123194838/http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/projectsandschemes/15397.aspx |archive-date=2012-01-23 }}</ref> two months earlier than previously announced, with eight trains per hour during most of the day. The first train, with headcode 9A20, was the 09:55 Highbury & Islington – Crystal Palace, which departed on time from platform 2 and was formed of a four-car class 378 unit.{{citation needed|date=January 2012}}

===East London line extension phase 2===
A further {{convert|6.7|mi|km}} link opened in 2012 from south of {{Stnlnk|Surrey Quays}} via the Network Rail [[South London line]] to {{Stnlnk|Clapham Junction}} via {{Stnlnk|Queens Road Peckham}}, {{Stnlnk|Peckham Rye}}, {{Stnlnk|Denmark Hill}}, {{Stnlnk|Clapham High Street}} and {{Stnlnk|Wandsworth Road}}.  A new station at {{Stnlnk|Surrey Canal Road}} was also planned, but this was put on hold in 2009,<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.nce.co.uk/news/2009/02/east_london_line_extension_to_clapham_to_be_built_by_london_2012.html |title=East London Line extension to Clapham to be built by London 2012 |magazine=[[New Civil Engineer]] |date=12 February 2009 |access-date=16 February 2009 |first=John |last=McKenna |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090223182234/http://www.nce.co.uk/news/2009/02/east_london_line_extension_to_clapham_to_be_built_by_london_2012.html |archive-date=23 February 2009 }}</ref> though a suitable 'box' is being provided as part of the works to facilitate later implementation.  The service from Highbury & Islington to Clapham Junction commenced on 9 December 2012.<ref name="outerorbital">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-20557061|title=Outer London rail orbital opens for passengers|work=BBC|date=10 December 2012|access-date=15 December 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121212020645/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-20557061|archive-date=12 December 2012|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> There are three services per day that run from Wandsworth Road to Battersea Park to maintain a service along that route as a [[parliamentary train]].

The extension uses an alignment between Surrey Quays and [[Queens Road Peckham station]]s that had not seen services since 1913. The "new" section diverges from the East London line south of Surrey Quays station and joins the South London line just north of the closed [[Old Kent Road railway station|Old Kent Road station]]. The route skirts the Bridgehouse Meadows public open space; this was used as the construction site, then restored to public use after completion. The former pedestrian bridge and support piers over Surrey Canal Road were demolished as a precursor to building the railway bridge. The planned lowering of Surrey Canal Road and associated work to the services were not carried out as a higher elevation was adopted, with a 1 in 30 (3.3 per cent) incline allowing the railway to cross at a suitable height.{{citation needed|date=September 2013}}

=== Train lengthening ===
To cope with increased demand, the class 378 units which operate on the line have been extended to five cars. Although the new stations on the line have platforms which are either at least five cars long or provide space for platform extensions, some stations cannot be extended and so [[selective door opening]] is required.

==Service==
The combined East London and South London line service is described by Transport for London as the Highbury & Islington to New Cross, Clapham Junction, Crystal Palace and West Croydon route.<ref name="Dec 23 times">{{cite web |title=Highbury & Islington to New Cross, Clapham Junction, Crystal Palace and West Croydon route |url=https://content.tfl.gov.uk/highbury-and-islington-to-west-croydon-london-overground-timetable-dec-to-june-2024.pdf |website=Transport for London |access-date=16 February 2024}}</ref> As of the December 2023 timetable the typical off-peak service pattern is:<ref name="Dec 23 times"/>

{| class="wikitable"
! Route !! tph !! Calling at
|-
| {{stnlnk|Dalston Junction}} to {{stnlnk|New Cross}} || 4 || {{cslist|{{stnlnk|Haggerston}}|{{stnlnk|Hoxton}}|{{stnlnk|Shoreditch High Street}}|{{station|Whitechapel}}|{{stnlink|Shadwell}}|{{stnlnk|Wapping}}|{{stnlnk|Rotherhithe}}|{{station|Canada Water}}|{{stnlnk|Surrey Quays}}}}
|-
| Dalston Junction to {{stnlnk|Clapham Junction}} || 4 || {{cslist|Haggerston|Hoxton|Shoreditch High Street|Whitechapel|Shadwell|Wapping|Rotherhithe|Canada Water|Surrey Quays|{{stnlnk|Queens Road Peckham}}|{{stnlnk|Peckham Rye}}|{{stnlnk|Denmark Hill}}|{{stnlnk|Clapham High Street}}|{{stnlnk|Wandsworth Road}}}}
|-
| {{station|Highbury & Islington}} to {{rws|Crystal Palace}} || 4 || {{cslist|{{rws|Canonbury}}|Dalston Junction|Haggerston|Hoxton|Shoreditch High Street|Whitechapel|Shadwell|Wapping|Rotherhithe|Canada Water|Surrey Quays|{{rws|New Cross Gate}}|{{rws|Brockley}}|{{rws|Honor Oak Park}}|{{rws|Forest Hill}}|{{rws|Sydenham|London}}}}
|-
| Highbury & Islington to {{station|West Croydon}} || 4 || {{cslist|Canonbury|Dalston Junction|Haggerston|Hoxton|Shoreditch High Street, Whitechapel|Shadwell|Wapping|Rotherhithe|Canada Water|Surrey Quays|New Cross Gate|Brockley|Honor Oak Park|Forest Hill|Sydenham|{{rws|Penge West}}|{{rws|Anerley}}|{{rws|Norwood Junction}}}}
|}

A Friday and Saturday [[Night Tube|night service]] was introduced between Dalston Junction and New Cross Gate (initially not stopping at Whitechapel) from December 2017.

===Renaming===
In July 2023, TfL announced that it would be giving each of the six Overground services unique names by the end of the following year.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Naming London Overground lines |url=https://www.tfl.gov.uk/travel-information/improvements-and-projects/naming-overground |access-date=2024-02-11 |website=Transport for London }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-07-01 |title=London Overground lines to be given names |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-66067924 |access-date=2024-02-11 |work=[[BBC News]] }}</ref> In February 2024, it was confirmed that the service running on the East London and [[South London line|South London]] lines would be named the ''Windrush line'' (to honour the [[Windrush generation]] of immigrants to the area from the Caribbean) and would be coloured red on the updated network map.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-68296483 London Overground: New names for its six lines revealed], BBC News, 15 February 2024</ref>
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{refbegin}}
Various sources have been used in the creation of this article, including the external links below, [[:File: EastLondonLineRouteMap.png|email conversations with the ELL Project Team]] and [[Talk:East London line|emails from the ELL Project Team update newsletter]].
{{refend}}

==Further reading==
* Wayne Asher. 2015. A Very Political Railway – the rescue of the North London Line. {{ISBN|978-1-85414-378-5}}
* John Glover. 2013. London's Overground. {{ISBN|978-0-7110-3524-9}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090130151053/http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/projectsandschemes/2105.aspx East London line Project] (official home page)
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20100419232357/http://www.eastlondonrail.co.uk/page/130/Video Video Flyover of Phase 1]
*[http://skippy.org.uk/east-london-line/ Photos of the East London Line and Thames Tunnel] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160414075800/https://skippy.org.uk/east-london-line/ |date=14 April 2016 }} while still London Underground

{{ThamesCrossings | west=[[Tower Bridge]] | east=[[Rotherhithe Tunnel]] }}
{{London Overground navbox|ELL=y}}
{{Railway lines in London}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Closed London Underground lines]]
[[Category:Railway lines in London]]
[[Category:London Overground]]
[[Category:Croydon 2020]]
[[Category:Transport in the London Borough of Croydon]]
[[Category:Transport in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets]]
[[Category:Transport in the London Borough of Southwark]]
[[Category:Transport in the London Borough of Lewisham]]
[[Category:Transport in the London Borough of Lambeth]]
[[Category:Transport in the London Borough of Wandsworth]]
[[Category:Transport in the London Borough of Hackney]]
[[Category:Transport in the London Borough of Bromley]]
[[Category:Transport in the London Borough of Islington]]
[[Category:Proposed rail infrastructure in London]]
[[Category:750 V DC railway electrification]]
[[Category:Railway lines opened in 1869]]
[[Category:Standard gauge railways in London]]
[[Category:1869 establishments in England]]
[[Category:British joint railway companies]]