Tube trains return to a disused tube line
Later this month will be a chance to see tube trains make a special return to a part of the Central Line that stopped passenger services 20 years ago.
To commemorate 20 years since the ending of Underground services between Epping and Ongar, the Epping Ongar Railway will be holding an “End of Tube Event” on 26, 27 & 28 September.
To recreate the atmosphere of the former London Underground line, they will be operating, in passenger service, the 3-car Cravens set dating from 1960 that regularly ran on the branch, and operated the last train on 30 September 1994.
This is also the first time the Cravens unit has been used for 10 years.
As the line is no longer electrified, the trains will be hauled by two Schoma Diesel locomotives, owned and operated by London Underground. This is the first time that these locos have been used to haul a passenger train, and is likely to be the only opportunity to ride behind them, particularly as it is planned to convert some of them to battery power soon.
Tickets to the whole day cost £15 and can be booked here (select “end of tube” in the drop down option)
Incidentally, as the railway link between Epping and the EOR railway has been severed, that means three tube trains and two locomotives will be traveling by road to get to the heritage line. Worth a sight in its own right.
It’s my understanding that the link will be temporally reinstated. The Cravens Set & the two Schoma Diesel Locos will arrive via the Central line during engineering hours as they won’t be computable with the Central line signalling.
You are quite correct Paul. In fact the line is still connected just in need of a bit of tarting up to make it traversible. The article also doesn’t mention that Metropolitan No. 1, the steam loco that has done the recent steam trips on the Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines will also be in attendance and offering rides.
It seems like madness that this connection is not reinstated. With pressure on housing and commuting in the south east it would appear to be a relatively inexpensive option in serving the commuting population to access London more easily.
Apparently the Cravens Unit should have moved from Northfields Depot to Ruislip Depot by now. Don’t know when the movement to EOR will be.
I took a ride in its latter Underground days. Only tube ride I’ve had where tree branches were rapping the roof of the train!
Likewise. When I lived in London I often made a point of going to the far flung reaches of the Underground network just because they were there. I only did the original East London Line once though… didn’t think much of New Cross! :p
Then again, I also liked riding (and still do) the DLR, just for the fun of it.
My parents could never afford a decent railway set for me as a kid. I guess that explains it!
It sounds lovely and I always intended to do the ‘heritage’ Epping to Ongar run, so this would be an opportunity to do the ride on a ‘regular’ tube train.