There is a chance to sate your railway geek this weekend as London Overground trains run along a slightly unusual route, and past a long since closed station.
Not really mentioned on the TfL website’s weekend closures page, and only spotted as an odd looking dotted line on a poster at railway station caught my attention, but it seems that you will be able to travel from Stratford towards Camden Town, then rather than carrying on northwards to Kentish Town, you hop south to the tracks running from Euston heading up to Kilburn instead.
This is thanks to the line north of Camden Road being closed for engineering works, and it is presumably easier for TfL to continue the trains along another bit of the network than to turn them around. And fortunately for them, there is a short length of track used by freight trains linking the two Overground lines.
So, for those who glee at traveling along unusual bits of railway track — this Sunday you can hop from one line to the other in a way that would not be possible normally.
Not every train seems to make the additional connection, so check on the TfL website journey planner for a specific timetabled train.
It also means you can go past the since demolished remains of Primrose Hill Station that closed in 1992, and is situated right next to the Roundhouse.
In fact, you might be thinking that this little stretch of track would be quite useful if brought back into use more regularly, and indeed, that is being talked about. That would also see the station restored, which will probably be appreciated by the music fans.
But this Sunday, a few minutes of running passenger trains along normally freight only lines will be appreciated by railway fans.
Did this a few weeks back. Handy for Queens Park farmers market.
Used to use it to commute into Liverpool Street.
Hi Ian,
My boyfriend and I had the pleasure of travelling on this same diversion a few months ago… it made my day!
Hey, thanks for the tip-off! I grabbed a photograph of this a while back out of the blue – I was quite surprised to see an overground train there () and always wanted to actually ride that route! There must be some great views of the market from there. Maybe i will have a poke around with my camera.
*sigh* – i knew i was going to mess up that HTML . . . 🙂
As others have commented I too did this same journey a few months back quite by accident. Was getting on the Overground at Queens Park and noticed this route was announced.
Thinking it was a mistake I decided to get on a see what happened. Sure enough went right past the old Primrose Hill station (which would have been handy if it still existed), over Camden market and then on to Camden Road.
I think the same bit of track gets another semi-regular passenger service – the Caledonian Sleeper. Because of overnight engineering work on the West Coast Main Line over the next month or two, the services head from Euston to Wembley, then reverse and go via Primrose Hill, Camden Road and onto the East Coast Main Line just before Finsbury Park. This happens on Sunday nights, with the southbound services doing the reverse on Monday mornings.