Chingford Line Users' Association
Hall Farm Curve
The Waltham Forest area requires better connectivity, to help create new jobs and homes and to enable the area’s economic structure to strengthen and grow, with catchments accessible by public transport. This requires smart thinking, better use of existing infrastructure and a few new elements.
After the undoubted success of the Olympics and Paralympics in London 2012, the community wants to see a proper public transport legacy for the Olympic boroughs, north east London, and the Waltham Forest area. At present, the area has slow north-south connections with Stratford and Docklands.
In October 2016 a Waltham Forest Council-commissioned report examined the operational feasibility of a 2 trains per hour Stratford-Walthamstow-Chingford passenger train service. It can be viewed here.
In June 2015 Network Rail published a pre-GRIP Feasibilty Study examining options for improving Lower Lea Valley line capacity between Stratford and Orient Way, which can be viewed here.
In June 2012 there was considerable progress in firming up the case for reinstating the rail link to Stratford. View a presentation of the Jonathan Roberts Consulting report commissioned by Railfuture and CLUA, and paid for by Railfuture's Fighting Fund.
Jonathan’s full 25-page JRC report can be viewed here. Lea Bridge station reopened in May 2016 - 31 years after closure in July 1985.
Since the June 2012 JRC Report, significant new factors, not available when the report was prepared, came with the publication of the UK 2011 census figures in July 2012. The growth in population for both Waltham Forest (16.3% 10 year growth) and Newham (23.5% growth) were much higher than had been previously assumed, and are some of the highest in the country.
These figures from the Guardian website for 16 July 2012 can be seen at Census data. We believe that this helps to strengthen the case still further for reopening the Hall Farm Curve to link Chingford and Walthamstow to Stratford.
A pdf version of Waltham Forest Council’s consultant’s presentation confirming the feasibility of reopening Lea Bridge Station, with perspective sketches of the station layout, can be viewed here.
Jonathan Roberts' presentation at Waltham Forest Town Hall to Lea Bridge businesses and developers can be viewed here.
You can view the London Borough of Waltham Forest’s presentation to its Transport Liaison Consultative Group on 27 January 2010, which gave the benefit/cost ratio (BCR) of 3.02 for the scheme with double track rail for Hall Farm Curve and Lea Bridge Station reopened. See page nine of the presentation, which you can view here
An earlier report to TLCG on 20 May 2009 set out in detail the steps needed to achieve the reinstatement of the Hall Farm Curve for Chingford-Walthamstow-Stratford rail services and reopening Lea Bridge Station. You can view the report here.
We wish here and in the linked pages to set out some details of the campaign and seek your support. There is an outline of the rail connections in north east London shown in our reopening Hall Farm Curve and Lea Bridge Station diagram above.
We have support from many organisations and decision makers including London Borough of Waltham Forest, neighbouring London Boroughs including Hackney and Newham, the former London Group of the Campaign for Better Transport now Future Transport London, north east London MPs including Stella Creasy and Meg Hillier, as well as Jennette Arnold, the London Assembly Member for London North East, and the Highams Park Forum.