East London Line – Past & Present

The East London Line was part of London Underground until December 2007.
It uses the Thames Tunnel designed by Sir Marc Isambard Brunel, and completed
in 1843, to pass under the river. The line was electrified in 1913 and was initially
worked with Metropolitan Railway saloon stock. It passed to London Transport
in 1933 and saw a wide variety of rolling stock during its time as part of the
Underground, including F stock, Q stock, CO/CP stock, 1938 tube stock, A stock
in various liveries and D stock. All appear in this production as well as a tour of
the line using the London Transport Museum’s preserved 1938 tube stock just
before closure in 2007, and some last day views.

In the second part we see the line re-opened as part of the London Overground
network. There are scenes taken on the opening day when a limited service ran
from Dalston Junction to New Cross and New Cross Gate. The line was extended
northwards via Shoreditch High Street along the embankment used by former
line into Broad Street. From May 2010 the line was further extended southwards,
from New Cross Gate to West Croydon and Crystal Palace, over Network Rail’s
tracks, and operation on these lines are covered in detail. To work the line as
part of the Overground, a fleet of new 4-car class 378 EMU’s has been built and a
new depot constructed at New Cross Gate. The stations have been transferred to
London Overground control and given new signage. Where the ELL shares tracks,
we see trains operated by Thameslink, Sourthern and South Eastern.

Duration: 93 minutes