Uploaded December 2020 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Watching trains and riding them on the little used 'rare tracks' at London Underground Central line Woodford station
Includes previously unseen footage of a 1960 tube stock train at Woodford station!
One of the electricity power supply rectifiers which provides traction current at Newbury Park substation had failed and therefore to avoid overloading the other rectifier the number of trains passing through the section of track the substation serves had to be reduced - and this was done by diverting the trains to destinations on the Epping branch and Hainault loop. Some of these destinations are rarely served - this includes Woodford station's bay platform.
The rare tracks which were in passenger service were the bay platform at Woodford and a siding track known as 'No.21 road' between the station platform and the main line. Many years ago there was a direct link between the bay platform and the main line through the station, but for reasons unknown this no longer exists - hence the need to travel along the siding track.
Normally the siding is used by Hainault loop trains which end their journeys here and then go to the siding until it is time for their next journey. These trains were displaced and had to reverse direction of travel at Platform 2, which also meant that eastbound passengers arriving on trains heading to Loughton / Epping had to cross the footbridge over the tracks to catch the train to Hainault
Watching trains and riding them on the little used 'rare tracks' at London Underground Central line Woodford station
Includes previously unseen footage of a 1960 tube stock train at Woodford station!
One of the electricity power supply rectifiers which provides traction current at Newbury Park substation had failed and therefore to avoid overloading the other rectifier the number of trains passing through the section of track the substation serves had to be reduced - and this was done by diverting the trains to destinations on the Epping branch and Hainault loop. Some of these destinations are rarely served - this includes Woodford station's bay platform.
The rare tracks which were in passenger service were the bay platform at Woodford and a siding track known as 'No.21 road' between the station platform and the main line. Many years ago there was a direct link between the bay platform and the main line through the station, but for reasons unknown this no longer exists - hence the need to travel along the siding track.
Normally the siding is used by Hainault loop trains which end their journeys here and then go to the siding until it is time for their next journey. These trains were displaced and had to reverse direction of travel at Platform 2, which also meant that eastbound passengers arriving on trains heading to Loughton / Epping had to cross the footbridge over the tracks to catch the train to Hainault
