North Woolwich Old Station
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Visit websiteNorth Woolwich railway station was the former eastern terminus of the North London Line. The station opened on 14 June 1847 as the southern terminus of the Eastern Counties and Thames Junction Railway from Stratford. The original terminus was of wooden construction and the present grander affair was opened in 1856 at the time when the Royal Pavilion Gardens were laid out. This may account for its refined and rather grand appearance.
It is two storey, in brick with stone dressings, round-headed windows on the ground floor and false balconies and matching parapet on the first. The centre is recessed on the first floor with a terrace behind the parapet.
The line to Stratford was later extended to Palace Gates, but the service was trimmed back to Stratford in 1963, when steam traction also changed over to diesel. The route was extended onto the North London Line in 1979, and in 1984 changed over from diesel to 3rd rail electric trains, which then ran an extended route from North Woolwich round inner north London to Richmond.
The route to North Woolwich was double track but in the 1980s was reduced to a single track in the tunnel under the Royal Docks and on to the terminus. As part of these changes, in 1987 the main North Woolwich station platforms and building were closed and a new minimalist terminal platform and shelter were built on the south side.
The station closed on 9 December 2006 to allow the section of the North London Line between Stratford and Canning Town to be converted to become part of the Docklands Light Railway (DLR). The line between Canning Town and North Woolwich has closed completely. The original station buildings and one of the two platforms are now occupied by the North Woolwich Old Station Museum, a museum dedicated to the history
By Road: Off Albert road, the A1011.
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