Станция лондонского метрополитена Лаутон: История и современность

London Underground station

Loughton ('/l//aʊ//t//ən/) is a London Underground station in the Epping Forest district of Essex. It is entirely above ground, and platforms are accessed by staircases which rise from ground level. It is served by the Central line and lies between Buckhurst Hill and Debden, in Travelcard Zone 6. It is the larger of the two Underground stations in the town of Loughton, with Debden station being the smaller. It acts as a terminus for services from Ealing Broadway at peak hour.

The original station was opened by the Eastern Counties Railway on 22 August 1856 and formed the terminus of the branch from London. The actual location of the station building was on the site of what is now the garden and emergency exit of what later became Cafe Rouge, near the Lopping Hall in Loughton High Road, and of no9 Station Road, on a continuation of what eventually became the goods sidings, the line running across what are now the house sites and gardens on the west side of Station Road. The post 1865 goods and carriage sidings no longer exist and were located where the present car parks are. The pre 1865 station also had sidings and a coal wharf, extending almost to what is now St Mary's Church. This station is extensively documented in H W Paar and others, Loughton's First Station 2002 and in Pond, Strugnell and Martin The Loughton Railway 150 years on, 2006. There was also an excursion station or platform constructed along the westernmost edge of the goods yard site: this was used for the many thousands of excursionists who used Loughton as a base to visit nearby Epping Forest. The excursion station building, single storey and brick built, was extant in 1935, but was demolished in the ensuing decade; it was replaced by a parcels and goods station, itself removed in the 1990s. It was re sited some 500 yards to the south on 24 April 1865 as part of the extension of the line to Epping and Ongar. A new station was opened on 28 April 1940 in readiness for London Underground trains, which took over the service from British Railways (Eastern Region) on 21 November 1948.

The current station is of notable architectural importance and is a Grade II listed building. The station has four platform faces and three tracks, with the middle bi directional track usually used for services that terminate at the station. Those eastbound services that terminate at Loughton mostly return to central London, although some go into Loughton sidings (usually after the evening peak and late at night) which can accommodate 10 trains. A traincrew depot ("the Powerhouse") was converted from the matching electrical substation to the north east of the station in 2006.

London Buses routes 20, 167, 397, 549 and school route 677 serve the station.