Passengers and staff were celebrating today (27 April 2010) as the East London Line opened as part of the Overground.

Passengers were able to board trains travelling between New Cross and Dalston Junction while test trains – with no passengers – were also running as far as Crystal Palace and West Croydon.

The “preview” service will run from 07.00 to 20.00 from Mondays to Fridays. A fuller service including evening and weekend trains will run from 23 May.

London Mayor Boris Johnson, who can claim virtually no credit for the project, attended an opening ceremony at Hackney’s Dalston Junction station.

While the Conservative Mayor of London was inside, Hackney’s Labour Mayor Jules Pipe, who has been a long-time supporter of the project, was left locked outside as the first train set off.

Hackney protected the line from housing development and ensured that it could reopen as a railway.

“Sadly, Boris didn’t invite anyone from the local authority,” said Mr Pipe. “I hope once this naked electioneering is finished, he will invite everyone who has actually had a hand in making this happen.”

Mr Pipe and his predecessors took practical action, as well as lobbying to raise £1 billion of funding.

Ken Livingstone, who was Labour Mayor of London from 2000 to 2008, initiated Transport for London’s project which was partly designed to boost transport capacity for the 2012 Olympic Games.

The new line took four years to create from the former East London Underground line which closed in 2006 and the former Broad Street line which closed in 1986.

News and video report by Emily Jupp

Pictures

Railfuture’s new book Britain’s Growing Railway features the line. Railfuture Books