The full service on the East London Line begins on Sunday 23 May 2010 with the first 10,000 passengers being rewarded with free travel by Transport for London.
The new Overground line makes use of Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s Thames Tunnel – dating from the 1840s – so Railfuture will be joining the Brunel Museum in Rotherhithe to mark the event.
TfL has agreed that on Sunday only it will put the maintenance lights on in Brunel’s tunnel to allow passengers to admire it.
Railfuture volunteers will be at Rotherhithe station on Sunday from 10.00 to 17.00 to offer our new book ‘Britain’s Growing Railway’ (which features the line) for sale with a special stamp from the Brunel museum (shown above).
Passengers have been able to sample a limited preview service since 27 April but from Sunday trains will be running from the new station at Dalston Junction all the way to Crystal Palace and West Croydon (for Tramlink).
The £1 billion new line took four years to create by combining the former East London Underground line, which closed in 2006, and the former Broad Street line, which closed in 1986.
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.
News and video report by Emily Jupp of the 27 April opening.
Pictures of the 27 April opening.
TfL information
TfL timetable info