Another railway was reopened to the public on 25 May 2012, 18 years after it was closed by London Transport.
The six-mile long Epping Ongar Railway is now operating as a preserved railway over the trackbed of what was once part of London Transport’s Central line.
The railway is running a steam and heritage diesel service at weekends over the once-electrified commuter line.
Separate trains shuttle from Ongar to North Weald and North Weald to Coopersale.
The preserved railway is hoping to be able to re-connect with the Central line at Epping but at the moment, passengers can transfer at Epping on to a vintage bus to take them to North Weald station on special event days.
Normal service buses also provide a link from Epping to North Weald and Ongar.
While visitors to the railway enjoyed a rural day on the line, which traverses some beautiully peaceful Essex countryside, many of the nearby roads were logjammed by a series of crashes – just a normal day on Britain’s anarchic and inherently unsafe road network.
Between 2004 and 2007, the Epping Ongar Railway ran some weekend heritage passenger services.
Bus journey planner: transportdirect
More information about the Epping Ongar Railway: eor
Back to the future
Author: Ray King - Published Fri 25 of May, 2012 20:41 BST - (8411 Reads)
The steam engine Pitchford Hall is greeted by enthusiastic crowds at Ongar station on 25 May 2012 on the first public day of the preserved Epping Ongar Railway. The formerly electric railway, which closed in 1994, now depends on steam and diesel engines