View source for Walthamstow Central station

{{short description|London Underground and London Overground station}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2012}}
{{Infobox London station
| name          = Walthamstow Central
| image_name    = Walthamstow Central stn new entrance.JPG 
| caption       = Entrance on Selborne Road 
| manager       = [[London Overground]]
| manager1      = [[London Underground]]
| owner         = [[Network Rail]]
| owner1        = [[London Underground]]
| fare_zone     = 3
| locale        = [[Walthamstow]]|symbol=underground|symbol2=overground
| borough       = [[London Borough of Waltham Forest]]
| events1       = Opened (GER)
| years1        = 26 April 1870<ref>Chronology of London Railways by H.V.Borley</ref>
| events2       = Opened (Victoria line) 
| years2        = 1 September 1968
| platforms     = 4
| railcode      = WHC
| dft_category  = C2
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| access        = yes
| access_note   = &nbsp;(London Overground only) <ref name="nxea access">{{cite web | url=http://www.nationalexpresseastanglia.com/destinations/stations_route_map | title=Train Station Information and Network Map | publisher=[[National Express East Anglia]] | access-date=2 January 2010 | archive-date=5 March 2010 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100305162934/http://www.nationalexpresseastanglia.com/destinations/stations_route_map | url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{citation step free tube map}}</ref>
| coordinates   = {{coord|51.5831|-0.0197|type:railwaystation_region:GB|display=inline,title}}
| interchange   = [[Walthamstow Queen's Road railway station|Walthamstow Queen's Road]] {{rail-interchange|london|overground}}
| interchange_note = <ref>{{Citation London station interchange June 2020}}</ref>
}}

'''Walthamstow Central''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|w|ɔː|l|θ|əm|s|t|oʊ|,_|ˈ|w|ɒ|l|-}}) is an [[interchange station]] in [[Walthamstow]], east [[London]]. It provides southbound [[Victoria line]] services of the [[London Underground]], and Weaver line services on the [[Lea Valley lines]] of the [[London Overground]]. Located in the [[London Borough of Waltham Forest]], the station lies at a distance of {{convert|6|mi|16|chain|km}} from [[Liverpool Street station|London Liverpool Street]] in [[London fare zone 3]].

The station is linked to {{stnlnk|Walthamstow Queen's Road}} station on the [[Suffragette line]] of the Overground by a broad footpath, Ray Dudley Way; an official [[out-of-station interchange]] is recognised between the two stations. Walthamstow Central is the closest tube station to [[Walthamstow Market]], the longest outdoor market in [[Europe]].

{{Overground RDT}}

==History==

The station was opened by the [[Great Eastern Railway]] (GER) as '''Hoe Street''' in 1870 when a line was opened from {{rws|Lea Bridge}} to a temporary station called [[Shern Hall Street railway station|Shern Hall Street]] which was east of the Hoe Street station.<ref>{{cite book|author=Jackson, Alan A |title=London's Local Railways |edition=2nd|year=1999|publisher=Capital Transport Publishing|location=Harrow Weald|page=372}}</ref> The line to London, that the Chingford branch uses today was opened two years later in 1872 from Hall Farm Junction to Bethnal Green, with the branch also being extended north to Chingford in 1873.

The GER amalgamated with several other railways to create the [[London and North Eastern Railway]] at the beginning of 1923.

In 1948 the railways were nationalised and responsibility for operating the station fell to [[Eastern Region of British Rail|British Railways (Eastern Region)]].

The line was electrified in the late 1950s with electric services commencing on 12 November 1960. Early services were formed of [[British Rail Class 305|Class 305]] EMUs but initial technical problems with these saw replacements by [[British Rail Class 302|Class 302]] and [[British Rail Class 304|Class 304]] EMUs.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Baker|first=John|title=Great Eastern section Electrification part 6|journal=Great Eastern Journal|date=July 1993|issue=75|page=29}}</ref>

The station became an interchange station and the eastern terminus of the [[Victoria line]] with [[London Underground]] services starting on 1 September 1968;{{sfn|Day|Reed|2010|p=166}} when the station's present name was adopted. When originally approved in 1955, the terminus of the line was to be at [[Wood Street railway station|Wood Street]], a plan dropped in 1961 before construction of the line.{{sfn|Horne|2005|p=26}} The platforms for the Victoria line (like all stations on the Victoria line) are underground.{{sfn|Day|Reed|2010|p=166}}

On 31 May 2015, the station's [[Abellio Greater Anglia]] services were transferred to [[London Overground Rail Operations]].<ref>[http://www.tfl.gov.uk/info-for/media/press-releases/2014/may/tfl-appoints-london-overground-operator-to-run-additional-services TFL appoints London Overground operator to run additional services] [[Transport for London]] 28 May 2014</ref><ref>[http://www.railpro.co.uk/news/?idArticles=2024 TfL count on LOROL for support] ''[[Rail Professional]]'' 28 May 2014</ref>

==Description==
{{more citations needed section|date=September 2018}}

===General description===
The underground station, like many stations on the Victoria line, was built to a low budget.{{sfn|Martin|2012|p=235}} White ceiling panels were never fixed to the ceilings above the platforms; instead the steel tunnel segments were painted black and used to support the fixtures and fittings, cutting lighting levels. A concrete stairway sits between two escalators instead of a third; this economy caused a disruptive station closure for several weeks in 2004 when both escalators went out of service.

The main entrance to the above-ground station is on the [[down (railway terminology)|down]] side, opposite the [[Walthamstow bus station|bus station]], which was revamped in summer 2004.<ref>{{Cite web |date=15 June 2004 |title=London Buses – Press release – TfL opens a new bus station for Walthamstow |url=http://www.tfl.gov.uk/buses/press-releases/2004/june/press-1060.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041112030248/http://www.tfl.gov.uk/buses/press-releases/2004/june/press-1060.shtml |archive-date=12 November 2004 |access-date=2022-08-18 |website=Transport for London}}</ref> Until August 2015 three staffed ticket windows opened, replaced by improved ticket machines. The entrance to the tube was revamped in early 2006. A smaller entrance is on the up line, facing a car park.  Its ticket office is staffed mainly in peak hours.

===Major improvements===
A subway was built in 2005 under Selborne Road linking a new bus station with a new Victoria line ticket office. The new subway and ticket office was scheduled for spring 2005 but problems with insufficient power capacity to supply two new lifts, planning and contractual errors, delayed the opening until 19 November 2007. The lifts began operation in late 2008 and some building work took longer to finish.

[[Turnstile|Ticket barriers]] control access to all platforms.

A footpath link, called Ray Dudley Way, providing a shortcut to nearby {{stnlnk|Walthamstow Queen's Road}}, opened in August 2014.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/11406060.Stations_link_delayed_for_18_years_welcomed_by_commuters/ | title = Ray Dudley Way pedestrian footpath opened on Monday |newspaper=[[The Bolton News]] | date = 13 August 2014 | access-date = 28 August 2014}}</ref>

Plans for a new entrance with step-free access to the Victoria line platforms were approved by Waltham Forest council in January 2021 to be part-funded by a redevelopment of the shopping mall.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ianvisits.co.uk/articles/london-underground-gets-approval-for-walthamstow-central-tube-station-upgrade-41237/ | title = London Underground gets approval for Walthamstow Central tube station upgrade
 | website=ianVisits | date = 29 January 2021}}</ref>

==Services==
Trains at Walthamstow Central are operated by the [[Victoria line]] of the [[London Underground]] and the [[Lea Valley lines|Weaver line]] of the [[London Overground]].

The typical all-week (including Sundays) service pattern on the Weaver line is:<ref>{{NRtimes|May 2025|17}}</ref>
*4 trains per hour (tph) to London Liverpool Street;
*4 tph to Chingford.

{{Adjacent stations|noclear=y
  |system1=London Underground
    |line1=Victoria|left1=Blackhorse Road
  |system2=London Overground
    |line2=Weaver|type2=Chingford|left2=St. James Street|right2=Wood Street
  |header3=Abandoned Plans
  |system4=London Underground
    |line4=Victoria|left4=Blackhorse Road|right4=Walthamstow Wood Street|to-left4=Victoria|to-right4=Walthamstow Wood Street
  |header5=Disused Railways
{{rail line|previous=[[St. James Street railway station|St James Street]] |next=[[Shern Hall Street railway station|Shern Hall Street]]<br /><small>''Terminus''</small> |route=[[Great Eastern Railway]] <br /><small>(1870–1873)</small> |col={{GER colour}} }}
}}

==Connections==
[[London Buses]] routes [[London Buses route 20|20]], [[London Buses route 34|34]], [[London Buses route 55|55]], [[London Buses route 58|58]], [[London Buses route 69|69]], [[London Buses route 97|97]], [[London Buses route 212|212]], [[London Buses route 215|215]], [[London Buses route 230|230]], [[London Buses route 257|257]], [[London Buses route 275|275]], [[London Buses route 357|357]], [[London Buses route W11|W11]], [[London Buses route W12|W12]], [[London Buses route W15|W15]], [[London Buses route W19|W19]], [[London Buses route SL1|SL1]], [[London Buses route SL2|SL2]], school route [[London Buses route 675|675]] and night routes [[London Buses route N26|N26]], [[London Buses route N38|N38]] and [[London Buses route N73|N73]] serve the station and [[Walthamstow bus station|bus station]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://content.tfl.gov.uk/bus-route-maps/walthamstow-central-a4-091223.pdf|title=Buses from Walthamstow Central|date=9 December 2023|website=TfL|access-date=16 December 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://content.tfl.gov.uk/bus-route-maps/walthamstow-central-night-a4-290423.pdf|title=Night buses from Walthamstow Central|date=29 April 2023|website=TfL|access-date=17 June 2023}}</ref>

==Gallery==
===Victoria line (London Underground)===
<gallery>
File:Walthamstow Central stn Victoria line look south.JPG|North Victoria line platform looking West towards central London
File:Walthamstow Central stn Victoria line look north.JPG|South Victoria line platform looking East towards the buffer
File:Walthamstow Central stn Victoria roundel.JPG|Victoria line station roundel
</gallery>

===Weaver line (London Overground)===
<gallery>
File:Walthamstow Central Hoe Street.JPG|Walthamstow Central railway station viewed west from the A112 overbridge
File:Walthamstow Central stn mainline look north.JPG|Platforms looking eastwards
File:Walthamstow Central stn mainline look south.JPG|Platforms looking westwards
File:Walthamstow Central stn old building.JPG|Original station building on the London-bound side
</gallery>

==References==
'''Citations'''
{{reflist}}

'''Sources'''
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book|last=Day|first=John R|last2=Reed|first2=John|year=2010|orig-year=1963|title=The Story of London's Underground|publisher=Capital Transport|isbn=978-1-85414-341-9}}
* {{cite book |last=Horne |first=Mike |year=2005 |title=The Victoria Line: An Illustrated History |publisher=Capital Transport |isbn=1-85414-292-5}}
* {{cite book|last=Martin|first=Andrew|title=Underground, Overground|publisher=Profile Books|year=2012|isbn=978-1-846-68478-4}}
{{refend}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
*{{stn art lnk|WHC|E177LP}}

{{London Overground navbox|Serving=y|Chingford=y}}
{{Victoria line navbox}}
{{Transport in London}}
{{Lea Valley Lines navbox}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Walthamstow Central Station}}
[[Category:Victoria line stations]]
[[Category:London Underground Night Tube stations]]
[[Category:Tube stations in the London Borough of Waltham Forest]]
[[Category:Railway stations in the London Borough of Waltham Forest]]
[[Category:Former Great Eastern Railway stations]]
[[Category:Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1870]]
[[Category:Walthamstow]]
[[Category:Railway stations served by London Overground]]
[[Category:1870 establishments in England]]
[[Category:Weaver line stations]]