Redbridge is a London Underground station on Eastern Avenue in the Redbridge district of Ilford in North East London, on the Hainault Loop of the Central line, in Zone 4. It opened on 14 December 1947 as an extension of the Central line to form the new part of the Hainault loop.
Redbridge  | |
|---|---|
 Station entrance | |
  Redbridge Location of Redbridge in Greater London | |
| Location | Redbridge |
| Local authority | London Borough of Redbridge |
| Managed by | London Underground |
| Station code(s) | REB[1] |
| Number of platforms | 2 |
| Fare zone | 4 |
| London Underground annual entry and exit | |
| 2019 |  2.80 million[2] |
| 2020 |  1.56 million[3] |
| 2021 | 1.26 million[4] |
| 2022 | 2.04 million[5] |
| 2023 | 2.01 million[6] |
| Key dates | |
| 1942–1945 | Tunnels used as an aircraft parts factory by Plessey during the war |
| 14 December 1947 | Opened |
| Listed status | |
| Listing grade | II |
| Entry number | 1401101[7] |
| Added to list | 20 July 2011 |
| Other information | |
| External links |
|
| Coordinates | 51°34′33″N 0°02′42″E / 51.57574°N 0.04489°E |
 London transport portal | |
History
editThe extension of the Central line eastwards from Liverpool Street was first proposed in 1935 by the London Passenger Transport Board.[8] The station at Ilford West (Red House) would be one of three stations in Tube tunnel between Leytonstone and Newbury Park.[8]
Construction had begun in the mid 1930s, but was delayed by the onset of the Second World War. During the war, the completed train tunnels at Redbridge were used by the Plessey company as an aircraft parts factory between 1942 and 1945.[9]
The station was opened on 14 December 1947. The station building was designed by renowned Tube architect, Charles Holden, who also designed the other two below ground stations on the branch. Originally, the station was to have been named "West Ilford", then this changed to "Red House", before the final decision was made on "Redbridge" (also given in the plans as "Red Bridge").[8]
Since the station was built, a large roundabout has been constructed next to it, being a junction between the A406 (originally the terminal section of the M11), and the A12.
Redbridge is often described as the shallowest deep level (as opposed to cut-and-cover) station on the network, as it is only 5.2 metres (17 ft) beneath the surface. However, this is misleading as the station tunnel was constructed by the cut-and-cover method, with the running lines descending into genuine tube tunnels at either end of the platforms – similar to the Central line platforms at Mile End.
In July 2011 it was granted Grade II listed building status by English Heritage.[7]
Connections
editLondon Buses routes 66, 145 and 366 and night route N8 serve the station.
Inside the station
edit-
Westbound platform looking east -
Eastbound platform looking west -
View of the station building looking south -
Ticket hall ceiling
References
edit- ^ "Station Codes" (PDF). Transport for London. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
- ^ "Station Usage Data" (XLSX). Usage Statistics for London Stations, 2019. Transport for London. 23 September 2020. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
- ^ "Station Usage Data" (XLSX). Usage Statistics for London Stations, 2020. Transport for London. 16 April 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
- ^ "Station Usage Data" (XLSX). Usage Statistics for London Stations, 2021. Transport for London. 12 July 2022. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
- ^ "Station Usage Data" (XLSX). Usage Statistics for London Stations, 2022. Transport for London. 4 October 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
- ^ "Station Usage Data" (XLSX). Usage Statistics for London Stations, 2023. Transport for London. 8 August 2024. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
- ^ a b Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1401101)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 12 November 2012.
- ^ a b c North East London Electrification report upon the extension of the Central London line and train services. London Passenger Transport Board. 1935.
- ^ Dearden, Lizzie (10 November 2012). "Remembrance Sunday: The Secret Munitions Factory in the Underground tunnels at Gants Hill". Ilford Recorder.
External links
edit
- Redbridge station at CharlesHolden.com
- More photos of this station
- RedRag (Redbridge Roundabout Action Group) achieves bus rerouting at the station
| Preceding station |  London Underground
|
Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wanstead towards Ealing Broadway or West Ruislip
|
Central line via Hainault Loop
|
Gants Hill | ||