Leytonstone (ZLE)

Leytonstone in East London is a stop on London Underground's Central Line however for its first 91 years of existence it was served by main line steam trains.

Information
Type:	Transport for London (Central Line)
Station code:	ZLE
Opened:	1856
Platforms:	3

The station was first opened in 1856 by the Eastern Counties Railway and later was operated by the Great Eastern Railway and LNER, not becoming part of the London Underground until 1947 [1] when it became part of the Central Line. Leystonstone is at the junction of the two Central Line Eastern branches: direct to Woodford and Epping and the Hainault Loop [2].

The station was extensively rebuilt due to a new road underpass being built to eliminate a level crossing [3], the work started just before the Second World War but was stopped in 1940 due to wartime priorities, the station was hit during a bombing raid in 1944 which also delayed matters. The work was finally completed after the end of the war and Leytonstone became a tube station in 1947, acting as the Central Line's Eastern terminus for a few months until the opening of the stretch from Woodford to Newbury Park.

Leytonstone has 3 platforms, the centre platforms usually being used for West bound services but also terminating East bound trains.

92ts 91013 leads a train heading back to London

View down the platform

An West bound Central Line train prepares to depart

[1] Jason Cross, London Underground Guide 2017 (Train Crazy, 2017) p. 139
[2] Robert Griffiths, The Central Line (Past & Present, 2007) p. 28
[3] J. Graeme Bruce & Desmond F. Croome, The Twopenny Tube (Capital Transport, 1996) p. 50