UK: Lea Bridge station on the Lea Valley line in northeast London was ceremonially reopened on May 16, following 31 years of closure. The first public services had called at the station on the evening of May 15.
The reopening was led by Waltham Forest Council which provided £5m, with £1·1m from the Department for Transport’s New Stations Fund and £5·5m from developer contributions managed by the Stratford Transport Implementation Group.
Construction work was undertaken by VolkerFitzpatrick. The station has two platforms, a footbridge and lifts, ticket vending machines, Oyster smart card readers, waiting shelters and help points. There are half-hourly Abellio Greater Anglia services south to Stratford and north to Bishop’s Stortford via Tottenham Hale. Usage is expected to reach 352 000 passengers/ year by 2031.
‘Lea Bridge Station will really help open Leyton up for growth, giving the area better and faster links to some of London’s crucial transport hubs, and making it a more attractive prospect for developers, businesses and residents, said council leader Chris Robbins. ‘Developers are already seeing the potential Leyton has to offer, helping to establish our little corner of London as a real contender as a place to do business, as well as somewhere to buy a home and raise a young family.’
