Loughton tube station

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Loughton
Location
Place	Loughton
Local authority	Epping Forest
Operations
Managed by	London Underground
Platforms in use	3
Annual entry/exit	2.024 million
Transport for London
Zone	6
History
Key dates	Opened 1856
Transport for London List of London stations: Underground \| National Rail

Loughton is a London Underground station, some two miles north of the Greater London boundary, in the Epping Forest district of Essex.

It is served by the Central Line and lies between Buckhurst Hill and Debden.It is the main station in the town of Loughton, in which Debden also falls.

For the purposes of fare charging it is in Zone 6.

[edit] History

The original station was opened by the Eastern Counties Railway on August 22, 1856 and formed the terminus of the branch from London. The actual location of this is not certain but it was in the vicinity of the Lopping Hall in Loughton High Road, on a continuation of what eventually became the goods sidings, the line running parallel to what is now Station Road. The goods sidings no longer exist and were located where the present car parks are.

It was re-sited some 500 yards to the south on April 24, 1865 as part of the extension of the line to Epping and Ongar. A new station was opened on April 28, 1940 in readiness for London Underground trains, which took over the service from British Railways (Eastern Region) on November 21, 1948.

[edit] The station today

The current station is of notable architectural importance and is a Grade II listed building. Designed by John Murray Easton for the London & North Eastern Railway, on behalf of London Transport, the main structure consists of a high, square block dominated by large arched windows at high level. The main elevation is flanked by symmetrical wings and, to the south, a single story extension. The whole building, as well as the associated disused signal cabin and sub-station, is finished in carefully bonded, incised, gault bricks. The ticket hall takes the form of a lofty arched hall, from which leads a subway that gives access to the two island platforms. The platforms are dominated by graceful, gull-winged shaped reinforced canopies that, unfortunately, were altered during 1980s renovations. Although much original platform furniture has been lost the timber platform benches, with the London Underground roundel forming the seat backs, survive.