Barkingside tube station

Barkingside tube station is a London Underground station on the Central Line. It has been in Travelcard Zone 4 since 2 January 2007. It is on the eastern edge of Barkingside in the London Borough of Redbridge, at the end of a cul-de-sac called Station Road. The station is above ground and has two platforms - northbound and southbound.

History
The station originally opened on 1 May 1903, as part of a Great Eastern Railway (GER) branch line from Woodford to Ilford via Hainault. This "Fairlop Loop", designed to stimulate suburban growth had a chequered history and Barkingside station was temporarily closed to passenger traffic, due to World War 1 economies, from 22 May 1916 until 30 June 1919. As a consequence of the 1921 Railways Act, the GER was merged with other railway companies in 1923 to become part of the London & North Eastern Railway (LNER).

As part of the 1935 - 1940 "New Works Programme" of the London Passenger Transport Board the majority of the loop was to be transferred to form the eastern extensions of the Central Line. Although work commenced in 1938 it was suspended upon the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 and work only recommenced in 1946. Steam train services serving Barkingside were suspended on 29 November 1947 and electrified Central line passenger services, to Central London via Gants Hill, finally commenced on 31 May 1948. The line from Newbury Park to Hainault through Barkingside had been electrified for empty train movements to the new depot at Hainault from 14 December 1947.

Few alterations took place to the station upon transfer to the Underground. Barkingside station is a "Grade II" listed building, marking it as a structure of architectural significance. Probably designed under the direction of W. N. Ashbee, the GER architect, it is dominated by a substantial brick building, surmounted by a cupola. The interior is notable for the fine hammerbeam roof to the ticket hall. Both platforms retain the ornate canopies with the "GER" initials still visible in the bracketry.

Transport Link
London Bus route 169 and 247.

Gallery
 Image:Barkingside_Station_-_geograph.org.uk_-_87642.jpg|looking south from Station Road Image:Barkingside_stn_north.JPG|looking north ('eastbound') File:Barkingside stn entrance.jpg|Close-up of entrance 