Waltham Cross | |
|---|---|
 Station building in January 2013 | |
  Waltham Cross Location of Waltham Cross in Hertfordshire | |
| Location | Waltham Cross |
| Local authority | Borough of Broxbourne |
| Grid reference | TL365003 |
| Managed by | Greater Anglia |
| Owner | |
| Station code | WLC |
| DfT category | E |
| Number of platforms | 2 |
| Fare zone | 7 |
| National Rail annual entry and exit | |
| 2020–21 |  0.423 million[1] |
| 2021–22 |  0.854 million[1] |
| 2022–23 | 1.095 million[1] |
| 2023–24 | 1.213 million[1] |
| 2024–25 | 1.298 million[1] |
| Railway companies | |
| Original company | Northern and Eastern Railway |
| Pre-grouping | Great Eastern Railway |
| Post-grouping | London and North Eastern Railway |
| Key dates | |
| 1842[2] 1840.[3] | First station opened asWaltham |
| 1 December 1882 | RenamedWaltham Cross |
| 1885 | Re-sited |
| 1 May 1894 | RenamedWaltham Cross & Abbey |
| 20 February 1969 | RenamedWaltham Cross |
| Other information | |
| External links | |
| Coordinates | 51°41′06″N0°01′36″W / 51.6851°N 0.0266°W /51.6851; -0.0266 |
 London transport portal | |
Waltham Cross railway station is on theLea Valley Lines, serving the suburban town ofWaltham Cross in Hertfordshire, and the neighbouringWaltham Abbey in Essex, England. It is 12 miles 63 chains (20.6 km) down the line fromLondon Liverpool Street and is situated betweenEnfield Lock andCheshunt. Its three-letter station code is WLC and it is inLondon fare zone 7.
The station and all trains serving it are operated byGreater Anglia. The station has 4Oyster card readers rather than ticket barriers.
During the2012 Olympic Games, Waltham Cross and Cheshunt provided the main rail access to theLee Valley White Water Centre.
The first station, together with the railway line fromStratford toBroxbourne, was opened by the Northern & Eastern Railway (N&ER) on 15 September 1840. Originally calledWaltham and later renamed to Waltham Cross, it was originally on a site to the north of the road between Waltham Cross and Waltham Abbey.[4]
Following on from negotiations in 1843, theEastern Counties Railway took over operation of the N&ER from 1 January 1844 paying rent and dividing the profits.[5]
By the 1860s the railways in East Anglia were in financial trouble, and most were leased to the ECR; they wished to amalgamate formally, but could not obtain government agreement for this until 1862, when theGreat Eastern Railway was formed by amalgamation. Thus Cheshunt became a GER station in 1862.[6]
A signal box was provided in 1881 on the up side just north of the road bridge. Many years later when the road was widened the box was actually located under the bridge itself.[7]
In 1885 the station was relocated to the current site south of the road bridge. A subsequent renaming toWaltham Cross and Abbeywas later rescinded.
In 1911 the Waltham Abbey and Cheshunt Gas & Coke Co had two sidings on the down side north of the station. A three siding goods yard was located on the up side of the line.[8]
On 1 January 1923 the GER became part of theLondon and North Eastern Railway. During World War 2 the yards were busy with traffic from the Lea Valley armaments industry.
The nationalisation of Britain's railways saw the operation of Waltham Cross station pass toBritish Railways Eastern Region.
From 1958 local passenger services between Cheshunt and London via Tottenham Hale were normally operated byClass 125 diesel multiple units.
As late as the early 1960s the goods yards located north of the station were busy in traffic but these were closed in the 1960s in preparation of the electrification of the Lea Valley line.[9]
The mechanical signal box was closed on 13 January 1969 with its duties being taken over by a panel at Brimsdown.[10]The lines through Waltham Cross were electrified on 5 May 1969.[11]
In 2011, a major redevelopment was carried out at the station in preparation for the London 2012 Olympics.
From 2 January 2013,Oyster cards are accepted at the station. The station is inLondon fare zone 7.
The typical off-peak service between Monday-Saturday is two trains per hour toLondon Liverpool Street viaTottenham Hale, two trains per hour toHertford East, one train per hour toStratford, and one train per hour toBishops Stortford. Additional services, including additional services to and from Cambridge/Ely and Liverpool Street call at the station during peak hours. There is also one train per weekday to Ely in the early mornings.[12]
On Sunday, the typical off-peak service is two trains per hour to Stratford via Tottenham Hale and two trains per hour to Hertford East.
| Preceding station |  National Rail | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enfield Lock | Greater Anglia | Cheshunt | ||
London Bus routes 279, 217, 317, 491, 327 and night route N279; Central Connect routes 13, 13A, 13B, 14, 14X, 15, 15A, 15B and 16; Epping Forest Community Transport routes 211 and 212; Uno route 242 and Arriva Herts & Essex routes 66, 251 and 310 serve the nearby Waltham Cross Bus Station.