Debden tube station
Central line · Zone 6 · Epping Forest
About Debden station
Debden began life on 24 April 1865 as Chigwell Road, a Great Eastern Railway station on the Loughton branch’s extension to Epping and Ongar. By 1 December 1865 it had become Chigwell Lane, and for its first years it was a single-platform halt. It was the setting for the Victorian ballad The Chigwell Stationmaster’s Wife – Chigwell station itself did not open until 1903. Wartime economies closed it from 22 May 1916 to 3 February 1919.
The New Works Programme of 1935–1940 assigned the branch to the Central line; work begun in 1938 stopped in 1939 and only resumed in 1946. Electric trains replaced British Railways steam services on 25 September 1949, and the station was renamed Debden from the handover. It still acts as an intermediate terminus: some peak trains from central London end here and reverse in a turnback siding east of the station, though fewer do so now that the Epping service has improved. Most of the eastbound platform buildings date from a 1974 reconstruction, but the original stationmaster’s house survives beside the ticket office.
First and last trains from Debden
| Line and direction | Mon–Thu first – last | Friday first – last | Saturday first – last | Sunday first – last |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central towards West Ruislip, North Acton or Ealing Broadway | 05:16 – 01:26 to Loughton | 05:16 – 01:39 to Ealing Broadway | 05:16 – 01:39 to Ealing Broadway | 06:48 – 00:32 to Loughton |
| Central towards Epping | 04:58 – 01:09 | 04:58 – 01:09 | 04:49 – 01:09 | 06:29 – 00:15 |
Times are TfL’s published timetable departures from this station; on Saturday the list follows TfL’s “Saturdays and public holidays” timetable.
At the busiest hour on a weekday there are up to 11 Central trains an hour per direction from Debden, counting both directions separately.
Next stations from Debden
Running times between Debden and the adjoining stations, from TfL’s timetable.
| Line | Next station | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Central | Loughton | 3 min |
| Central | Theydon Bois | 3.3 min |
Connections
Debden is served by the Central line only; there is no interchange with other rail lines here.
Station facilities
What is near Debden station
Debden serves the Debden area of Loughton, in Essex’s Epping Forest district, and sits in Station Approach off Chigwell Lane (A1168). The nearest named place within a short walk is a TK Maxx store, about 330 m from the station. There is a car park and a taxi rank, and London buses 20, 397 and 677 call here alongside non-TfL routes 66, 418, 418B and 542.
| Place | Walk from the station |
|---|---|
| TK Maxx | 330 m |