Loughton tube station
Central line · Zone 6 · Epping Forest
About Loughton station
The first Loughton station, opened by the Eastern Counties Railway on 22 August 1856, was the terminus of a branch from London and stood on a site now occupied by the garden of 179–181 Loughton High Road and No. 9 Station Road. An excursion platform at the edge of the goods yard handled the many thousands of day-trippers bound for Epping Forest. When the line was extended to Epping and Ongar, the station moved some 500 yards south, reopening on 24 April 1865. The present building opened on 28 April 1940 in readiness for Underground trains, which took over from British Railways (Eastern Region) on 21 November 1948.
John Murray Easton designed it for the London and North Eastern Railway on behalf of London Transport, and it is Grade II listed: a tall square block with large arched windows set high up, symmetrical wings and incised gault brickwork that continues on the disused signal cabin and substation. A subway leads from the lofty arched ticket hall to two island platforms beneath gull-wing reinforced canopies, where timber benches with roundel seat-backs survive. The middle of the three tracks is bi-directional and used by terminating trains; sidings hold 10 trains, and in 2006 the old substation became a traincrew depot known as “the Powerhouse”.
First and last trains from Loughton
| 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 | 05:19 – 00:46 to Woodford | 05:19 – all night | 24 hours | all night – 23:24 to Woodford |
| Central towards Epping | 04:56 – 01:07 | 04:56 – 01:06 | 04:46 – 01:06 | 06:26 – 00:13 |
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 14 Central trains an hour per direction from Loughton, counting both directions separately.
Next stations from Loughton
Running times between Loughton and the adjoining stations, from TfL’s timetable.
| Line | Next station | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Central | Buckhurst Hill | 2.6 min |
| Central | Debden | 3 min |
Connections
Loughton is served by the Central line only; there is no interchange with other rail lines here.
Station facilities
What is near Loughton station
Serving the suburban town of Loughton in Essex’s Epping Forest District, this is the larger of the town’s two Underground stations, the other being Debden. A number of bus routes call at the station, and at peak hours some trains from Ealing Broadway terminate here. The station has its own car park, and the Memorial Rose Garden is about 380 m away.
| Place | Walk from the station |
|---|---|
| Memorial Rose Garden | 380 m |
Frequently asked questions
Yes, the current station is Grade II listed. It was designed by John Murray Easton for the London and North Eastern Railway on behalf of London Transport and opened on 28 April 1940. Its tall arched-window ticket hall, gault brickwork and gull-wing platform canopies are the features to look out for.
The 1856 station stood on what is now the garden and emergency exit of 179–181 Loughton High Road and No. 9 Station Road. It was replaced by a station some 500 yards to the south on 24 April 1865, when the line was extended to Epping and Ongar.