Roding Valley tube station
Central line · Zone 4 · Epping Forest Redbridge
About Roding Valley station
No station on the Underground handles fewer passengers: with around 0.17 million journeys recorded in 2024, Roding Valley ranks last of the 269 stations for which TfL published a 2024 figure. The tracks through it are much older than the platforms, opened on 1 May 1903 by the Great Eastern Railway on its Woodford to Ilford line, the Fairlop Loop. The LNER added Roding Valley Halt on 3 February 1936 to serve new housing between Buckhurst Hill and Woodford, though the “Halt” suffix appeared on only some of the signs. It closed on 29 November 1947 for electrification works and reopened under its present name, with Central line trains, on 21 November 1948; its basic buildings, all wooden on the Woodford-bound side, were replaced by 1949.
From the mid-1960s to the early 1990s the Woodford to Hainault section was run largely on its own with short trains of 1960 Stock, adapted for Automatic Train Operation as a testing ground for the Victoria line. The station is one of three on the network without ticket barriers, and as of 2025 the only one with a single ticket machine. The platforms are not linked inside: changing from one to the other means a 520 m journey via the street, so the right entrance matters.
First and last trains from Roding Valley
| Line and direction | Mon–Thu first – last | Friday first – last | Saturday first – last | Sunday first – last |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central towards Woodford, Leytonstone or Northolt | 05:32 to Leytonstone – 00:22 | 05:32 to Leytonstone – 00:22 | 06:11 – 00:22 | 07:47 to Ealing Broadway – 23:53 |
| Central towards Hainault or Grange Hill | 06:27 – 00:12 | 06:27 – 00:12 | 06:27 – 00:12 | 08:09 – 23:57 |
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 5 Central trains an hour per direction from Roding Valley, counting both directions separately.
Connections
Roding Valley is served by the Central line only; there is no interchange with other rail lines here.
Station facilities
What is near Roding Valley station
Named after the nearby River Roding, the station sits between Station Way and Cherry Tree Rise and straddles the boundary between Redbridge and Epping Forest. Its catchment is small: to the east lies the undeveloped flood plain of the Roding, open space stretches to the north-west, and Buckhurst Hill is a short distance north. Roding Valley Community Garden is about 290 m away. Bus route W14 serves the station, and for central London it is often quicker to ride to Woodford and change there.
| Place | Walk from the station |
|---|---|
| Roding Valley Community Garden | 290 m |
Frequently asked questions
Yes. With around 0.17 million passenger journeys in 2024 it has the lowest annual patronage of the 269 stations for which a 2024 figure was published. Its small catchment explains this: a flood plain lies to the east and open space to the north-west, and Woodford, with a better service, covers the areas to the south.
The station is named after the River Roding, which runs close by to the east. It opened in 1936 as Roding Valley Halt and took its present name when it reopened for Central line trains in 1948. East of the station the line crosses the Roding on a viaduct.