Walthamstow Central tube station
Victoria line · Zone 3 · Waltham Forest
About Walthamstow Central station
The Great Eastern Railway opened this station as Hoe Street in 1870, when it built a line from Lea Bridge to a temporary station at Shern Hall Street just to the east. The route towards London that today’s trains use followed in 1872, the branch reached Chingford in 1873, and electric trains took over on 12 November 1960.
The Victoria line arrived on 1 September 1968, ending here, and the station adopted its present name the same day; when the line was approved in 1955 it was to terminate at Wood Street, a plan dropped in 1961. Like much of the line, the tube station was built on a tight budget. The steel tunnel segments over the platforms were painted black instead of being hidden by ceiling panels, which cut lighting levels, and a concrete stairway sits between two escalators where a third might have gone. That economy closed the station for several weeks in 2004 when both escalators failed. A subway under Selborne Road to a new ticket office finally opened on 19 November 2007, more than two years late.
First and last trains from Walthamstow Central
| Line and direction | Mon–Thu first – last | Friday first – last | Saturday first – last | Sunday first – last |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victoria towards Brixton or Seven Sisters | 05:25 – 00:53 to Seven Sisters | 05:25 – all night | 24 hours | all night – 00:06 to Seven Sisters |
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 36 Victoria trains an hour per direction from Walthamstow Central, counting both directions separately.
Next stations from Walthamstow Central
Running times between Walthamstow Central and the adjoining stations, from TfL’s timetable.
| Line | Next station | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Victoria | Blackhorse Road | 1.8 min |
Connections
- London Overground: Weaver line.
Station facilities
What is near Walthamstow Central station
Walthamstow bus station, about 90 m away and linked by the Selborne Road subway, makes this a major interchange, and the Ray Dudley Way footpath is an official shortcut to Walthamstow Queen’s Road on the Suffragette line. It is also the closest tube station to Walthamstow Market. Nearby are the University of Portsmouth’s Walthamstow Campus at about 130 m, Walthamstow Central Library at 180 m, the Farmers’ Market at 210 m, Forest Cinemas at 220 m and the 17 & Central shopping centre at 270 m, with Soho Theatre Walthamstow about 340 m off.
| Place | Walk from the station |
|---|---|
| Walthamstow bus station | 90 m |
| University of Portsmouth Walthamstow Campus | 130 m |
| Walthamstow Central Library | 180 m |
| Walthamstow Farmers' Market | 210 m |
| Forest Cinemas | 220 m |
| 17 & Central | 270 m |
| Soho Theatre Walthamstow | 340 m |
Frequently asked questions
It opened in 1870 as Hoe Street, a Great Eastern Railway station. It was renamed Walthamstow Central on 1 September 1968, when the Victoria line began serving it and it became an interchange.
The Victoria line was built to a low budget, and a fixed concrete stairway was installed between two escalators instead of a third. The saving had a cost: when both escalators went out of service in 2004, the station had to close for several weeks.