Hainault depot
A Departmental train of 1962 stock at Hainault Depot with two trains of 1992 stock on the left
|
|
| Location | |
|---|---|
| Location | Redbridge, United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 51°37′N 0°05′E / 51.61°N 0.09°ECoordinates: 51°37′N 0°05′E / 51.61°N 0.09°E |
| Characteristics | |
| Owner(s) | London Underground |
| Type | Tube stock |
| History | |
| Opened | 1947 |
Hainault depot is a traction maintenance depot on the London Underground Central line, between Hainault and Grange Hill stations in the London Borough of Redbridge, England. Construction began in 1939, but was delayed by the onset of the Second World War, and was not completed until 1948. It has stabled three generations of trains, , and . It has also housed trains of the experimental , both when it was conventionally controlled and during trials of Automatic Train Operation (ATO) in preparation for the construction of the Victoria Line. Some of the destined for the Victoria Line was also stabled at the depot while its ATO equipment was tested and commissioned on the Woodford to Hainault Branch.
Until the advent of the 1992 stock, the depot faced a particular problem caused by the Hainault loop, and the fact that underground stock was handed. Trains could enter the depot from the Woodford direction or the Newbury Park direction. To prevent operational problems caused by the handedness, trains normally had to re-enter service in the same direction as they had left service, and reforming of trains within the depot was complicated by trains facing in both directions. In addition to service trains, the depot hosted a train of 1960 stock, owned by Cravens Heritage Trains, during the 1990s, and still hosts a train of 1962 stock, owned by the same group. The 1960 stock train was moved to Ruislip depot when the Central Line was upgraded for Automatic Train Protection and a new system of ATO in 1996, but the 1962 stock is being restored at Hainault.
Following its formation in 1933, the London Passenger Transport Board introduced a five-year New Works Programme, due to run from 1935 to 1940. A major part of this was extensions to the Central Line, both in the west to Ruislip, and in the east, to Leytonstone, Woodford, Epping and Ongar, partially using tracks which belonged to the London and North Eastern Railway. The extensions, which would create a route mileage of 45 miles (72 km), meant that new depots would be required for the extra trains needed, and they were to be located at Ruislip and Hainault. Work began, but none of the Central Line extensions were completed before the outbreak of the Second World War, leaving the partially completed Hainault depot detached from the railway it was designed to serve.
...
Wikipedia