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Romford–Upminster line
The Romford–Upminster line is a railway line in Greater London that connects Romford, on the Elizabeth line and Great Eastern Main Line, to Upminster, on the London, Tilbury and Southend line and London Underground. The route is 3 miles 28 chains (5.4 km) in length and there is one intermediate station at Emerson Park which is located 1 mile 62 chains (2.9 km) from Romford. The line is part of Network Rail Strategic Route 7, SRS 07.09, and is classified as a rural line.
Services on the line are provided by London Overground; there are no connections to any other lines in the Overground network. In February 2024, TfL announced a re-branding of this service as the Liberty line; the new name took effect in November 2024. Prior to renaming, it was labelled in Transport for London timetables as the Romford to Upminster route.
The line is single-track throughout, electrified at 25 kV 50 Hz AC, has a loading gauge of W6, and a maximum speed of 30 miles per hour (48 km/h). As of December 2022[update], there is a service two trains per hour in each direction. The timetabled journey time from one terminus to the other is nine minutes.
The first line proposed to link Romford to the north shore of the River Thames was put forward by the Thames Haven Railway and Dock Company who proposed a 16-mile (26 km) line from Romford to Shell Haven. An Act of Parliament was obtained in 1836 and powers were renewed 10 years later but no work was ever commenced.
Interest in a connection to the Thames waned with the building of the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway (LT&SR) but after that company gained independence from the Great Eastern Railway (GER) interest increased again and in 1882 the Romford and Tilbury Railway proposed a line from Romford to the LT&SR at Grays. This line was linked to another proposed line from Tilbury to Gravesend which included a tunnel beneath the Thames but the line failed to gain parliamentary support.
The following year the GER themselves proposed a line from Romford passing between Hornchurch and Upminster and then connecting directly to Tilbury Docks and in competition the LT&SR submitted their own proposal and it was this proposal that was authorised the following year.
The line as originally built was a branch of the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway (LT&SR) and opened on 7 June 1893 providing the LT&SR with a link to the Great Eastern Railway (GER) at Romford. The LT&SR had requested use of Romford but the GER opposed this and made a counter-offer to lease the line between Romford and Upminster. This in turn found no favour with the LT&SR who eventually constructed a separate station. For the first three years the LT&SR were able to share goods facilities at Romford, but 1896 they constructed their own small goods yard where the branch joins the Great Eastern Main Line and with access to Victoria Road. Additional freight business came after the Midland Railway takeover of the LT&SR when a private siding was added at Romford for a builders' merchants.
Initially there were 8 trains per day between Romford and Grays with a reduced service on Sundays. Trains were operated by tank engines while freight was usually hauled by a small tender engine. With the opening of the station at Emerson Park an additional late train provided connection to a train leaving Fenchurch Street just after midnight for the use of returning theatergoers.
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Romford–Upminster line AI simulator
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Romford–Upminster line
The Romford–Upminster line is a railway line in Greater London that connects Romford, on the Elizabeth line and Great Eastern Main Line, to Upminster, on the London, Tilbury and Southend line and London Underground. The route is 3 miles 28 chains (5.4 km) in length and there is one intermediate station at Emerson Park which is located 1 mile 62 chains (2.9 km) from Romford. The line is part of Network Rail Strategic Route 7, SRS 07.09, and is classified as a rural line.
Services on the line are provided by London Overground; there are no connections to any other lines in the Overground network. In February 2024, TfL announced a re-branding of this service as the Liberty line; the new name took effect in November 2024. Prior to renaming, it was labelled in Transport for London timetables as the Romford to Upminster route.
The line is single-track throughout, electrified at 25 kV 50 Hz AC, has a loading gauge of W6, and a maximum speed of 30 miles per hour (48 km/h). As of December 2022[update], there is a service two trains per hour in each direction. The timetabled journey time from one terminus to the other is nine minutes.
The first line proposed to link Romford to the north shore of the River Thames was put forward by the Thames Haven Railway and Dock Company who proposed a 16-mile (26 km) line from Romford to Shell Haven. An Act of Parliament was obtained in 1836 and powers were renewed 10 years later but no work was ever commenced.
Interest in a connection to the Thames waned with the building of the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway (LT&SR) but after that company gained independence from the Great Eastern Railway (GER) interest increased again and in 1882 the Romford and Tilbury Railway proposed a line from Romford to the LT&SR at Grays. This line was linked to another proposed line from Tilbury to Gravesend which included a tunnel beneath the Thames but the line failed to gain parliamentary support.
The following year the GER themselves proposed a line from Romford passing between Hornchurch and Upminster and then connecting directly to Tilbury Docks and in competition the LT&SR submitted their own proposal and it was this proposal that was authorised the following year.
The line as originally built was a branch of the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway (LT&SR) and opened on 7 June 1893 providing the LT&SR with a link to the Great Eastern Railway (GER) at Romford. The LT&SR had requested use of Romford but the GER opposed this and made a counter-offer to lease the line between Romford and Upminster. This in turn found no favour with the LT&SR who eventually constructed a separate station. For the first three years the LT&SR were able to share goods facilities at Romford, but 1896 they constructed their own small goods yard where the branch joins the Great Eastern Main Line and with access to Victoria Road. Additional freight business came after the Midland Railway takeover of the LT&SR when a private siding was added at Romford for a builders' merchants.
Initially there were 8 trains per day between Romford and Grays with a reduced service on Sundays. Trains were operated by tank engines while freight was usually hauled by a small tender engine. With the opening of the station at Emerson Park an additional late train provided connection to a train leaving Fenchurch Street just after midnight for the use of returning theatergoers.