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Central line

Opened in 1900 as the Central London Railway, the “Twopenny Tube”, between Shepherd's Bush and Bank. Extended east and west after the Second World War, it is the Underground's longest line, with the Hainault loop at its eastern end.

1900Opened
74 kmLength
49Stations
30Peak trains per hour
301mLine boarders a year (2019)
Opened
30 July 1900
Termini
Ealing Broadway / West Ruislip – Epping / Hainault
Type
deep-level tube
Depots
Hainault, Ruislip, White City
1992 Stock, schematic side elevation, 2 cars
1992 Stock · BREL / ABB Transportation, Derby

Map

North Acton – Leytonstone

North Acton – Leytonstone: schematic, not to scale North ActonNorth Acton East ActonEast Acton White CityWhite City Shepherd's Bush — change for Overground (Mildmay), National RailShepherd's Bush Holland ParkHolland Park Notting Hill Gate — change for Circle, DistrictNotting Hill Gate QueenswayQueensway Lancaster GateLancaster Gate Marble ArchMarble Arch Bond Street — change for Jubilee, Elizabeth lineBond Street Oxford Circus — change for Bakerloo, VictoriaOxford Circus Tottenham Court Road — change for Northern, Elizabeth lineTottenham Court Road Holborn — change for PiccadillyHolborn Chancery LaneChancery Lane St Paul'sSt Paul's Bank — change for Northern, Waterloo & City, DLRBank Liverpool Street — change for Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan, Elizabeth line, Overground (Weaver), National RailLiverpool Street Bethnal GreenBethnal Green Mile End — change for District, Hammersmith & CityMile End Stratford — change for Jubilee, Elizabeth line, Overground (Mildmay), DLR, National RailStratford LeytonLeyton LeytonstoneLeytonstone

Woodford – Leytonstone via Hainault

Woodford – Leytonstone via Hainault: schematic, not to scale WoodfordWoodford Roding ValleyRoding Valley ChigwellChigwell Grange HillGrange Hill HainaultHainault FairlopFairlop BarkingsideBarkingside Newbury ParkNewbury Park Gants HillGants Hill RedbridgeRedbridge WansteadWanstead LeytonstoneLeytonstone

West Ruislip – North Acton

West Ruislip – North Acton: schematic, not to scale West Ruislip — change for National RailWest Ruislip Ruislip GardensRuislip Gardens South Ruislip — change for National RailSouth Ruislip NortholtNortholt Greenford — change for National RailGreenford PerivalePerivale Hanger LaneHanger Lane North ActonNorth Acton

Epping – Woodford

Epping – Woodford: schematic, not to scale EppingEpping Theydon BoisTheydon Bois DebdenDebden LoughtonLoughton Buckhurst HillBuckhurst Hill WoodfordWoodford

Woodford – Leytonstone

Woodford – Leytonstone: schematic, not to scale WoodfordWoodford South WoodfordSouth Woodford SnaresbrookSnaresbrook LeytonstoneLeytonstone

Ealing Broadway – North Acton

Ealing Broadway – North Acton: schematic, not to scale Ealing Broadway — change for District, Elizabeth line, National RailEaling Broadway West ActonWest Acton North ActonNorth Acton

Schematic, not to scale. Ringed stations are interchanges. Each strip is one branch, between junctions or termini. Station order from TfL open data.

All stations 49

StationZoneInterchanges
North Acton2/3
East Acton2
White City2
Shepherd's Bush2Overground (Mildmay), National Rail
Holland Park2
Notting Hill Gate1/2Circle, District
Queensway1
Lancaster Gate1
Marble Arch1
Bond Street1Jubilee, Elizabeth line
Oxford Circus1Bakerloo, Victoria
Tottenham Court Road1Northern, Elizabeth line
Holborn1Piccadilly
Chancery Lane1
St Paul's1
Bank1Northern, Waterloo & City, DLR
Liverpool Street1Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan, Elizabeth line, Overground (Weaver), National Rail
Bethnal Green2
Mile End2District, Hammersmith & City
Stratford2/3Jubilee, Elizabeth line, Overground (Mildmay), DLR, National Rail
Leyton3
Leytonstone3/4
Woodford4
Roding Valley4
Chigwell4
Grange Hill4
Hainault4
Fairlop4
Barkingside4
Newbury Park4
Gants Hill4
Redbridge4
Wanstead4
West Ruislip6National Rail
Ruislip Gardens5
South Ruislip5National Rail
Northolt5
Greenford4National Rail
Perivale4
Hanger Lane3
Epping6
Theydon Bois6
Debden6
Loughton6
Buckhurst Hill5
South Woodford4
Snaresbrook4
Ealing Broadway3District, Elizabeth line, National Rail
West Acton3

Stations, zones and interchanges from TfL open data (2026-10-01). National Rail interchanges are listed where TfL groups the stations together.

History

  1. The Central London Railway is formally opened by the Prince of Wales.
  2. Opens to the public between Shepherd's Bush and Bank. Its flat fare of 2d soon earns it the name “Twopenny Tube”.
  3. Bond Street opens, delayed by lift problems.
  4. The flat fare ends.
  5. Extended west to Wood Lane for the Franco-British Exhibition.
  6. Extended east to Liverpool Street.
  7. Extended to Ealing Broadway.
  8. Holborn's Central line platforms open, and British Museum station closes.
  9. The eastern extension opens to Stratford, the first part of the New Works Programme of 1935–40.
  10. Extended to Leyton and Leytonstone.
  11. The western extension opens to Greenford.
  12. White City opens, replacing Wood Lane.
  13. Extended to Woodford, and from Leytonstone to Newbury Park in new tunnels.
  14. Newbury Park to Hainault opens.
  15. Extended to West Ruislip in the west; Hainault to Woodford and Woodford to Loughton in the east.
  16. Extended to Epping, with a steam shuttle on to Ongar.
  17. Epping to Ongar is electrified.
  18. Hainault to Woodford is used to trial automatic train operation, until 1986.
  19. Last day at Blake Hall, on the Ongar branch.
  20. The 1992 Stock enters service, replacing the 1962 Stock by 1995.
  21. Last trains between Epping and Ongar.
  22. Automatic train operation begins, first between Gants Hill and Wanstead; it covers the whole line from 4 March 2002.
  23. The whole line closes after a motor falls from a train near Chancery Lane, reopening in stages in March and April.
  24. A new depot under the White City shopping centre replaces the Wood Lane depot.
  25. Five trains have been rebuilt under the Central Line Improvement Programme, which is due to finish by 2030.
  26. A new timetable gives up to 30 trains an hour westbound in the morning peak.

Rolling stock

Coming to this line

Earlier trains on this line

Sources