East London Line, Railway line in Greater London, United Kingdom
The Windrush Line, formerly known as the East London Line, is a rail service that runs through eastern and southern parts of London, connecting multiple boroughs with regular daytime trains. It has around 23 stations spread across its route from Highbury & Islington in the north to Crystal Palace and West Croydon in the south.
The original East London Railway was established in 1869 and made use of the historic Thames Tunnel as part of its route. In 2010 it became part of the London Overground network, and was renamed Windrush in 2023.
The line was renamed Windrush in 2023 to honour the Caribbean communities who made their homes in the neighbourhoods it serves and left a lasting mark on the area.
Passengers can use Oyster cards or contactless payment at all stations to travel the entire route. Trains run regularly throughout the day, with service frequency varying depending on the time of day and day of the week.
The line passes through the Thames Tunnel, which Marc and Isambard Kingdom Brunel originally designed for horse-drawn traffic in the mid-1800s. For decades this was the only structure of its kind beneath a river and represents a remarkable engineering achievement of its era.
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