A pedestrian link between two north London stations opened today, after an 18-year wait.
Passengers can now walk between Walthamstow Queen’s Road station on London Overground’s Barking-Gospel Oak line and Walthamstow Central, the terminus of the Underground Victoria line, also on the Liverpool Street-Chingford line.
The Ray Dudley Way pedestrian link is named after a public transport campaigner.
Planning permission was agreed in 1996 for the pathway, which cuts the average walking time between the stations from 15 minutes to five minutes.
The Waltham Forest Guardian reported that “legal wrangles” meant work was not carried out as promised by the Family Housing Association as part of its development of Exeter Road.
The local council took the case to the High Court in an attempt to secure progress.
Rail campaigner Glenn Wallis told the paper: "It is hard to believe it is actually happened after waiting 18 years.”
The link will become more important next year when London Overground takes over services on the Liverpool Street-Chingford line from Abellio Greater Anglia. It will mean all of Walthamstow’s rail services will be controlled by Transport for London.
The Gospel Oak to Barking route, one of the few lines in the South East of England still being operated by diesel trains, is to be electrified by Network Rail. The line will also be extended to Barking Riverside.
WFG