White Hart Lane Station (WHL)

Address: White Hart Lane, London N17 8HH
Opened: 22 July 1872
Station Code: WHL
Fare Zone: 3

London Overground Line(s) Served:

Lea Valley Lines (Cheshunt & Enfield Town Branches)

Service Pattern(s):

Two trains per hour to Cheshunt
Enfield Town –
Peak: Four trains per hour
Off-Peak: Two trains per hour
London Liverpool Street –
Peak: Six trains per hour
Off-Peak: Four trains per hour

Station History

White Hart Lane, named after an adjacent road, was opened as part of the Great Eastern Railway‘s Stoke Newington & Edmonton Line on 22 July 1872.

In August of the same year, the line was extended beyond Edmonton and services began operating to Enfield Town.

The initial service level gradually increased to four trains per hour, although this was increased again to six, with 2 trains terminating at White Hart Lane in the peak hours. Further services were added in 1891 when the branch to Cheshunt was opened, initially with services starting at this station.

The original station building, a two-storey brick structure, was opened at the same time as the station but, following the construction and opening of the nearby football stadium in 1899, was modified to provide wider entrances for the scores of football fans using the station on matchdays.

Due to poor patronage, Cheshunt services ceased in 1909.

Following the grouping of the railways in 1923, the GER was absorbed as part of the new London & North Eastern Railway, and all services and stations passed to the new company.

1948 saw the Nationalisation of the railways with the LNER becoming part of the Eastern Region of British Railways.

A scheme was initiated in 1959 to raise the height of the rail bridge over White Hart Lane by 2ft 9in (84cm) to facilitate the use of double-deck vehicles on the area’s bus services.

To achieve this substantial alterations were made to the station platforms, as well as the raising in height of the running lines. The scheme also enabled preparatory works to be undertaken on the electrification of the line, which was completed on 21 November 1960, with the former Cheshunt services also being reinstated at this time.

In 1978 the station was involved in a fairly serious fire that caused damage to parts of the station. As a result of this, a new ticket office was built to the North of the existing station building. New staircases were also provided to both platforms at this time.

Following the decision to redevelop the nearby football stadium, and also to regenerate the local area, the Northumberland Development Project selected the station to be upgraded.

The works included the construction of the current ticket hall in Love Lane, an additional entrance from the other side of the railway located on Penshurst Road, and making the station step-free. Works began in Autumn 2017 and were completed after a short delay on 26th August 2019