There are many forgotten fragments of London’s oh-so intricate transport tapestry. One of which comes in the form of the Bow Curve railway track that connects the mainlines between Liverpool Street and Fenchurch Street. The historic east London train line opened in 1849 as part of the London and Blackwall Railway, and was once a rather vital cog in the city’s transport network.
As the demand for the route it served dwindled, the line was eventually shut down in 1949. Since then, it’s only really been used as a track for stock movements and the odd diverted passenger train. And one of those diverted trains will be journeying down the track very soon, and here’s how you can hop aboard.
Due to planned engineering work taking place on the c2c line, there are a number of upcoming weekend closures. One of the closures is taking place on January 18, when c2c’s Rainham services (that would usually head straight to Liverpool Street) will be diverted to Fenchurch Street via Stratford instead. Now, I know what you’re thinking. What’s exciting about that? Well, folks. In order for a train to get between Stratford and Fenchurch Street, it has to do so using the Bow Curve line.
On Sunday, January 18, the trains will be running every half an hour in both directions throughout the day. If you’re lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of where the line’s former intermediate station, Bow Road, used to sit, too.
You can find out more about c2c’s upcoming service alterations here.