Chance to travel over a rarely used railway track in East London

"Network Rail is carrying out a couple of months' worth of weekend closures along the Essex Thameside line, and that occasionally throws up an interesting diversion. One of those diversions takes place on Sunday 18th January, when c2c's Rainham services that would usually terminate at Liverpool Street will be diverted to Fenchurch Street via Stratford, not calling at West Ham. And to get between Stratford and Fenchurch Street, trains will have to travel over the rarely used Bow Curve railway track."

"The Bow Curve is a railway that links the Liverpool Street and Fenchurch Street mainlines. It opened in 1849 but closed a century later, in 1949, and was single-tracked in 1986 to make space for the DLR at Pudding Mill Lane. Today, the line is kept active with stock movements and occasional diversions. You can, if you're really determined, catch the occasional passenger train over that line very early in the morning or late at night, but very rarely during daytime hours. It was last used for a passenger service in May 2024."

Network Rail weekend closures on the Essex Thameside line will divert c2c Rainham services that normally terminate at Liverpool Street to Fenchurch Street via Stratford, omitting West Ham. To travel between Stratford and Fenchurch Street, trains will use the rarely used Bow Curve, a link between the Liverpool Street and Fenchurch Street mainlines. The Bow Curve opened in 1849, closed to passengers in 1949, and was single-tracked in 1986 for the DLR at Pudding Mill Lane. The line is maintained for stock movements and occasional diversions. Services will run every half hour both directions on Sunday 18 January 2026, with specified departure times from Stratford and Fenchurch Street, and a possible fleeting view of the former Bow Road station site.

Read at ianVisits