| Summary : South Woodford railway station opened as George Lane on 22nd August 1856 as an intermediate station on the Stratford-Loughton section of the steam operated Eastern Counties Railway line, which ultimately became part of the London and North Eastern Railway in 1921. The station was provided with a new pavilion roofed ticket hall in 1883. In 1937 it was renamed South Woodford (George Lane). The eastwards extension of the Central line as part of the 1935-40 New Works Programme took in this former LNER route. South Woodford was first served by Central line trains on 14th December 1947 as part of an extension from Leytonstone to Woodford. The brick built station building was little altered from its steam days, apart from the ubiquitous station name roundels announcing the arrival of the Underground. In 1948 a new ticket hall was added on the westbound side. The station was renamed South Woodford in 1950. |