Hainault tube station

Hainault
Station entrance on New North Road
Hainault Location of Hainault in Greater London
Location	Hainault
Local authority	London Borough of Redbridge
Managed by	London Underground
Number of platforms	3
Accessible	Yes
Fare zone	4
London Underground annual entry and exit
2012	2.86 million
2013	3.15 million
2014	3.48 million
2015	3.61 million
Railway companies
Original company	Great Eastern Railway
Pre-grouping	Great Eastern Railway
Post-grouping	London and North Eastern Railway
Key dates
1903	Opened (GER)
1908	Closed (GER)
1930	Reopened (LNER)
1947	Closed (LNER)
1948	Opened as terminus (Central line)
1948	Became through station
Other information
Lists of stations	DLR Underground National Rail Tramlink
WGS84	51°36′12″N 0°05′36″E / 51.6033°N 0.0933°E / 51.6033; 0.0933Coordinates: 51°36′12″N 0°05′36″E / 51.6033°N 0.0933°E / 51.6033; 0.0933

Hainault is a London Underground station in Hainault in the London Borough of Redbridge. The station is on the Central line between Fairlop and Grange Hill stations. Since 2 January 2007 the station is in Travelcard Zone 4. This station is also home to one of the three Central line depots.

The station was opened on 1 May 1903 as part of the Great Eastern Railway's (GER) Fairlop Loop branch line from Woodford to Ilford. The line was designed to stimulate suburban growth but was closed on 1 October 1908 due to a lack of custom and did not reopen until 2 March 1930. In 1923, GER was merged with other railway companies to form the London & North Eastern Railway (LNER) under the 1921 Railways Act. As part of the 1935–1940 "New Works Programme" of the London Passenger Transport Board, the majority of the loop was transferred to form the eastern extensions of the Central line. Although work on this commenced in 1938, it was suspended upon the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 and work only recommenced in 1946.

Steam train services serving Hainault were suspended on 29 November 1947 and electrified Central line passenger services, to Central London via Gants Hill, finally commenced on 31 May 1948. The line from Newbury Park to Hainault had been electrified for empty train movements to the new depot at Hainault from 14 December 1947. The services to Woodford via Grange Hill were reintroduced on 21 November 1948.