The extension of the railway by only 600 yards (550 m) to a place far less useful to the local population was an attempt to trap tourist traffic to the forest, and to stimulate suburban growth in the fields surrounding it.

The railway fostered new interest in the forest as a destination and the popularity of this Crown land and its impending loss to development was not unnoticed.

The railway that had encouraged so much interest and carried the Royal party to the very edge of town was now stumped as any new development on the forest lands would be strictly controlled.

The line no longer towers over the forest, but hides quietly behind the bustle of Station Road, its electric trains now transporting workers into the city rather than helping the masses to escape it.

The typical off-peak weekday service pattern is: The maximum length of trains to/from Chingford station is 8 carriages, though with Class 305 stock, it was 9.