Great Eastern Railway 1872-1922

The station was opened on 27 May 1872 by the Great Eastern Railway (GER) as part of a more direct route to Enfield Town which before opening was accessed via Angel Road station. The station was located on a viaduct, had two platforms and a station building on the Up (east) side.

In 1894, with increasing traffic, the GER opened two additional tracks on the eastern side, which are known as the Fast Lines today, to allow longer distance trains to bypass the station.^[4][5] No platforms were opened on these new lines. The 1872 station building was also demolished at that time, being replaced by a new building constructed beside the Fast Lines with access to platforms provided by means of a subway.

During World War I the station was closed as a wartime economy measure from 22 May 1916, and was subsequently reopened on 5 May 1919.^[6]

London & North Eastern Railway (1923-1947)

After the Railways Act 1921, the country's railways were grouped into four companies, with effect from 1 January 1923. At Cambridge Heath, the London & North Eastern Railway (LNER) took over operations of the GER services.

In 1935, the semaphore signalling was replaced by single searchlight signals which were able to display three aspects (Green, Yellow or Red) through different changeable lens arrangements. It was also in 1935 that electrification of the lines through Cambridge Heath was suggested, although many years were to pass before these plans came to fruition.^[7][8]

British Railways (1948-1994)

On nationalisation in 1948 responsibility for operating the station fell to British Railways (Eastern Region).

The lines through Hackney were electrified in the late 1950s with electric services commencing operation on 21 November 1960.^[9]

The privatisation era (1994-present day)

The station, along with neighbouring London Fields, was for many years only served during weekday peak periods, with regular daytime services not restarting until 1998, and evening and Saturday services from 2001.^[10]

Oyster pay as you go cards were introduced at the station in 2008. The station and all services that call were previously operated by Abellio Greater Anglia. In 2015 Cambridge Heath transferred to London Overground and now appears on the tube map.^[11][12]

As of November 2018, the station will take part in a "pay by face" facial technology trial called "Gateless Gatelines". It will be used for a trial to "nudge" passengers into ensuring they tap their payment card.^[13] In the three-month data-gathering exercise 3D mapping "stereoscopic depth sensors" resembling ceiling-mounted shower heads will track people's movements. The system will be able to analyse from a person's movement through the gate whether they have touched in on the Oyster reader."^[13]