The extension of the railway from inner London to Chingford in the 1870s was a major milestone in the growth of the area.

The Great Eastern Railway (GER) opened Chingford Station in 1878. It was the last forest village to be opened up to the railway from Walthamstow. The line started out as a single track to Bull Lane (Kings Road), where the first small wooden station was erected. The track was later doubled and extended to the present location, some 600 yards (550m) towards the forest. The first station remained in operation as a goods depot until 1953.

The new much more grandiose station on the very edge of town, overlooking the forest had a large ticket hall, buffet room, waiting rooms, porter's room and station-master's office. Situated in 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. This new station was built as a through station, with its platforms and tracks leading out onto an embankment ready to leap across the newly named Station Road and enter the forest.  It was planned for a line to extend to High Beach, to serve Epping Forest, however the Epping Forest act of 1878 scuppered those plans.

The coming of the railway gave its residents a direct link to the City of London which also in the late 1800s, saw the start of other modes of transport services arrive to the area. This resulted in many new homes being built which has shaped Chingford as we know it today.

Chingford station’s operation was taken over by the London Underground on 31st May 2015. The station building is relatively unchanged since its 1878 construction, and still carries the grandeur that accompanied the railway schemes of the late 19th century.