White Hart Lane was originally a stop on the Stoke Newington & Edmonton Railway line (part of Great Eastern Railway) which opened on 22 July 1872. The station was named after the local road on which it is sited – White Hart Lane (the road probably acquired its name in the 17th century but part of it existed earlier as Apeland Street), and it was once the location of a spring called Bishop's Well. The area was semi-rural before the arrival of railway with some villas and other buildings along Tottenham High Road, and the opening of the station drew increasing population to the area, which then developed to become more urban. The line was extended to Enfield, and within a few years 4 trains per hour was running from Liverpool Street to Enfield, more at peak hours, with two reversing at White Hart Lane. It was also linked to Cheshunt in October 1891, initially with services that ran only between White Hart Lane and Cheshunt. In addition to the passenger service, there were also freight facilities on the up side with a refuge siding on the opposite side until 1968.