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Upminster station

Upminster London Underground London Overground National Rail
Wide station frontage with station sign above entrance and a taxi cab outside
Station entrance to Hall Lane and Station Road
Upminster is located in Greater London
Upminster
Upminster
Location of Upminster in Greater London
LocationUpminster
Local authorityLondon Borough of Havering
Managed byc2c
OwnerNetwork Rail
Station code(s)UPM
DfT categoryC2
Number of platforms7
AccessibleYes (except platform 6)[1][2]
Fare zone6
London Underground annual entry and exit
2019Increase 4.76 million[3]
2020Decrease 2.44 million[4]
2021Decrease 2.21 million[5]
2022Increase 3.77 million[6]
2023Increase 4.77 million[7]
National Rail annual entry and exit
2019–20Decrease 5.842 million[8]
– interchange Increase 1.046 million[8]
2020–21Decrease 1.786 million[8]
– interchange Decrease 0.343 million[8]
2021–22Increase 3.711 million[8]
– interchange Increase 0.690 million[8]
2022–23Increase 4.406 million[8]
– interchange Increase 0.765 million[8]
2023–24Increase 4.613 million[8]
– interchange Increase 0.952 million[8]
Railway companies
Original companyLondon, Tilbury and Southend Railway
Pre-groupingMidland Railway
Post-groupingLondon, Midland and Scottish Railway
Key dates
1 May 1885Opened
2 June 1902District line started
30 September 1905District line withdrawn
12 September 1932District line restarted
1 January 1948Ownership transferred to British Railways
Other information
External links
Coordinates51°33′32″N 0°15′04″E / 51.559°N 0.2511°E / 51.559; 0.2511
London transport portal

Upminster is an interchange station in the town of Upminster in the London Borough of Havering, East London. It is on the London, Tilbury and Southend line, 15 miles 20 chains (24.5 km) down the line from Fenchurch Street in Central London. It is the eastern terminus of the District line on the London Underground and the eastern terminus of the Liberty line on the London Overground. The station was originally opened on 1 May 1885 by the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway on a new direct route from London to Southend that avoided Tilbury. It became a junction station in 1892 when a new branch line was opened to Romford. The station was expanded in 1932 by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway with a new entrance and additional platforms constructed to serve the electric District Railway local service which was extended from Barking. The station was expanded again in 1957 and 1958, with a seventh platform added and the main station building given a new facade. The station is managed by c2c. It is in London fare zone 6.

History

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The original 1854 route of the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway (LTSR) avoided Upminster, passing much closer to the River Thames. The nearest station was at Rainham.[9] Between 1885 and 1888 a new route authorised as the Barking and Pitsea Railway was constructed. It provided a direct service from Fenchurch Street to Southend, avoiding Tilbury.[10] A sod-cutting ceremony took place near Upminster Windmill on 11 October 1883.[11] The George Hopkins designed station at Upminster opened as the temporary eastern terminus of the first section of the new line on 1 May 1885.[12][13] It was opened to East Horndon on 1 May 1886 and through service to Southend commenced on 1 June 1888.[14]

Side platform to left and island platform to right with canopies. Workers on the track and passengers on the platform with a steam train approaching.
Through London–Southend platforms 1 and 2 in 1908
Overhead electric railway tracks with adjacent platforms in the foreground. In the background London Underground trains sit at platforms.
Buildings on platforms 2 and 3 from the 1932 rebuild in 1976
Island platforms covered in a canopy and a modern London Underground train with doors open
Platforms 4 and 5 were added in 1932

The LTSR gained powers to build a branch line from Romford to Grays via Upminster in 1883.[15] The Upminster–Grays section was opened on 1 July 1892 and the Romford–Upminster section opened on 7 June 1893.[16] The Whitechapel and Bow Railway opened on 2 June 1902 and allowed through services of the District Railway to operate to Upminster.[17] The District converted to electric trains on 30 September 1905 and services were cut back to East Ham.[a][19] Upminster was served by regular daily District/LTSR through trains from June 1912 to September 1932, changing from electric District to steam LTSR locomotives at Barking.[20]

Delayed by World War I, electrified tracks were extended by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) to Upminster and through services resumed in 1932.[10][21][22] The expanded station was built to the designs of LMS architect William Henry Hamlyn, drawing inspiration from London Underground station architecture.[23] Electric train service was initially a train every 10 minutes at peak times and every 20 minutes off-peak.[24]

The District Railway was incorporated into London Transport in 1933, and became known as the District line.[25] After nationalisation of the railways in 1948, management of Upminster station passed to British Railways.[26] The main station building was enlarged in 1958.[27] In order to completely separate District line services from British Railways, the Romford–Grays line was split into two distinct branches terminating at Upminster. To facilitate this, platform 6 was opened on 20 May 1957 next to an existing track that was previously used as a siding.[27][28]

The London, Tilbury and Southend line was run by a private operator from 26 May 1996, initially known as LTS Rail.[29] The secondary entrance was refurbished in 2018 and the main entrance in 2019.[30][31] Part of the eastern footbridge was refurbished in 2023.[32] The London Overground service at the station was rebranded as the Liberty line from November 2024.[33] Private operation of the London, Tilbury and Southend line by Trenitalia c2c ceased on 20 July 2025, with the new publicly owned operator c2c taking over.[34]

Design

[edit]

The station consists of seven platforms on an east–west alignment.[35] Platform 1A, the southernmost, is a short east-facing bay that can only be accessed by trains from the Grays branch.[36] Platform 1, served by the up line to Fenchurch Street, is directly to the north.[28] Platform 2, served by the down line to Southend, shares an island with platform 3, one of three with access to Upminster Depot for the London Underground service.[28] Platforms 4 and 5, also for the London Underground, form an island to the north. Platform 6, the northernmost, is a side platform for London Overground service.[28]

Modernised Victorian railway station with a bus turning circle in front. The station building has gable roof and arched windows.
The 1885 station building in 2024

The main station entrance to Station Road and Hall Lane is located on a bridge over the railway lines.[37] A unified facade with the 1958 building extension to the north hides features of the interwar architecture here.[27] The station buildings on platform 1, with secondary entrance to Station Approach, are the remaining Victorian architecture from the opening of the station by the LTSR in 1885.[37] The station building design was originally intended for Hornchurch but a change of plans saw it employed at Upminster.[38] The three interconnected red brick buildings, each with their own timber gable roofs, are substantially as constructed but now with a modernised entrance and interiors. Blue/black brick forms a decorative stripe and the pointed arch windows are surrounded by yellow brick.[13] The original exterior station canopy has been removed.[38] There is a still in situ, but abandoned since 1932, subway connection between platforms 1/1A and 2/3 that is an original feature of the station.[37] There is a public toilet in the platform 1 station building.[39]

Station platform with a covered footbridge connection and stairs to platform. A London Underground train is at an adjacent platform.
Platform 6 and the footbridge extension were added in 1957

The western covered footbridge, buildings and canopies on platforms 2/3 and 4/5 date from the 1932 LMS expansion for District Railway electric service and are similar to the Art Deco island platform buildings at Upney and Dagenham Heathway.[37] The second, uncovered, eastern footbridge dates from 1935. It was added to improve circulation for interchange passengers.[27] Platform 6 and the covered footbridge connection are of Eastern Region of British Railways architecture contemporary with the late 1950s.[27] Platform 6 does not connect to the eastern footbridge and does not have step-free access.[2] All other platforms have step-free access to the street.[1]

Location

[edit]

The station is situated within the suburban town of Upminster. It has entrances to Station Lane/Hall Lane and Station Approach in the London Borough of Havering. To the south of the station is a shopping area surrounded by extensive residential development.[40] Upminster is the easternmost station on the London Underground network as well as the easternmost National Rail station in London.[41] On the London, Tilbury and Southend line it is 15 miles 20 chains (24.5 km) down the line from Fenchurch Street.[42] The station is served by London Buses routes 248, 346, 370, 646 and 652.[43]

Services

[edit]

Upminster station is managed by c2c. It is in London fare zone 6. The typical off-peak c2c service from the station is 6 trains per hour to Fenchurch Street, 4 to Shoeburyness via Basildon[b] and 2 to Southend Central via Ockendon.[44]

The typical off-peak District line service from the station is 12 trains per hour to Earl's Court, of which six continue to Ealing Broadway and six continue to Richmond.[45] The typical off-peak Liberty line service is two trains per hour to Romford.[46]

Notes

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  1. ^ Electric service was extended to Barking on 1 April 1908.[18]
  2. ^ 2 trains per hour all stations and 2 semi-fast.

References

[edit]

Citations

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Step free Tube Guide" (PDF). Transport for London. April 2025. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 April 2025.
  2. ^ a b "Upminster Station". c2c. Archived from the original on 15 February 2025. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  3. ^ "Station Usage Data" (XLSX). Usage Statistics for London Stations, 2019. Transport for London. 23 September 2020. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  4. ^ "Station Usage Data" (XLSX). Usage Statistics for London Stations, 2020. Transport for London. 16 April 2021. Archived from the original on 11 April 2025. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  5. ^ "Station Usage Data" (XLSX). Usage Statistics for London Stations, 2021. Transport for London. 12 July 2022. Archived from the original on 6 April 2025. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
  6. ^ "Station Usage Data" (XLSX). Usage Statistics for London Stations, 2022. Transport for London. 4 October 2023. Archived from the original on 19 March 2025. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  7. ^ "Station Usage Data" (XLSX). Usage Statistics for London Stations, 2023. Transport for London. 8 August 2024. Archived from the original on 31 May 2025. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Estimates of station usage". Rail statistics. Office of Rail Regulation. Archived from the original on 19 June 2025. Please note: Some methodology may vary year on year.
  9. ^ Kay 1997, pp. 126–127.
  10. ^ a b "London, Tilbury and Southend Railway" (PDF), Local Studies Information Sheets, Barking and Dagenham London Borough Council, 2008, archived from the original (PDF) on 23 October 2015, retrieved 21 February 2016
  11. ^ Kay 1996, p. 61.
  12. ^ Kay 1996, p. 64.
  13. ^ a b Kay 1997, p. 138.
  14. ^ Kay 1996, pp. 64–65.
  15. ^ Kay 1996, p. 65.
  16. ^ Kay 1996, pp. 65, 69.
  17. ^ Horne 2018, pp. 160–171.
  18. ^ Horne 2019, p. 127.
  19. ^ Horne 2019, pp. 126–127.
  20. ^ Kay 2010, pp. 166–168.
  21. ^ Rose, Douglas (1999). The London Underground: A diagrammatic history (7th ed.). Douglas Rose. ISBN 1-85414-219-4. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  22. ^ Wolmar, Christian (2005). The Subterranean Railway: How the London Underground Was Built and How It Changed the City Forever. Atlantic Books. p. 268. ISBN 1-84354-023-1. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  23. ^ Lawrence, David (2018). British Rail Architecture 1948–97. Crecy Publishing Ltd. p. 20. ISBN 9780860936855.
  24. ^ "B/W print of poster; Through Electric Trains to Upminster". London Transport Museum. 1932. Archived from the original on 27 June 2025. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
  25. ^ Horne 2019, p. 344.
  26. ^ Horne 2006, p. 82–83.
  27. ^ a b c d e Kay 2010, p. 197.
  28. ^ a b c d Kay 2019, pp. 530–531.
  29. ^ "Office of Passenger Rail Franchising:The award of the first three passenger rail franchises". National Audit Office. 16 October 1996. pp. 2–18. Archived from the original on 5 February 2023. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
  30. ^ Holden, Michael (9 December 2018). "New facilities open at Upminster railway station". RailAdvent. Archived from the original on 5 July 2025. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  31. ^ Holden, Michael (25 May 2019). "Refurbishment works set to start at Upminster and Chafford Hundred". RailAdvent. Archived from the original on 5 July 2025. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  32. ^ Longhorn, Danny (15 May 2023). "Refurbished footbridge improves connections at Upminster station". RailBusinessDaily. Archived from the original on 15 May 2023. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  33. ^ "Transport for London rolls out new Overground names and colours". BBC News. 20 November 2024. Archived from the original on 18 January 2025. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  34. ^ Adams, Lewis. "Trains return to public ownership in south Essex". BBC News. BBC. Archived from the original on 28 July 2025. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  35. ^ Kay 2019, pp. 530–533.
  36. ^ Kay 2019, p. 531.
  37. ^ a b c d Kay 2010, pp. 193–198.
  38. ^ a b Kay 2010, p. 194.
  39. ^ "TfL toilet map" (PDF). Transport for London. April 2025. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 May 2025. Retrieved 6 June 2025.
  40. ^ "Annex 1 - Town Centre Network". London City Hall. Greater London Authority. Archived from the original on 6 August 2023. Retrieved 27 June 2025. providing convenience goods and services, and social infrastructure for more local communities and accessible by public transport, walking and cycling. Typically, they contain 5,000–50,000 sqm of retail, leisure and service floorspace. Some District centres have developed specialist shopping functions.
  41. ^ Anderson, Charlotte (18 May 2025). "The history of London's easternmost station more than a century after it opened". Romford Recorder. Archived from the original on 1 June 2025. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  42. ^ "FSS2 mileages". Railway Codes. Archived from the original on 18 April 2025. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
  43. ^ "Buses from Upminster" (PDF). Transport for London. Archived (PDF) from the original on 19 June 2025. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
  44. ^ "c2c Train Times" (PDF). c2c. May 2025. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 June 2025. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  45. ^ "District line working timetable 155" (PDF). Transport for London. 13 January 2025. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 June 2025. Retrieved 5 June 2025.
  46. ^ "Liberty line" (PDF). Transport for London. Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 May 2025. Retrieved 29 June 2025. Valid from Sunday 18 May 2025 until further notice

Sources

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  • Horne, Mike (2006). The District Line. Capital Transport. ISBN 1-85414-292-5.
  • Horne, Mike (2018). London's District Railway: A History of the Metropolitan District Railway Company. Twentieth Century. Volume one. Capital Transport Publishing. ISBN 978-1854144256.
  • Horne, Mike (2019). London's District Railway: A History of the Metropolitan District Railway Company. Twentieth Century. Volume two. Capital Transport Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85414-430-0.
  • Kay, Peter (1996). The London, Tilbury & Southend Railway: A History of the Company and Line Volume 1. Wivenhoe: P. Kay. ISBN 189-9-890106.
  • Kay, Peter (1997). The London, Tilbury & Southend Railway: A History of the Company and Line Volume 2. Wivenhoe: P. Kay. ISBN 189-9-89019X.
  • Kay, Peter (2010). The London, Tilbury & Southend Railway: A History of the Company and Line Volume 3. Wivenhoe: P. Kay. ISBN 978-1-899890-43-9.
  • Kay, Peter (2019). The London, Tilbury & Southend Railway: A History of the Company and Line Volume 7. Wivenhoe: P. Kay. ISBN 978-1-899890-51-4.
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External images
image icon Exterior of Upminster, LMS station, 1935
image icon Exterior of Upminster, British Railways station, 1957
Preceding station London Underground Following station
Upminster Bridge
towards Wimbledon, Richmond or Ealing Broadway
 District line Terminus
Preceding station London Overground Following station
Emerson Park
towards Romford
 Liberty line
Romford–Upminster line
 Terminus
Preceding station National Rail National Rail Following station
c2c