Aldgate East tube station
Aldgate East ![]() |
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Location of Aldgate East in Central London
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Location | Whitechapel |
Local authority | Tower Hamlets |
Managed by | London Underground |
Number of platforms | 2 |
Fare zone | 1 |
London Underground annual entry and exit | |
2011 | ![]() |
2012 | ![]() |
2013 | ![]() |
2014 | ![]() |
Key dates | |
6 October 1884 | Opened |
31 October 1938 | resited |
Other information | |
Lists of stations | |
London Transport portalLua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. |
Aldgate East is a London Underground station located in the Whitechapel neighborhood in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in the East End of London. It is on the Hammersmith & City line between Liverpool Street and Whitechapel, and the District line between Tower Hill and Whitechapel, in Travelcard Zone 1.[2]
Contents
History
Original station
The name "Commercial Road" had been proposed for the original Aldgate East station, which opened on 6 October 1884 as part of an eastern extension to the District Railway (now the District line),[3] some 500 feet to the west of the current station, close to the Metropolitan Railway's Aldgate station. However, when the curve to join the Metropolitan Railway from Liverpool Street was built, the curve had to be particularly sharp due to the presence of Aldgate East station, at which it needed to be straight.
Resited station
As part of London Transport's 1935-1940 New Works Programme, the triangular junction at Aldgate was enlarged, to allow for a much gentler curve and to ensure that trains held on any leg of the triangle did not foul the signals and points at other places.[4] The new Aldgate East platforms were sited almost immediately to the east of their predecessors, with one exit facing west toward the original location, and another at the east end of the new platforms.
The new eastern exit was now close enough to the next station along the line, St Mary's (Whitechapel Road), that this station could also be closed,[note 1] reducing operational overhead and journey times, as the new Aldgate East had effectively replaced two earlier stations.
The new station, opened on 31 October 1938[3] (the earlier station closing permanently the previous night), was designed to be completely subterranean, providing a much needed pedestrian underpass to the road above. However, in order to accommodate the space needed for this, and the platforms below, the existing track required lowering by more than seven feet. To achieve this task, whilst still keeping the track open during the day, the bed underneath the track was excavated, and the track held up by a timber trestle work. Then, once excavation was complete and the new station constructed around the site, an army of over 900 workmen lowered the whole track simultaneously in one night, utilising overhead hooks to suspend the track when necessary.[5] The hooks still remain[update].
Past Proposals
A campaign was launched by a local councillor in a bid to change the name of the station to Brick Lane tube station by 2012,[6] but this has no official support and has not been successful. The same councillor has also campaigned to have Shoreditch High Street railway station renamed "Banglatown".[7]
The station today
The station has no surface buildings.[8] Ticket barriers control access to all platforms.
District and Hammersmith and City line trains running into Aldgate East along two sides of the triangle (from Liverpool Street and from Tower Hill) pass through the site of the earlier station, most of which has been obliterated by the current junction alignment, although the extensive width and height and irregular shape of the tunnel can be observed.
Since the station was built completely under a widened road, and was built after concrete had started to be used as a construction material, the platforms have a particularly high headroom. Combined with the late 1930s style of tiling typical of the stations of the then London Passenger Transport Board, the platform area of the station presents a particularly airy and welcoming appearance, unusual on the underground at the time of construction. The tiling contains relief tiles, showing devices pertinent to London Transport and the area it served, were designed by Harold Stabler and made by the Poole Pottery.
Station Improvements
The station was Metronet’s first refurbished (and show-piece) station, refurbished in ‘heritage’ style.[9] Work actually began at platform level earlier in 2007.[9] On 9 March 2007 it was noted that every other platform bullseye and its associated blue enamel “Way Out” plate below had been removed on both platforms, marking the end of the only sub-surface ‘New Works’ station.[9] By 14 March all the roundels had been removed and temporary signs substituted.[9] The north-east entrance was also closed from 10 March 2007 until 2009.[9] As of 23 May 2007, the tiling was removed on the eastbound platform and the walls were rough cemented but the tiles remained on the westbound one, although it only took a few days.[9] The new framework for lighting and cabling had been installed.[9]
Services
District line
This is the general off-peak frequency. During peak times trains also operate to Wimbledon. During off-peak times, 3 trains per hour from Wimbledon terminate at Barking (as of December 2014).
- 12 tph eastbound to Upminster (On Sundays alternate trains run to Barking only)
- 3 tph eastbound to Barking
- 6 tph westbound to Ealing Broadway
- 6 tph westbound to Richmond
- 3 tph westbound to Wimbledon
Hammersmith & City line
The typical off-peak service in trains per hour (tph) is:
Circle line
There is no regular service however there are two trains per day that run from Barking to Edgware Road via Victoria before 6a.m. (as of February 2015)[13]
- 2 tpd westbound to Edgware Road via Victoria
Connections
London Bus routes 15, 25, 67, 115 and 135, and night routes N15 and N550 serve the station.[14] In addition, bus route 25 provides a 24-hour bus service.[14]
Nearby Tourist Attractions
Notes and references
Notes
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Clive's Underground Line Guides - District line
- ↑ H.F. Howson, London's Underground, 4th ed. London: Ian Allan, 1967, OCLC 502266970, p. 47.
- ↑ Howson, pp. 47–48.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Tube Facts - Tube Stations that have no surface buildings
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Clive's Underground Line Guides - Hammersmith & City line
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ http://www.citymetric.com/transport/london-underground-why-are-circle-line-trains-showing-whitechapel-1544
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Bibliography
- Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to [[commons:Lua error in Module:WikidataIB at line 506: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).|Lua error in Module:WikidataIB at line 506: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).]]. |
- London's Abandoned Tube Stations - Aldgate East
- More photos and Google Street View imagery of this station
Preceding station | ![]() |
Following station | ||
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District line |
towards Upminster
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towards Hammersmith
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Hammersmith & City line |
towards Barking
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Former services | ||||
Preceding station | ![]() |
Following station | ||
District line
(1884-1938)
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towards Upminster
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- Use dmy dates from August 2012
- Use British English from August 2012
- Rail transport stations in London fare zone 1
- Commons category link from Wikidata
- District line stations
- Hammersmith & City line stations
- Tube stations in Tower Hamlets
- Former Metropolitan and Metropolitan District Joint Railway stations
- Railway stations opened in 1884
- Railway stations closed in 1938
- Railway stations opened in 1938
- Aldgate