Upminster station

Upminster
265px Car park side entrance to Upminster
Upminster Location of Upminster in Greater London
Location	Upminster
Local authority	London Borough of Havering
Managed by	c2c
Owner	Network Rail
Station code	UPM
DfT category	C2
Number of platforms	7
Accessible	Yes (except platform 6)
Fare zone	6
London Underground annual entry and exit
2011	4.56 million
2012	4.73 million
2013	4.96 million
2014	5.16 million
National Rail annual entry and exit
2009–10	3.018 million
2010–11	3.992 million
2011–12	4.191 million
2012–13	4.393 million
2013–14	4.529 million
Railway companies
Original company	London, Tilbury and Southend Railway
Pre-grouping	Midland Railway
Post-grouping	London, Midland and Scottish Railway
Key dates
1885	Opened
1902	District line started
1905	District line paused
1932	District line resumed
Other information
Lists of stations	DLR Underground National Rail Tramlink
External links	Departures Layout Facilities Buses
London Transport portal UK Railways portal

Upminster is a London Underground and National Rail interchange station serving the town of Upminster in the London Borough of Havering. It is located 16 miles (26 km) east-northeast of Charing Cross and was opened in May 1885 by the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway. Today the station has seven platforms and two entrances, one constructed in the Victorian era and another built by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway in 1932, that has been extensively modernised.

Upminster is the eastern terminus of the District line and the easternmost station on the London Underground network. The station is owned by Network Rail and managed by c2c, the train operating company which provides the main line services to and from Fenchurch Street in the City of London. Upminster is approximately 15 miles (24 km) down-line from Fenchurch Street, and is situated within Travelcard Zone 6. It is also the eastern terminus of a branch line to Romford via Emerson Park, which is currently operated by London Overground.

History

The London Tilbury and Southend Railway (LTSR) connected the City of London with the port town of Tilbury in 1854 and then with the seaside town of Southend in 1856. The route to Southend was not direct, taking a considerable diversion in order to serve the port at Tilbury. Between 1885 and 1888 a new direct route linking Barking station with Pitsea station was constructed, with a station at Upminster opening on 1 May 1885. The next station to the east was East Horndon (now West Horndon) and to the west was Hornchurch.

The Whitechapel and Bow Railway opened in 1902 and allowed through-services of the Metropolitan District Railway to operate on the LTSR line to Upminster. The District Railway converted to electric trains in 1905 and services were lost at Upminster when they were cut back to East Ham due to the tracks between East Ham and Upminster not yet having been electrified. Branches were opened by the LTSR to Grays in 1892 and Romford in 1893. The LTSR was purchased by Midland Railway in 1912 and was amalgamated into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMSR) from 1 January 1923.

The District Railway electric service extended eastward towards Upminster as far as Barking in 1908. Delayed by World War I, an additional pair of electrified tracks were extended by the LMSR and services of the District resumed to Upminster in 1932. The District Railway was incorporated into London Transport in 1933, and became known as the District line. A new station at Upminster Bridge on the District line became the next station to the west in 1934. After nationalisation of the railways in 1948, management of the station passed to British Railways and to London Transport in 1969.

From 31 May 2015, the Romford to Upminster Line transferred to London Overground Rail Operations.

Design

File:Upminster railway station 008.jpg

The London Underground signal box at Upminster station.

File:Floodlight Tower, LTE Depot, Cranham, Upmister - geograph.org.uk - 19553.jpg

Floodlight Tower at Upminster depot which illuminates the whole site and can be seen miles beyond.

The station was greatly expanded in 1932 by the LMS and the main station buildings, the two footbridges and the buildings on the remaining platforms were constructed in typical 1930s style. A further platform for services to Romford was a later addition. The main station building, which gives access to Station Road and the taxi rank, has been extensively redeveloped in contemporary style and includes three units currently used as a newsagent, a coffee shop and a parcel service shop. The original Victorian station structures remaining on platform 1 have been refurbished and now serve as a second ticket office, toilets and waiting room with an exit to Station Approach and the station car park. The original platforms were linked by a subway which has since been abandoned.

The station is the location of a London Underground signal box at the eastern end of the platforms and, several hundred yards east of the station, the modern signal control centre for all c2c operations on the line. The station has two ticket offices that are both operated by c2c. The main office is located on the main road, and the second office is located on the side road that leads to the station car park. Step-free access is available to all platforms with the exception to platform 6.

Services

Platforms 1a is a bay platform used by a limited number of services to/from Ockendon and other services via Ockendon only to start or terminate here, 1 is for services to Fenchurch Street and 2 for Grays and Shoeburyness which are served by c2c services. Platforms 3, 4 and 5 are served by the District line, and platform 6 is served by services to Romford operated by London Overground. The typical off-peak service in trains per hour (tph) is:

• c2c:
  • 6tph to London Fenchurch Street
  • 4tph to Shoeburyness via Basildon
  • 2tph to Southend Central via Ockendon
• London Overground:
  • 2tph to Romford

• London Underground, District line:
  • 6tph to Richmond (7tph at peak times)
  • 6tph to Ealing Broadway

Connections

London Bus routes 248, 346, 347 and 370 serve the station. Non-TFL routes (Essex Buses route 26 and 848) also serve the station.

External links

• Train times and station information for Upminster station from National Rail
• London Transport Museum - Photographic collection images
• c2c information for Upminster station

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		Romford to Upminster Line		Terminus
	National Rail
Barking		c2c London, Tilbury & Southend Line		West Horndon
Barking or Terminus		c2c Tilbury Loop		Ockendon
Benfleet		c2c London, Tilbury & Southend Line		Chalkwell
	Historical services
Preceding station		London Underground		Following station
Upminster Bridge towards Wimbledon, Richmond or Ealing Broadway		District line		Leigh-on-Sea towards Shoeburyness