Upminster station

The London Tilbury and Southend Railway (LTSR) connected the City of London and its terminal station at Fenchurch Street with the port at Tilbury Dock in 1854, extending out to the seaside town of Southend in 1856. The route to Southend was not direct, taking a considerable diversion in order to serve the docks at Tilbury. Between 1885 and 1888 a new direct route from Barking to Pitsea was constructed, with the station at Upminster opening on 1 May 1885.[6] The next station to the east was East Horndon (now called West Horndon) and to the west was Hornchurch.[6]

Branches were opened by the LTSR to Grays in 1892 and Romford in 1893. 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.[7] The District Railway converted to electric trains in 1905 and services were lost at Upminster when they were curtailed at East Ham[8] due to the tracks between that station and Upminster not yet having been electrified.[7] 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 as far as Barking in 1908.[7] Delayed by World War I,[6] an additional pair of electrified tracks were extended by the LMSR and services of the District continued to Upminster in 1932.[7][8][9] 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.[8] After nationalisation of the railways in 1948, management of Upminster station passed to British Railways.

London Underground signal box at Upminster.

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

The station was greatly expanded in 1932 by the LMSR and the main station building, 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 primary station building, which gives access to the main Station Road, has been extensively redeveloped in contemporary style and includes three retail units. The original Victorian station structures remaining beside the main-line platform 1 have been refurbished and now include a secondary ticket office and waiting room[2] with an exit to Station Approach and the 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 further east, the modern signal control centre for all main-line operations on the LTSR.[10] Step-free access is available to all platforms with the exception of platform 6, for the Romford branch line.[1][2]

Class 357 Electrostar, S7 Stock and Class 315 at Upminster

A London Overground train awaiting departure for Romford from platform six

• Platform 1A, a bay platform, is only used during engineering works and on Sundays for services via Ockendon.
• Platform 1 for services to Fenchurch Street and Liverpool Street.
• Platform 2 for Grays, Southend and Shoeburyness.
• Platforms 3, 4 and 5 are served by the District line.
• Platform 6 is used for shuttle service to/from Romford, operated by London Overground.

The typical off-peak service of trains per hour (tph) is:

• c2c, main-line:
  • 6tph to London Fenchurch Street;
  • 4tph to Shoeburyness via Basildon;
  • 2tph to Southend Central via Ockendon.
• London Overground, Romford to Upminster Line:
  • 2tph to Romford.
• London Underground, District line:
  • 6tph to Richmond;[11] (7tph at peak times)[7]
  • 6tph to Ealing Broadway.[7][11]

London Buses routes 248, 346, 347, 370 and school routes 646, 648 and 652 serve the station.[12]

• Media related to Upminster station at Wikimedia Commons

• Train times and station information for Upminster station from National Rail
• Upminster station images in the collection of London Transport Museum
• 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
				Ockendon
	Historical services
Preceding station		London Underground		Following station
Upminster Bridge towards Wimbledon, Richmond or Ealing Broadway		District line		Leigh-on-Sea towards Shoeburyness