Upminster station

Infobox London station
name = Upminster


caption = Upminster station main building
owner = Network Rail
manager = c2c
zone = 6
locale = Upminster
borough = London Borough of Havering
platforms = 7
tubeexits04 = 3.338
tubeexits07 = 4.569
railexits0405 = 3.438
railexits0506 = 3.331
railcode = UPM
years = 1885
events = Opened by LT&SR
years1 = 1902
events1 = District Line started
years2 = 1905
events2 = District Line withdrawn
years3 = 1932
events3 = District Line restarted

Upminster station is a London Underground and National Rail station located in Upminster in the London Borough of Havering.

History

The station was opened in 1885 by the London Tilbury and Southend Railway (LT&SR) on a new direct route from London to Southend, avoiding Tilbury. It served as the eastern District line terminus from 1902,Rose, D., "The London Underground: A diagrammatic history", (1999)] when the opening of the Whitechapel & Bow Railway enabled the trains of the Metropolitan District Railway to operate over the tracks of the LT&SR.Wolmar, C., "Subterranean Railway", (2004)] When the District line was electrified in 1905, services were cut back to East Ham, and later Barking. Upminster was re-established as the eastern terminus in 1932 when the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) constructed an additional pair of tracks from Barking, which were fourth-rail electrified.

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 have been extensively redeveloped in contemporary style and include three units currently used as a W H Smith, a cobblers/dry cleaners and a tapas restaurant. 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 [ [http://www.c2c-online.co.uk/templates/NewsArticle.aspx?id=382 c2c] - "Train name unites c2c and Network Rail"] .

Services

Upminster station is in Zone 6 and is managed by c2c. It is the easternmost station on the London Underground network and is located 16.6 miles (26.7 km) east north-east of Charing Cross and fifteen miles down line from Fenchurch Street.

The station is served by District Line and also by c2c and National Express East Anglia train services. The station has seven platforms. Platforms 1a, 1 & 2 are served by c2c services. Platforms 3, 4 & 5 are served by the District Line and platform 6 is served by National Express East Anglia services.

The typical off-peak service frequency is:

* 6tph (trains per hour) to Fenchurch Street (c2c)
* 6tph to Richmond via Tower Hill (District Line)
* 6tph to Wimbledon via Tower Hill (District Line)
* 2tph to Romford via the Upminster-Romford branch line (National Express East Anglia)

* 4tph to Shoeburyness via Basildon (c2c)
* 2tph to Southend Central via Ockendon (c2c)

Ticket office and ticketing

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.

The station mostly uses the TRIBUTE issuing system, but in order to be able to retail the Transport for London Oyster Cards, there were still two APTIS machines in use until 23 March 2007, which coincidentally were the last remaining APTIS machines to be in service anywhere on the National Rail network. c2c is in the process of testing a new system called FasTIS which, like TRIBUTE, is fully computer-based but which is able to sell Oyster. The system has already been approved for use at other National Rail stations in the Travelcard zonal area where Oyster card provision is required (mostly joint National Rail/TfL locations such as Gunnersbury and Willesden Junction). If the c2c trial is successful, the system will be expanded across the c2c network.

Gallery

References

External links

* [http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/upload/xls/station_usage_2005-06.xls Excel file displaying National Rail station usage information for 2005/06]
* [http://map.tfl.gov.uk/accessible/station.asp?id=241&visual Transport for London information for Upminster station]
* [http://photos.ltmcollection.org/images/max/53/993653.jpgImage of entrance on Station Road taken in 1935]

Connections

London Buses routes 55 , 248 , 346, 347 and 370 serve the site of the station.