Elm Park tube station
Template:Short description Template:Good article Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English Template:Infobox London station Elm Park is a London Underground station in the Elm Park neighbourhood of the London Borough of Havering, East London. It is on the District line between Template:Lus to the west and Template:Stn to the east. It is Template:Convert along the line from the eastern terminus at Upminster and Template:Convert from Template:Lus in Central London. The station was opened by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway on 13 May 1935 with an official opening ceremony on 18 May 1935. The station was refurbished by Metronet in 2005 and 2006. It was the last infill station on the London Underground until 2008. The station is of a similar design to those constructed at Template:Lus and Template:Lus. It is in London fare zone 6.
History
The London, Tilbury and Southend Railway constructed a line from Barking to Pitsea through the Hornchurch area in 1885, with stations at Dagenham and Hornchurch.Template:Sfn The Whitechapel and Bow Railway opened in 1902 and allowed through services of the District Railway to operate to Upminster. The District converted to electric trains in 1905 and services were cut back to East Ham.Template:Efn 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.<ref name="Barking LTSR">Template:Citation</ref><ref name="rose">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Wolmar">Template:Cite book</ref> The District Railway was incorporated into London Transport in 1933, and became known as the District line.Template:Sfn
The infill station was provided from 13 May 1935 to serve the Elm Park Garden City development.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Story">Template:Cite book</ref> The developer, Richard Costain and Sons Ltd., negotiated with the LMS to have the station built on the existing line. It was officially opened by Hilton Young, Minister of Health on 18 May 1935 as part of a day of celebration.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The station was built to the designs of LMS architect William Henry Hamlyn, drawing inspiration from London Underground station architecture.<ref name="BR arch">Template:Cite book</ref> Electric train service was initially a train every 10 minutes at peak times and every 20 minutes off-peak.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The station was operated by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway but was only served by District line trains.Template:Efn<ref name="1947 LMS A">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="1947 LMS B">Template:Cite web</ref>
Derek Wayman, a four year-old child from Elm Park Avenue, was electrocuted on the railway line near the station on 1 June 1935.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> After nationalisation of the railways on 1 January 1948, management of the station was passed to British Railways.Template:Sfn On 1 January 1969 ownership transferred to the London Underground.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> As part of the public–private partnership arrangement for maintenance of the London Underground, the station was refurbished by Metronet during 2005 and 2006.<ref name="Refurb">Template:Cite web</ref> The station was the last to be opened on an existing London Underground line (rather than as part of an extension or new line) until Wood Lane on the Hammersmith & City line in 2008.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Design
The station consists of a central island platform—numbered 1 for westbound and 2 for eastbound—between the tracks.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> There are four tracks through the site although there are no platforms for the London, Tilbury and Southend line.Template:Sfn The platforms are Template:Convert in length with the Template:Convert section currently in operational use under a single canopy supported by a row of central columns.Template:Sfn There are central platform buildings, including a waiting room and public toilet.Template:Sfn<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Art Deco ticket office is located above platform level, to which it is connected by a long sloping walkway.Template:Sfn There is step-free access from the platform to the street.<ref name="Step free"/> The design is similar to stations at Dagenham Heathway and Upney, although the building has greater use of reinforced concrete which has created a more distinctive design with a curved roof overhang.<ref name="BR arch"/>
Works from the 2005/6 refurbishment included provision of tactile strips and colour contrasted handrails for the visually impaired, installation of closed-circuit television cameras, passenger help points, new electronic departure information displays on the platforms, a new public address system and improved lighting.<ref name="Refurb"/> In 2010 it was noted there were "no changes of substance" since opening.Template:Sfn
Location
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The station is situated within the mid-1930s planned community of Elm Park.<ref name="Story"/> The name was derived from Elm Farm, which is first recorded in 1777 and was known as Elms in 1883, around the time the railway was constructed through the area.<ref name="Mills">Template:Cite book</ref> It is located on The Broadway in the London Borough of Havering. The immediate area is a busy, compact shopping district surrounded by extensive residential development to the north and south.Template:Efn The station is served by London Buses routes 165, 252, 365 and 372.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It will be served by upcoming route SL12.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Hornchurch station is Template:Convert to the east of the station and Dagenham East is Template:Convert to the west. It is Template:Convert along the line from Template:Lus in Central London and Template:Convert from the eastern terminus at Upminster.<ref name="Working Timetable 155">Template:Cite web</ref>
Services
The station is managed by London Underground.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It is in London fare zone 6. The typical off-peak service from the station is 12 District line trains per hour to Upminster and 12 to Earl's Court, of which six continue to Ealing Broadway and six continue to Richmond.<ref name="Working 155">Template:Cite web</ref> At peak periods the number of trains per hour increases to 15 and some trains continue from Earl's Court to Wimbledon.<ref name="Working 155"/> Services towards Central London operate from approximately 05:00 to 23:45 and services to Upminster operate from approximately 06:00 to 01:30.<ref name="first and last">Template:Cite web</ref> With 2.54 million entries and exits in 2023, it ranked 199th busiest London Underground station.<ref name=infobox_stats_ref_tube_2023/>