Upminster Bridge tube station
Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English Template:Infobox London station Upminster Bridge is a London Underground station in the Upminster Bridge neighbourhood of the London Borough of Havering, East London. It is on the District line, between Hornchurch and Upminster stations. 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 on 17 December 1934 by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway on the local electrified tracks between Upminster and Barking that were constructed in 1932. The main station building, on Upminster Road, is of a distinctive polygonal design by William Henry Hamlyn. It has relatively low usage for a suburban station and was the least busy station on the District line in 2023. It is in London fare zone 6.
History
The London, Tilbury and Southend Railway from London Fenchurch Street and Barking was constructed through the Upminster Bridge area in 1885, with stations at Hornchurch and Upminster.<ref name="Barking LTSR">Template:Citation</ref> The Whitechapel and Bow Railway opened in 1902 and allowed through-services of the District Railway to operate to Upminster. The District Railway converted to electric trains in 1905 and services were cut back to Template:Lus.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"/><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.<ref name="Horne">Template:Cite book</ref>
The new tracks built by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway allowed additional intermediate stations to be constructed on the local lines between 1932 and 1935. Increased local demand was caused by the expansion of the built-up area of suburban London during the interwar period. The infill station at Upminster Bridge was built to the designs of LMS architect William Henry Hamlyn, drawing inspiration from London Underground station architecture.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> It opened with platforms on the local electric lines on 17 December 1934.<ref name="rose"/> 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> After nationalisation of the railways in 1948 management of the station passed to British Railways.<ref name="Horne"/> In 1969 ownership transferred to the London Underground.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
In 2006, the station became one of the first on the network to operate without a staffed ticket office.<ref name="ticket office">Template:Cite web</ref>
Design
The station consists of a central island platform—numbered 1 for westbound and 2 for eastbound—between the tracks that are elevated on a railway embankment.<ref name="Carto">Template:Cite web</ref> There are four tracks through the site although there are no platforms for the London, Tilbury and Southend line. The full length of the platform is covered by a single canopy with a central waiting room and public toilet.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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The Art Deco red brick ticket office is located below platform level, to which it is connected by a subway and stairway. Although similar to the other single-storey station buildings on this part of the route, it is notable for its high atrium roof and polygonal shape.<ref name="Menear">Template:Cite book</ref> The floor is tiled with a reversed swastika pattern, a popular decorative design at the time the station was constructed.<ref name="photo floor">Template:Cite web</ref> The station was listed locally as a building of local heritage interest by Havering London Borough Council.<ref name="Havering Heritage">Template:Cite web</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. Works 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>Template:Cite web</ref> The station does not have step-free access from the platforms to the street.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Clear left
Location
The station is named after a nearby crossing of the River Ingrebourne.<ref name="mills">Template:Cite book</ref> The river was the boundary between the ancient parishes of Hornchurch and Upminster and the station is located on the western Hornchurch side.<ref name="Upminster history">Template:Cite book</ref> The station is situated on Upminster Road in the London Borough of Havering and is flanked by a parade of shops. It is situated in a primarily residential area and is near to Havering Sixth Form College and Hornchurch Stadium.<ref name="college">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="stadium">Template:Cite web</ref>
The London Loop key walking route passes outside the station, and it forms the end point of section 22 from Harold Wood and the starting point of section 23 to Rainham.<ref name="loop 22">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="loop 23">Template:Cite web</ref> The station is located on the eastern extremity of the District line and is the penultimate station before the terminus at Upminster.<ref name="tube map">Template:Cite web</ref> Upminster station is Template:Convert to the east of the station and Hornchurch is Template:Convert to the west.<ref name="Inter Station Database">Template:Cite web</ref> It is Template:Convert along the line from Template:Lus in central London.<ref name="Working Timetable 155">Template:Cite web</ref> The station is 14 miles and 38 chains down the line from Fenchurch Street.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
London Buses routes 193, 248 and 370 serve the station, providing connections to County Park Estate, Cranham, Lakeside, Queen's Hospital and Romford.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Services
Template:External media Upminster Bridge station is on the eastern part of the District line in London fare zone 6. It is between Hornchurch to the west and Upminster to the east. 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> The journey time to Upminster is approximately two minutes, to Barking 15 minutes and to Tower Hill in central London 38 minutes.<ref name="Working 155"/>
Total number of passenger entries and exits at the station during the year is as follows:<ref name=2011stats>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Columns-start Template:Bar chart Template:Column Template:Bar chart Template:Column Template:Bar chart Template:Columns-end
With 0.84 million entries and exits in 2023, it ranked 259th busiest London Underground station. It was the least busy station on the District line.<ref name=infobox_stats_ref_tube_2023/>
Notes
References
External links
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