Plaistow tube station

History

The London, Tilbury and Southend Railway (LTSR) direct line between Bow and Barking was constructed east–west through the middle of the parish of West Ham with service starting on 31 March 1858. Prior to the building of the line, trains took a longer and more congested route via Stratford and Forest Gate. The new line initially had stations at Bromley, Plaistow and East Ham, with Upton Park added as the next station to the east of Plaistow on 1 September 1877. West Ham was added to the west in 1901. From 18 May 1869 the North London Railway ran a daily service to Plaistow via the Bow–Bromley curve, terminating at the northern bay platform. In 1905 the service switched to a new bay platform on the southern side. The North London Railway service to Plaistow ceased on 1 January 1916.

The Whitechapel and Bow Railway opened on 2 June 1902 and allowed through services of the District Railway to operate to Upminster. Service began at Plaistow on 2 June 1902. The District Railway was electrified over a second pair of tracks, with electric service operating from 30 September 1905. The District provided the majority of services at the station from this date. The London, Tilbury and Southend Railway became part of the Midland Railway in 1912. The Midland Railway was amalgamated into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) on 1 January 1923. The District Railway was incorporated into London Transport in 1933, and became known as the District line.

The eastern section of the District line was very overcrowded by the mid 1930s. In order to relieve this, the Metropolitan line service was extended to Barking. Plaistow was served by a single daily Metropolitan line train from Hammersmith from 30 March 1936. This was expanded from 4 May 1936 with an eight trains per hour service between Barking and Hammersmith at peak times. This was increased to ten trains per hour at Plaistow from 8 May 1938. The Hammersmith service was swapped for longer Uxbridge trains from 17 July 1939, at eight trains per hour at peak times. This service was suspended on 6 October 1941 with Hammersmith trains again running to Barking. The 1947 timetable shows only a few services a day on the Fenchurch Street–Southend line calling at Plaistow and a frequent service provided by the District line.

After nationalisation of the railways in 1948, management of the station passed to British Railways. The Fenchurch Street–Southend services were withdrawn on 14 June 1962 with the introduction of full overhead line electric service. On 1 January 1969 ownership transferred to the London Underground. On 30 July 1990, the Hammersmith–Barking service of the Metropolitan line gained a separate identity as the Hammersmith & City line. From 13 December 2009, off-peak Hammersmith & City line service was extended from Whitechapel to Barking with a daily all-day service at Upton Park.

Works and engine sheds

Plaistow railway works were built adjacent to the station on the north side of the line to the west of the station in 1879 to 1880. A separate engine shed was opened in 1899 adjoining the western end of the works. The locomotive works closed in 1925, with responsibility being transferred to Bow railway works which were a short distance away. Carriage and wagon work lasted until 1932 when that work was transferred to Wolverton railway works.

On 30 September 1911 a new depot—initially called "West Ham"—opened on the south side of the line and this became a Midland Railway depot in 1912 when the Midland Railway took over the London Tilbury and Southend Railway (LTSR) and then a London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) shed in 1923 following the grouping, when it was allocated the 13a depot code. Following nationalization in 1948 the depot was initially part of British Railways London Midland Region, although on 20 February 1949 it transferred to the Eastern Region. The depot code was changed to 33A which it retained until November 1959. From then until closure in 1962 it was a sub-shed of Tilbury (33B), then closed following electrification of the LTSR system.

In 1950 Plaistow had an allocation of 83 locomotives, the majority (70) of which were tank engines for passenger traffic to and from Fenchurch Street with 6 freight engines and 7 shunting engines making up the balance.

Design

The station has three platforms in use, comprising two through platforms and a third bay platform enabling eastbound trains to terminate and reverse back to central London. Two other platforms used to serve the LTSR line but are now closed and derelict; c2c trains pass through non-stop. Plaistow used to have sidings on the north side of the line, but the site is now derelict, having formerly been occupied by a Dagenham Motors car showroom.

The two-storey station booking hall at street level dates from 1882/3. Part of the southern wall of the 1880 Plaistow railway works remains as the northern wall of the eastbound platform. The remainder of the station buildings are from the 1902/3 expansion for District Railway service. The station has a local listing by Newham Council for its historic interest.

Location

Although there is no station car park, there is a Newham London Borough Council-run pay and display car park to the immediate south, connected by a set of steps. This was closed for neighbouring building works that were expected to run until 2023. London Buses routes 69, 241, 262 and 473 serve the station.

Notes

References

Citations

Sources

References

1. Wells, J. C. (2008). ''Longman Pronunciation Dictionary'', 3rd edn, Harlow, UK: Longman
2. Daniel Jones, Peter Roach, et al. (2011). ''Cambridge Pronouncing Dictionary'', 18th edn, Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press
3. (2024). "The Great Eastern Railway, the Early History, 1811-1862". Pen & Sword Books Limited.
4. Rose, Douglas. (1999). "The London Underground: A diagrammatic history". Douglas Rose.
5. (June 1947). "Table 214 London, Tilbury, Southend-on-Sea and Shoeburyness". Timetable World.
6. (June 1947). "Table 217 District line – Bromley, Plaistow, East Ham, Barking, Upney, Becontree, Heathway, Dagenham, Hornchurch and Upminster". Timetable World.
7. (June 1969). "The Upminster Line". London Underground Railway Society.
8. (8 February 2011). "Review of the New Sub-Surface Railway Service Pattern Introduced on 13 December 2009".
9. (August 1998). "Fenchurch Street – Barking". Middleton Press.
10. (January 1985). "Locomotive allocations of the LTSR in the early British Railways period". Great Eastern Journal.
11. (30 September 2010). "Locally Listed Buildings in Newham".
12. "Plaistow Station".