East Ham tube station

East Ham London Underground
Entrance to High Street North
East Ham is located in Greater London
East Ham
East Ham
Location of East Ham in Greater London
LocationEast Ham
Local authorityLondon Borough of Newham
Managed byLondon Underground
Number of platforms2
AccessibleYes[1]
Fare zone3 and 4
London Underground annual entry and exit
2020Decrease 8.49 million[2]
2021Decrease 5.97 million[3]
2022Increase 9.89 million[4]
2023Increase 10.79 million[5]
2024Increase 11.12 million[6]
Railway companies
Original companyLondon, Tilbury and Southend Railway
Pre-groupingMidland Railway
Post-groupingLondon, Midland and Scottish Railway
Key dates
31 March 1858Opened
8 July 1894East Ham–Kentish Town started
2 June 1902District line started
30 March 1936Metropolitan line started
1 January 1948Ownership transferred to British Railways
15 September 1958East Ham–Kentish Town withdrawn
14 June 1962London–Southend withdrawn
1 January 1969Ownership transferred to London Transport
Listed status
Listing gradeII
Entry number1245066[7]
Added to list20 January 1999; 27 years ago (1999-01-20)
Other information
External links
Coordinates51°32′20″N 0°03′06″E / 51.539°N 0.0516°E / 51.539; 0.0516
London transport portal

East Ham (/ˈiːst ˈhæm/) is a London Underground station, located on High Street North in the East Ham neighbourhood of the London Borough of Newham, East London. It is on the District and Hammersmith & City lines, between Upton Park to the west and Barking to the east. The station was opened by the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway on 31 March 1858 on a new more direct route from Fenchurch Street to Barking. It became an interchange station in 1894 when it was connected to the Tottenham and Forest Gate Railway. The large Edwardian station building was constructed to accommodate the electric District Railway services on an additional set of tracks opened in 1905. Metropolitan line service commenced in 1936. British Railways service to Kentish Town was withdrawn in 1958 and the Fenchurch Street–Southend service was withdrawn in 1962, leaving abandoned platforms. It is in London fare zone 3 and 4.

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 East Ham with service starting on 31 March 1858.[8] Prior to the building of the line, trains took a longer and more congested route via Stratford and Forest Gate.[9] The new line initially had stations at Bromley, Plaistow and East Ham,[10] with Upton Park added as the next station to the west of East Ham on 1 September 1877.[11] A bay platform was added to the north of the station on 1 July 1894 that connected to the Tottenham and Forest Gate Railway.[12] This was used to provide a frequent local service to St Pancras or Moorgate via a circuitous route through Kentish Town from 8 July 1894.[13] East Ham was the interchange station for connections from this line to Tilbury and Southend.[a]

Ticket office interior from 1902 rebuild in 2022

The Whitechapel and Bow Railway opened on 2 June 1902 and allowed through services of the District Railway to operate to Upminster.[14] Service began at East Ham on 2 June 1902.[15] The District Railway was electrified over a second pair of tracks, and the service was cut back from Upminster to East Ham with the station then serving as the eastern terminus from 30 September 1905.[16] The station, which had been described as very inadequate, was rebuilt to coincide with electrification.[17] Passengers travelling further east transferred to steam trains, until 1 April 1908 when electrification was extended to Barking.[18][b] East Ham was a calling point for peak time "non-stop" trains that were introduced in December 1907.[20] Service frequency was limited east of Whitechapel by the signalling system. Taking advantage of longer platforms on the LTSR section through East Ham, longer trains were run at peak times that split at Whitechapel into non-stop and stopping sections.[20]

The District line platforms (eastbound to right) and note the 'LTSR' canopy support (close up detail)

The London, Tilbury and Southend Railway and Tottenham and Forest Gate Railway became part of the Midland Railway in 1912.[c][22] With 3.9 million passengers in 1921 it was the busiest station on the London, Tilbury and Southend line.[23] The Midland Railway was amalgamated into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) on 1 January 1923.[24] The District Railway was incorporated into London Transport in 1933, and became known as the District line.[25] The eastern section of the District line was very overcrowded by the mid 1930s.[26] In order to relieve this, the Metropolitan line service was extended to Barking.[d][28] East Ham was served by a single daily Metropolitan line train from Hammersmith from 30 March 1936.[29] This was expanded from 4 May 1936 with an eight trains per hour service between Barking and Hammersmith at peak times.[29] This was increased to ten trains per hour at East Ham from 8 May 1938.[e] 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.[30]

The disused down Southend platform forms an island with the westbound District line

After nationalisation of the railways in 1948, management of the station passed to British Railways.[31] Service to Kentish Town was withdrawn from 15 September 1958 and the northern bay platform was taken out of use.[32] To accommodate the new East Ham depot, the up through (Fenchurch Street) north-facing platform was demolished and a replacement built to the south. The new south-facing platform came into service on 31 November 1959.[33] The Fenchurch Street–Southend services were withdrawn on 14 June 1962 with the introduction of full overhead line electric service.[34][f] On 1 January 1969 ownership transferred to the London Underground.[36][37] On 30 July 1990, the Hammersmith–Barking service of the Metropolitan line gained a separate identity as the Hammersmith & City line.[15] Lifts providing step-free access to the platforms became operational on 2 August 2004.[38] From 13 December 2009, off-peak Hammersmith & City line service was extended from Whitechapel to Barking with a daily all-day service at East Ham.[39]

Incidents

On Sunday 10 October 1915, a passenger train travelling from Tilbury to Fenchurch Street was derailed, except for the engine, to the east of the station without causing serious injury.[40] On the evening of 24 March 1924, one coach of a District Railway train derailed at the station.[41] On 12 November 1959, a passenger train overran signals and was in a rear-end collision with another standing at the station. Thirteen people were injured.[42][43]

Design

'LTSR' bench on the westbound platform (close up detail)

The station consists of two operational platforms on an east–west alignment. Platform 2, the northernmost, is for eastbound service. Platform 1 is for westbound service.[44] The Edwardian brick station building is from the 1902 rebuild for District Railway service.[45] The ticket office interior is finished in glazed bricks. Elsewhere the station is finished in London stock and red brick.[45] The station is Grade II listed.[7] The disused platforms of the Fenchurch Street to Southend services are to the south of the operational platforms.[46] There is a disused bay platform to the north of the station.[47]

Location

The station is located in the suburb of East Ham, on High Street North, in the London Borough of Newham. It is served by London Buses routes 101, 147, 238, 300, 304, 325, 376 and 474.[48]

Barking is 2.29 kilometres (1.42 mi) to the east of the station and Upton Park is 1.4 kilometres (0.87 mi) to the west. It is 10.05 kilometres (6.24 mi) along the line from Tower Hill in Central London and 14.63 kilometres (9.09 mi) from the eastern terminus at Upminster.[49] The station is 6 miles 18 chains (10.0 km) down the line from Fenchurch Street.[44]

Services

The station is managed by London Underground.[50] It is in London fare zone 3 and 4. The typical off-peak service from the station is 12 District line trains per hour to Upminster with a further three trains to Barking. There are 15 trains westbound to Earl's Court, of which six continue to Ealing Broadway, six continue to Richmond and three to Wimbledon.[49] At peak periods the number of trains per hour increases.[49] There are six Hammersmith & City line trains an hour to Barking and six to Hammersmith at all times.[51]

Services towards central London operate from approximately 05:00 to 00:00 and services to Upminster operate from approximately 06:00 to 01:15.[52] The journey time to Upminster is approximately 20 minutes, to Barking 3 minutes and to Tower Hill in central London 29 minutes.[49] With 11.1 million entries and exits in 2024, it ranked 60th busiest London Underground station.[6]

Notes

  1. ^ A limited number of express through trains avoiding East Ham commenced 1895.[12]
  2. ^ Electric District service was extended to Upminster on 12 September 1932.[19]
  3. ^ The Tottenham and Forest Gate Railway was an existing joint venture between the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway and the Midland Railway.[21]
  4. ^ This was achieved by diverting Metropolitan line trains that had previously been routed onto the East London Line at Whitechapel.[27]
  5. ^ The two extra trains terminated at East Ham.[30]
  6. ^ Limited summer services to Southend continued throughout the 1960s.[35]

References

Citations

  1. ^ "Step free Tube Guide" (PDF). Transport for London. April 2025. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 April 2025.
  2. ^ "Station Usage Data" (XLSX). Usage Statistics for London Stations, 2020. Transport for London. 16 April 2021. Archived from the original on 11 April 2025. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  3. ^ "Station Usage Data" (XLSX). Usage Statistics for London Stations, 2021. Transport for London. 12 July 2022. Archived from the original on 6 April 2025. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
  4. ^ "Station Usage Data" (XLSX). Usage Statistics for London Stations, 2022. Transport for London. 4 October 2023. Archived from the original on 19 March 2025. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  5. ^ "Station Usage Data" (XLSX). Usage Statistics for London Stations, 2023. Transport for London. 8 August 2024. Archived from the original on 31 May 2025. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  6. ^ a b "Station Usage Data" (XLSX). Usage Statistics for London Stations, 2024. Transport for London. 8 October 2025. Archived from the original on 10 October 2025. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
  7. ^ a b Historic England. "East Ham Underground Station (1245066)". National Heritage List for England. Archived from the original on 31 December 2025. Retrieved 12 November 2012.
  8. ^ Phillips, Charles (2024). The Great Eastern Railway, the Early History, 1811-1862 (1st ed.). Havertown: Pen & Sword Books Limited. ISBN 9781399024716.
  9. ^ Kay 1996, p. 25-28.
  10. ^ Kay 1996, p. 26.
  11. ^ Kay 1997, p. 113.
  12. ^ a b Kay 1997, p. 91.
  13. ^ Welch 1963, pp. 17–18.
  14. ^ Horne 2018, pp. 160–171.
  15. ^ a b Rose, Douglas (1999). The London Underground: A diagrammatic history (7 ed.). Douglas Rose. ISBN 1-85414-219-4.
  16. ^ Horne 2019, pp. 126–127.
  17. ^ "Widening of the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway". Locomotive, Railway Carriage and Wagon Review. 8. Locomotive Publishing Company: 232–233. 1903.
  18. ^ Horne 2019, p. 127.
  19. ^ Kay 2010, p. 183.
  20. ^ a b "Station and Service Improvements on the Underground Railway". The Railway Times. 93 (21): 535–537. 23 May 1908.
  21. ^ Kay 1997, p. 88.
  22. ^ Kay 1997, pp. 128–9.
  23. ^ Kay 2010, p. 154.
  24. ^ Acworth, W. M. (1923). "Grouping Under the Railways Act, 1921". The Economic Journal. 33 (129): 19–38. doi:10.2307/2222914. ISSN 0013-0133. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
  25. ^ Horne 2019, p. 344.
  26. ^ Horne 2019, p. 353.
  27. ^ Horne 2006, p. 65.
  28. ^ Horne 2019, pp. 353–4.
  29. ^ a b Horne 2019, p. 354.
  30. ^ a b Horne 2006, p. 68.
  31. ^ Horne 2006, pp. 82–83.
  32. ^ H.V. Borley (1982). Chronology of London Railways. p. 20.
  33. ^ Kay 2019, pp. 168–71.
  34. ^ Horne 2006, p. 82.
  35. ^ Kay 2020, p. 610.
  36. ^ Kay 2020, pp. 612–613.
  37. ^ "The Upminster Line" (PDF). Underground. 8 (90). London Underground Railway Society: 92–93. June 1969. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 June 2025. Retrieved 9 June 2025.
  38. ^ "Transport for London Board Meeting: Agenda" (PDF). Transport for London. 27 October 2004. p. 2. Archived (PDF) from the original on 19 May 2024. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
  39. ^ "Review of the New Sub-Surface Railway Service Pattern Introduced on 13 December 2009" (PDF). Transport for London. 8 February 2011. Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 August 2019. Retrieved 11 June 2025.
  40. ^ "Train derailment at East Ham". The Daily News and Leader. 11 October 1915. p. 5.
  41. ^ "East Ham train mishap". London Daily Chronicle. 25 March 1924. p. 7.
  42. ^ Earnshaw, Alan (1993). Trains in Trouble: Vol. 8. Penryn: Atlantic Books. p. 32. ISBN 0-906899-52-4.
  43. ^ Langley, Charles Ardagh (25 February 1960). "Report on the Collision which occurred on 12th November 1959 at East Ham in the Eastern Region British Railways" (PDF). Railways Archive. HMSO. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 June 2013. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
  44. ^ a b Padgett, David; Kelman, Leanne (2024) [1994]. Munsey, Myles (ed.). Railway Track Diagrams 5: Southern & TfL (5th ed.). Frome: Trackmaps. map 44B. ISBN 1999627172.
  45. ^ a b "London Underground: Station Design Idiom" (PDF). Transport for London. p. 214. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 July 2025. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
  46. ^ Kelman, Leanne (2025) [1988]. Brailsford, Martyn (ed.). Railway Track Diagrams 2: Eastern (6th ed.). Frome: Trackmaps. map 4A. ISBN 9781999627188.
  47. ^ Kay 2019, p. 566.
  48. ^ "Buses from East Ham Station and Town Hall" (PDF). TfL. 21 May 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 May 2022. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  49. ^ a b c d "District line working timetable 156" (PDF). Transport for London. 12 January 2026. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 January 2026. Retrieved 24 January 2026.
  50. ^ "Station list by line". Transport of London. Archived from the original on 8 May 2025. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
  51. ^ "Circle and Hammersmith & City line working timetable 39" (PDF). Transport for London. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 December 2025. Retrieved 12 June 2025.
  52. ^ "District line" (PDF). First and Last Trains. Transport for London. 12 January 2026. Archived (PDF) from the original on 19 January 2026. Retrieved 24 January 2026.

Sources

  • Horne, Mike (2006). The District Line. Capital Transport. ISBN 1-85414-292-5.
  • Horne, Mike (2018). London's District Railway: A History of the Metropolitan District Railway Company. Twentieth Century. Volume one. Capital Transport Publishing. ISBN 978-1854144256.
  • Horne, Mike (2019). London's District Railway: A History of the Metropolitan District Railway Company. Twentieth Century. Volume two. Capital Transport Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85414-430-0.
  • Kay, Peter (1996). The London, Tilbury & Southend Railway: A History of the Company and Line Volume 1. Wivenhoe: P. Kay. ISBN 189-9-890106.
  • Kay, Peter (1997). The London, Tilbury & Southend Railway: A History of the Company and Line Volume 2. Wivenhoe: P. Kay. ISBN 189-9-89019X.
  • Kay, Peter (2010). The London, Tilbury & Southend Railway: A History of the Company and Line Volume 3. Wivenhoe: P. Kay. ISBN 978-1-899890-43-9.
  • Kay, Peter (2019). The London, Tilbury & Southend Railway: A History of the Company and Line Volume 7. Wivenhoe: P. Kay. ISBN 978-1-899890-51-4.
  • Kay, Peter (2020). The London, Tilbury & Southend Railway: A History of the Company and Line Volume 8. Wivenhoe: P. Kay. ISBN 978-1-899890-52-1.
  • Welch, Harold (1963) [1951]. The London, Tilbury & Southend Railway (Second impression, revised ed.). Oakwood Press.
Preceding station London Underground Following station
Upton Park
towards Hammersmith
 Hammersmith & City line Barking
Terminus
Upton Park
towards Wimbledon, Richmond or Ealing Broadway
 District line
 Barking
towards Upminster
Former services
Terminus   Eastern Region of British Railways
St Pancras–Barking/East Ham 		  Woodgrange Park
Upton Park   Eastern Region of British Railways
London, Tilbury and Southend 		  Barking
allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Ham_railway_station