Upminster station

Upminster station is a London Underground and National Rail station located in Upminster in the London Borough of Havering and in London fare zone 6. Located 16 mi east-northeast of Charing Cross, it is the easternmost station on the London Underground network and the eastern terminus of the District line service. The station is owned by Network Rail and is managed by the c2c train operating company; who provide train services on the London-Tilbury-Southend route from Fenchurch Street, 15 mi up the line. It is also the eastern terminus of a shuttle service to Romford operated by National Express East Anglia. The station opened to the public on Friday 1 May 1885. The station has seven platforms and two entrances; one constructed in the Victorian era and another built by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway in 1932, that has been extensively modernised.

History
The London Tilbury and Southend Railway connected London with Tilbury in 1854 and with Southend in 1856. The route to Southend was not direct, taking a considerable diversion in order to serve the port at Tilbury. Between 1885 and 1888 a new direct route from Barking to Pitsea was constructed, with the station at Upminster opening in 1885. The Whitechapel and Bow Railway opened in 1902 and allowed through services of the Metropolitan District Railway to operate over the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway tracks to Upminster, which became the eastern terminus. The Metropolitan District converted to electric trains in 1905 and services were cut back to East Ham. Delayed by World War I, electrified tracks were extended by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway to Upminster and through services resumed in 1932.

Design
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, has been extensively redeveloped in contemporary style and includes three units currently used as a WH Smith, a cobbler/dry cleaner and an Italian 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.

Services
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 next station westbound on the District Line is Upminster Bridge.

The typical off-peak service frequency is:
 * 6tph (trains per hour) to Fenchurch Street (c2c)
 * 6tph to Richmond via Tower Hill (London Underground District Line)
 * 6tph to Wimbledon via Tower Hill (London Underground 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 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 trial is successful, the system will be expanded across the c2c network.

Location
London Buses routes 248, 346, 347 and 370 serve the station.