Bromley-by-Bow tube station

Bromley-by-Bow tube station is a London Underground station on the Blackwall Tunnel Northern Approach Road in the Bromley-by-Bow neighbourhood of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in east London, England. The station is on the District and Hammersmith & City lines, with both services sharing a pair of platforms. The station was opened in 1858 by the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway on a new more direct route between Fenchurch Street and Barking. First served by Metropolitan District Railway trains in 1902, it has been exclusively a London Underground station since 1962. The main station building is of unusual architecture for this part of the London Underground, constructed by British Rail in 1972 following a fire. It has moderate usage for an inner suburban station with 2.75 million entries and exits during 2008.

History


It was opened as a railway station called Bromley by the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway in 1858, on a more direct route to Barking from the terminus at Fenchurch Street. The construction of the Whitechapel and Bow Railway allowed the Metropolitan District Railway (now known as the District line) to start serving the station in 1902.

The Hammersmith & City Line (then the Metropolitan Line) followed in 1936. LTSR services were withdrawn in 1962. The station was renamed to Bromley-by-Bow in 1967, to prevent confusion with Bromley in the London Borough of Bromley.

On the 2 June 2008, an unexploded bomb from World War II was found near where the line crosses the Prescott Channel, not far from the station, causing disruption to trains.

Design
The station has four platforms, of which only two are currently in use; serving the tube lines in both directions. The remaining two platforms formerly served the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway (now operated by c2c) but are no longer in use; trains instead passing through the station without stopping. Three ticket barriers and a gate control access to all platforms.

Location
The station is situated on the A12 Blackwall Tunnel northern approach. Devons Road station on the Docklands Light Railway is nearby, but this is not an official interchange. London bus routes 108 and 488 serve the site of the station.

Services
The station is served by the District and Hammersmith & City lines. It is in both London fare zones 2 and 3. The typical off-peak service pattern is:


 * 6 tph (trains per hour) to Hammersmith (Hammersmith & City line)
 * 6 tph to Richmond (District line)
 * 6 tph to Wimbledon (District line)


 * 12 tph to Upminster (District line)
 * 3 tph to Plaistow and Barking (Hammersmith & City line)
 * 3 tph to Plaistow (Hammersmith & City line)