London, Tilbury and Southend Railway

London-Tilbury-Southend Line
File:357014 at Upminster Bridge.JPG Train between Barking and Upminster
Overview
Type	Commuter rail Heavy rail
System	National Rail
Status	Operational
Locale	Greater London East of England
Termini	London Fenchurch Street Shoeburyness
Stations	26
Operation
Opened	1854
Owner	Network Rail
Operator(s)	c2c
Depot(s)	East Ham and Shoeburyness
Rolling stock	British Rail Class 357
Technical
Line length	Template:Mi to km
No. of tracks	2
Track gauge	{{#switch:sg |3mm=3 mm (0.118 in) |4mm=4 mm (0.157 in) |4.5mm=4.5 mm (0.177 in) |4.8mm=4.8 mm (0.189 in) |6.5mm=6.5 mm (0.256 in) |6.53mm=6.53 mm (0.257 in) |8mm=8 mm (0.315 in) |8.97mm=8.97 mm (0.353 in) |9mm=9 mm (0.354 in) |9.42mm=9.42 mm (0.371 in) |10.5mm=10.5 mm (0.413 in) |11.94mm=11.94 mm (0.470 in) |12mm=12 mm (0.472 in) |12.7mm=12.7 mm (0.5 in) |13mm=13 mm (0.512 in) |13.5mm=13.5 mm (0.531 in) |14mm=14 mm (0.551 in) |14.125mm=14.125 mm (0.556 in) |14.2mm=14.2 mm (0.559 in) |14.28mm=14.28 mm (0.562 in) |14.3mm=14.3 mm (0.563 in) |15.76mm=15.76 mm (0.620 in)
Electrification	25 kV AC
Operating speed	up to 75 mph (Template:Convert/outsep)
Route map Legend Template:London, Tilbury and Southend Railway

The London, Tilbury and Southend Railway is an English railway line linking Fenchurch Street railway station in the City of London with northeast London and the entire length of the northern Thames Gateway area of southern Essex. It is known as the Thameside Route by Network Rail and forms part of strategic route 6. It is classified as a London and South East commuter line. Train services on the line are currently operated by c2c, a train operating company that is part of the National Express Group.

The main route from Fenchurch Street to Shoeburyness via Basildon is Template:Mi to km and the fastest timetabled journey time from Fenchurch Street to Shoeburyness is 58 minutes. A loop line serving Tilbury provides an alternative connection from London to Southend; and a branch line connecting the two via Chafford Hundred forms a third route. The line currently has a maximum speed limit of 75 mph, although the Class 357 Electrostar trains which run on it are capable of a maximum speed of 100 mph.

The line was authorised in 1852 and the first section was opened in 1854 by the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway Company, which was a joint venture between the London and Blackwall Railway and the Eastern Counties Railway. The line was extended in phases and partnerships were formed with the Midland Railway and Metropolitan District Railway to provide through services. The line was purchased by the Midland Railway in 1912 and became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway in 1923.

History

Initial construction

Construction of the line was authorised by Parliament on 17 June 1852. The first section, constructed by Peto and Grissell, was opened between Forest Gate junction on the Eastern Counties Railway and Tilbury, via Barking and Grays on 13 April 1854. Services initially ran from Fenchurch Street and Bishopsgate stations over existing lines to Stratford and Forest Gate junction. The line was extended from Tilbury to Southend in 1856. In 1858 a more direct route to Fenchurch Street was constructed through Bromley, Plaistow and East Ham, connecting with the London and Blackwall Extension Railway at Bow; and the service from Bishopsgate was withdrawn. Under the management of civil engineer Arthur Lewis Stride the line was extended from Southend to Shoeburyness in 1884. A more direct route from Barking to Pitsea via Upminster was constructed between 1885 and 1888, completing the current main route. A single line branch was constructed between Romford and Grays via Upminster during 1892 and 1893.

Route development

File:LTSR east ham close up.jpg

'LTSR' canopy support at East Ham (no longer served)

In 1902 the Whitechapel and Bow Railway was constructed as a joint venture with the Metropolitan District Railway, connecting the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway at Bow with the Metropolitan District at Whitechapel. The connection allowed through running of Metropolitan District trains from the tunnels under central London to provide local services to Upminster from 2 June 1902. When the Metropolitan District and Whitechapel and Bow Railway lines were electrified, an additional pair of tracks were constructed between Bow and East Ham and the service was cut back to there on 30 September 1905. The electrified tracks were extended to Barking and opened on 1 April 1908. Delayed by World War I, the electric tracks were extended to Upminster and District line services started on 12 September 1932. During 1961 and 1962 the line was overhead electrified and direct passenger services from Bromley,West Ham, Plaistow, Upton Park, East Ham, Becontree, Dagenham and Hornchurch to Fenchurch Street were withdrawn. In 1974 a station opened to serve the new town of Basildon and in 1995 a station was built at Chafford Hundred to serve the new community there and Lakeside Shopping Centre. Platforms were rebuilt at West Ham station in 1999 to provide interchange with the extended Jubilee line.

Ownership and management

File:LMS No 2500 2-6-4T.jpg

LMS 3-cylinder 2-6-4T No. 2500 built specifically for the LTSR section at National Railway Museum, York in 2003

The railway was initially jointly promoted by the Eastern Counties Railway and London and Blackwall Railway and was leased for 21 years to Peto, Brassey and Betts. The Midland Railway and London, Tilbury and Southend Railway jointly constructed the Tottenham and Forest Gate Railway, which enabled through running of trains between St Pancras railway station and Tilbury Docks. In 1912 the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway was purchased by the Midland Railway. At grouping in 1923, the line became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway. The London, Midland and Scottish Railway was nationalised into British Railways in 1948 and in 1949 became part of the Eastern Region. In 1986 the route was transferred to the Network SouthEast sector of British Rail. On privatisation in 1996, ownership passed to Railtrack and Prism Rail took over operations; marketing the route as LTS Rail. Ownership passed to Network Rail in 2002. Prism Rail were bought out by National Express Group in 2000 and in 2002 the line was rebranded as c2c.

Rolling stock

The line was known for its use of 4-4-2 tank engines which were later displaced by 2-6-4Ts after it had been absorbed into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) in 1923. In 1958 an accident at Dagenham East caused the loss of 10 lives.

Modernisation

File:357036 at Southend Central.jpg

Modern c2c Electrostar train on LT&SR route

During the early 1990s proposals were put forward to convert the whole line into a guided busway, however these plans were quickly dismissed when British Rail announced a complete re-signalling of the line. Over the years the LTS had been used in an almost experimental fashion and contained a whole host of different signalling systems (e.g. geographical, WESTPAC and relay interlockings). In 1995 work got underway to replace everything from signals and point machines to whole junctions.

The main contractor for the work was GEC Alsthom who provided a Mark 3 Solid State Interlocking (SSI) system with SEMA providing the IECC element at Upminster that replaced all signal boxes on the whole line. Main line running signals mostly became 4 aspect colour lights (replacing searchlight signals amongst others), all point machines were replaced with HW2000 machines and the whole line had a complete fibre optic network installed. All level crossings were renewed with full barriers to be CCTV controlled by a designated workstation at Upminster.

The main line between Fenchurch Street and Shoeburyness was also bi-directionally signalled (with 3 aspect signalling) along most parts, with the bi-directional section alternating from one track to the other between certain stations, to provide maximum flexibility for continuing operations should disruption occur.

The line was re-signalled over the Easter weekend 1996 when all the signal boxes from Fenchurch Street to Shoeburyness (via Basildon)were switched out and control was transferred to Upminster IECC. This was later followed over the 1996 August bank holiday when Upminster took control from the remaining boxes on the Tilbury Loop.

Stations

	Station	Local authority	Fare zone	Usage	Start	TPH	Connections
Main route
	London Fenchurch Street	City of London	1	15.976	1854	8	Tower Hill tube station and Tower Gateway DLR station
	Limehouse	Tower Hamlets	2	2.480	1854	6	DLR
	West Ham	Newham	3	1.176	1901	8	District line, Hammersmith and City line, Jubilee line, DLR
	Barking	Barking and Dagenham	4	3.559	1854	8	Barking to Pitsea via Rainham loop, District line, Hammersmith and City line, Gospel Oak to Barking Line
	Upminster	Havering	6	2.617	1885	6	Upminster to Grays branch, District line, Romford to Upminster Line
	West Horndon	Brentwood	outside zones	0.349	1888	2
	Laindon	Basildon	outside zones	1.764	1888	4
	Basildon	Basildon	outside zones	2.538	1974	4
	Pitsea	Basildon	outside zones	1.046	1855	4	Barking to Pitsea via Rainham loop
	Benfleet	Castle Point	outside zones	2.989	1855	6
	Leigh on Sea	Southend-on-Sea	outside zones	1.791	1856	6
	Chalkwell	Southend-on-Sea	outside zones	1.313	1856	6
	Westcliff	Southend-on-Sea	outside zones	1.026	1895	6
	Southend Central	Southend-on-Sea	outside zones	1.904	1856	6
	Southend East	Southend-on-Sea	outside zones	1.459	1884	4
	Thorpe Bay	Southend-on-Sea	outside zones	0.752	1884	4
	Shoeburyness	Southend-on-Sea	outside zones	0.599	1884	4
Upminster to Grays branch
	Ockendon	Thurrock	G	0.618	1892	2
	Chafford Hundred	Thurrock	G	2.066	1993	2
Barking to Pitsea via Rainham loop
	Dagenham Dock	Barking and Dagenham	5	0.641	1854	2
	Rainham	Havering	6	1.825	1854	2
	Purfleet	Thurrock	G	0.433	1854	2
	Grays	Thurrock	G	2.884	1854	4	Upminster to Grays branch
	Tilbury Town	Thurrock	outside zones	0.537	1854	2
	East Tilbury	Thurrock	outside zones	0.337	1936	2
	Stanford-le-Hope	Thurrock	outside zones	0.939	1854	2

• ^a Millions of entries and exits during the 2007/08 financial year
• ^b Year station first served by London, Tilbury and Southend Railway service (could be served earlier by another company)
• ^c Off-peak Monday-Saturday trains per hour frequency in the December 2009 timetable

Diversion to Liverpool Street

File:Fenchurch street station.jpg

The main terminus is Fenchurch Street

When necessary, due to engineering work or other problems, trains can be diverted at Barking over the Gospel Oak to Barking Line and then the Great Eastern Main Line to call at Stratford and Liverpool Street. Trains diverted at Barking, having passed Stratford, can also rejoin the London, Tilbury and Southend line before Limehouse (avoiding West Ham) and continue to Fenchurch Street. This diversionary route is less often used and consists of a short section of single track at Bow. From May 1985 to May 2007, the weekday evening service after 22:30 operated from Liverpool Street. As of May 2010, most through services now start and terminate at Fenchurch Street, with a limited number of early morning and late night services operating to and from Liverpool Street.

Proposed developments

2007 proposals

The Greater Anglia RUS, published in December 2007, outlined a number of developments intended for the Thameside Route. In the medium term, 2009–14, this includes minor infrastructure works and additional rolling stock to allow all main line peak-service trains to be extended to 12-car formation. Also included is the proposal for the extension of platforms on the Tilbury loop and Ockendon branch to handle 12 cars, to allow all main line peak-service trains to be extended to 8 or 12-car formation. In the longer term intentions are to continue the lengthening of peak trains to 12-car formation. A new railway station is proposed at Beam Reach, between Rainham and Purfleet.

London Gateway (port) link

A link to the London Gateway deep water port under construction present will be linked to the line. Work of the port started in February 2010 and it is expected to handle 3.5 million TEU and be completed over the next ten to 15 years.

Preservation

Of the original LTS, 4-4-2T number 80 survives as a stationary exhibit at Bressingham Steam Museum in Norfolk. An ex-LT&S BR Std (80079) is preserved, currently as a stationary exhibit, on the Severn Valley Railway in Shropshire. Another ex LTS locomotive BR 42500 is the sole remaining member of the 37 3 cylinder 2-6-4 tank engines built by the LMS in the 1930s for the London Tilbury and Southend line. It is preserved in LMS livery at the National Railway Museum in York.

References

Notes

Bibliography

Template:Refbegin

• Welch, H.D. (1951 (Revised April 1963)). The Oakwood Library of Railway History No. 8:The London, Tilbury and Southend Railway. The Oakwood Press, 38. 

Template:Refend

External links

• Bibliography
• Detailed description of Tilbury Riverside at Disused Stations web site

Template:Railway lines in London Template:Railway lines in the East of England

de:London, Tilbury and Southend Railway nl:London, Tilbury & Southend Railway