Elm Park tube station

Summary

Elm Park is a London Underground station serving Elm Park in the London Borough of Havering, east London. It is on the District line between Dagenham East and Hornchurch. It is 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) along the line from the eastern terminus at Upminster and 30 kilometres (19 mi) to Earl's Court in central London where the line divides into numerous branches.

Elm Park London Underground
Entrance on The Broadway
Elm Park is located in Greater London
Elm Park
Elm Park
Location of Elm Park in Greater London
LocationElm Park
Local authorityLondon Borough of Havering
Managed byLondon Underground
Number of platforms2
AccessibleYes[1]
Fare zone6
London Underground annual entry and exit
2018Decrease 3.07 million[2]
2019Increase 3.14 million[3]
2020Decrease 2.01 million[4]
2021Decrease 1.41 million[5]
2022Increase 2.23 million[6]
Railway companies
Original companyLondon, Midland and Scottish Railway
Key dates
13 May 1935Opened
1948Ownership transferred to British Railways
1969Ownership transferred to London Transport
Other information
External links
  • TfL station info page
Coordinates51°32′59″N 0°11′52″E / 51.54972°N 0.19777°E / 51.54972; 0.19777
 London transport portal

The station was opened on 13 May 1935 by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway on the local electrified tracks between Upminster and Barking that were constructed in 1932. The station is of a similar design to those constructed at Dagenham Heathway and Upney and was the last infill station to be opened on the eastern extension.

History edit

The London, Tilbury and Southend Railway constructed a line from Barking to Pitsea through the Elm Park area in 1885, with stations at Dagenham and Hornchurch. The Whitechapel and Bow Railway opened in 1902 and allowed through services of the District Railway to operate to Upminster. The Metropolitan District converted to electric trains in 1905 and services were cut back to East Ham. Delayed by World War I,[7] electrified tracks were extended by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway to Upminster and through services resumed in 1932.[8][9] The District Railway was incorporated into London Transport in 1933, and became known as the District line.

The infill station was opened on 13 May 1935. It opened with a passimeter for quick sale of tickets and in the off peak collection of tickets from one side and sale from the other. A ticket collectors position was provided with stable door, now a bin store. A ticket office was also provided to deal with parcels and also had the electrical fuses and switches. Now a shop, switch room, and computer room. The station had central heating supplied by a coal boiler under the booking hall, a coal chute from a street manhole was used to supply coal. The boiler was later converted to gas, all removed when the new ticket office was built opposite for the Underground ticket system.

The station was the last to be opened on an existing London Underground line (rather than as part of an extension or new line) until Wood Lane on the Hammersmith and City line in 2008.[10]

Design edit

The station is of similar design to Dagenham Heathway and Upney, but the station canopy is supported by one central pillar and the ramp to the ticket hall is much wider. The platforms are arranged on an island layout with station buildings typical of the 1930s. A long sloping walkway connects the platforms with the ticket hall which is on a road bridge over the line and above general street level.

Location edit

The station is named after the mid-1930s planned community of Elm Park, in which it is situated. It is located on The Broadway in the London Borough of Havering. The immediate area is a busy, compact shopping district surrounded by extensive residential development to the north and south.

Services and connections edit

The station is in London fare zone 6. The typical off-peak service from the station is twelve District line trains per hour to Upminster and twelve to Earl's Court, of which six continue to Ealing Broadway and six continue to Richmond. At peak periods the number of trains per hour increases to fifteen and some trains continue from Earl's Court to Wimbledon. Services towards central London operate from approximately 05:00 to 23:45 and services to Upminster operate from approximately 06:00 to 01:30.[11] The journey time to Upminster is seven minutes; to Barking is approximately thirteen minutes, and to Tower Hill is approximately 38 minutes.[11]

London Buses routes 165, 252, 365 and 372 serve the station, providing connections to Collier Row, Havering Park, Hornchurch, Lakeside Shopping Centre, Orchard Village, Rainham and Romford.[12]

References edit

  1. ^ "Step free Tube Guide" (PDF). Transport for London. April 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 May 2021.
  2. ^ "Station Usage Data" (CSV). Usage Statistics for London Stations, 2018. Transport for London. 23 September 2020. Archived from the original on 14 January 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  3. ^ "Station Usage Data" (XLSX). Usage Statistics for London Stations, 2019. Transport for London. 23 September 2020. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  4. ^ "Station Usage Data" (XLSX). Usage Statistics for London Stations, 2020. Transport for London. 16 April 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  5. ^ "Station Usage Data" (XLSX). Usage Statistics for London Stations, 2021. Transport for London. 12 July 2022. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
  6. ^ "Station Usage Data" (XLSX). Usage Statistics for London Stations, 2022. Transport for London. 4 October 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  7. ^ "London, Tilbury and Southend Railway" (PDF), Local Studies Information Sheets, Barking and Dagenham London Borough Council, 2008, retrieved 8 February 2010[permanent dead link]
  8. ^ Rose, Douglas (1999). The London Underground: A diagrammatic history (7 ed.). Douglas Rose. ISBN 1-85414-219-4.
  9. ^ Wolmar, Christian (2005). The Subterranean Railway: How the London Underground Was Built and How It Changed the City Forever. Atlantic Books. p. 268. ISBN 1-84354-023-1.
  10. ^ "New Wood Lane Underground station opens". Transport for London. 14 October 2008. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  11. ^ a b "District line" (PDF). First and Last Trains. Transport for London. 10 December 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 June 2013. Retrieved 21 February 2013.
  12. ^ "Buses from Elm Park" (PDF). TfL. February 2017. Retrieved 30 May 2020.

External links edit

  • London Transport Museum Photographic Archive
    • Station under LMS management, October 1935
    • View of station entrance, August 2001
Preceding station   London Underground Following station
Dagenham East District line
Hornchurch
towards Upminster