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Address: Station Road, Upminster, Essex RM14 2TD
Opened: 1 October 1909
Station Code: UPM
Fare Zone: 6

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London Overground Line(s) Served:

Romford to Upminster

Service Pattern(s):

Two trains per hour to Romford

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Interchange(s)

London Underground District Line

National Rail: C2C services from London Fenchurch Street to Southend and related branches.

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Station History

This post relates to the Romford to Upminster section of Upminster Station. The main station will be covered in a future London Underground District Line post.

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Although the London, Tilbury & Southend Railway opened Upminster Station on its new, more direct route between Barking and Pitsea on 1 May 1885, it was not until 7 June 1893 that the branch to Romford was opened and traffic commenced.

From opening, the LTSR operated services between Romford and Grays with eight trains per hour running every day except Sunday, when a reduced service was operated. This timetable operated until April 1920 when the Midland Railway, who had bought the LTSR implemented a new timetable that saw 6 trains to Grays and four to Tilbury serve the station, as well as 5 trains between Upminster and Emerson Park.

The Grouping of the railways in 1921 saw the Midland Railway amalgamated with other companies to form the London Midland & Scottish Railway in 1923.

Nationalisation of the railways in 1948 saw the LMS become part of British Railways Midland Region. However, both Upminster and the line to Romford were transferred to the Eastern Region in 1949. This change also saw the cessation of the short workings between here and Emerson Park, meaning that all services now called all stations to Romford.

Steam operation on the line came to an end in 1956 when diesel multiple units assumed service on 17 September, operating a twice-hourly service. Also at this time, Upminster station was remodelled and the Romford Line was allocated to a new bay platform in 1957, meaning that all through workings to Grays & Tilbury were ceased, as the connection to the main line was removed.

The Beeching Axe nearly fell on the service in 1964 and a closure notice was actually published. However, thanks to very vocal opposition from both local residents and businesses alike, the decision was reversed. A further attempt to close the line in 1970 was also defeated.

In the build-up to privatisation of the Railways, the line was placed under the management of the London & South Eastern sector in 1982 and it was under what became Network Southeast that the line was electrified and the first electric multiple units began operating on 17 April 1986.

Privatisation saw First Great Eastern assume responsibility for the line in 1997, before National Express East Anglia took over the franchise in 2004. The franchise was let again in 2012 with Abellio Greater Anglia assuming control before, in 2015, the line was taken over by its current operator Transport for London under their London Overground banner, with services operated by Arriva Rail London.

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