Hornchurch tube station

Hornchurch station stands on Station Lane in the London Borough of Havering, east of London. It is served by the District line, running between Elm Park to the west and Upminster Bridge to the east. The single-storey brick building was built in the 1930s and resembles stations at Becontree and Dagenham East. It sits in a residential area near shops and St George’s Health and Wellbeing Hub. A small car park lies off Naunton Way, and several bus routes connect the station to nearby places. The station opened in 1885 on a new railway route from London to Southend. In 1932 it was rebuilt to handle electric District line trains, adding platforms and a ticket office. The original 1885 buildings were removed long ago, though similar ones survive at West Horndon. The station once had through services to Fenchurch Street and Southend, but these ended in 1962. Today it is managed by London Underground and sees over a million passenger movements each year. Inside, two side platforms flank the running tracks, with canopies, a waiting room and toilets on the westbound side. The ticket office sits above the tracks, reached by a covered footbridge and stairs. A second exit on the eastbound platform is no longer in use. The heritage platform benches carry Midland Railway designs. Beyond the station, Hornchurch Country Park offers green space, and the high street lies about a mile north.