History Limehouse station

1 history

1.1 history (1840-1866)
1.2 great eastern railway ownership (1866-1922)
1.3 london midland & scottish railway ownership (1923-1947)
1.4 railway nationalisation (1948-1994)
1.5 docklands light railway opens (1987)
1.6 privatisation era (1994-present)

history
early history (1840-1866)

the station opened on 6 july 1840 commercial railway, located in parish of stepney within hamlet of ratcliff. named stepney, lying between shadwell , separate station called limehouse, located within limehouse parish. initial train service operated between temporary terminus @ minories , blackwall until 2 august 1841 when fenchurch street opened; commercial railway renamed london , blackwall railway (lbr). service rope-powered operation , not until 15 february 1849 steam operation commenced.

on 28 september 1850 extension opened stepney bow, join lbr eastern counties railway (ecr). increasing congestion on approaches fenchurch street saw third line proposed between fenchurch street , junction @ george street. discussions replacement started in 1853 not until 1 april 1856 plans agreed lbr board. in meantime london, tilbury , southend railway (ltsr) opened in 1854 operating trains via stratford railway station fenchurch street. replacement (existing) station constructed set of platforms (the present-day platforms 1 , 2) serve bow route (as then) whilst 2 further platforms constructed blackwall line (the docklands light railway platforms occupy site). opened on 30 march 1856.

in 1858 ltsr trains started operating on direct route barking rather via congested stratford route. twenty people injured in minor collision @ station on 22 november 1861. board of trade report found signaller s error primary cause of incident.

great eastern railway ownership (1866-1922)

in 1866 great eastern railway (ger) took on lbr on long-lease , instigated series of repairs , in 1869 provided improved signalling arrangements new signal box , interlocked signals , block working between adjacent signal boxes.

on 9 april 1871 train bow ran through signal , hit blackwall fenchurch street train last coach being knocked off viaduct , landing on building below. further accident in 1879 saw board of trade inspector recommend re-siting of signal box duly provided in 1880. frequent train service stepney again site of accident in 1874 106 injuries, in 1889 ltsr locomotive derailed, , in 1892 ltsr locomotive derailed time hit ger locomotive killing ltsr driver.

an improved building provided on down bow platform in 1894.

in 1895 fourth line towards fenchurch street opened helped reduce number of conflicting moves between trains , risk of accidents. ger further improved station in 1900.

the ltsr became part of midland railway in 1912.

london midland & scottish railway ownership (1923-1947)

on 1 january 1923 midland railway became part of london midland & scottish railway (lms) took on operation of stepney station.

the ger became part of london & north eastern railway on date , station renamed stepney east on 1 july 1923 avoid confusion stepney station in yorkshire.

the lbr platforms closed on 3 may 1926 passenger services withdrawn , services routed via bow platforms. few goods trains used blackwall route lbr platforms demolished in circa 1936 , junction simplified. signalling improved @ thisa time part of major re-signalling colour light signals fenchurch street gas factory junction (east of stepney).

railway nationalisation (1948-1994)

on 20 february 1949 whole lts line transferred eastern region, yet despite organisational changes, old ltsr still distinctive system operated former lts , lms locomotives until electrification.

the route stratford via bow road electrified in 1949 , @ time former ger suburban services ceased operating leaving stepney east served trains former ltsr destinations. no public electric trains ran until old ltsr system electrified in 1961-62 full electric services commencing on 17 june 1962.

the junction blackwall line removed in 1952 although siding remained on viaduct (accessible blackwall end) scrap metal traffic regent dock finished in old blackwall platforms.

between 1982 , 1992 station operated network southeast, 1 of british rail s 3 passenger business sectors, before being handed on business unit in preparation privatisation.

docklands light railway opens (1987)

on 31 july 1987 docklands light railway, operated on old lbr line, commenced operations, new platforms (platforms 3 , 4) built on site of old lbr platforms; station had been renamed limehouse on 11 may year.

the platforms extended in 1991 accommodate dlr s new , longer two-carriage trains.

a dlr train arrives @ limehouse, 2002


the privatisation era (1994-present)

in april 1994 railtrack became responsible maintenance of infrastructure @ limehouse station. railtrack succeeded network rail in 2002.

in may 1996 franchise london, tilbury , southend line awarded prism rail director of passenger rail franchising 15-year period average annual subsidy of £18.4 million. began operating lts rail on 26 may 1996. prism bought out national express named franchise c2c in 2003 , continue operate station.

since opening of dlr, limehouse has become well-used interchange essex , east london commuters work in canary wharf area, 2 viaducts remained separate, resulting in awkward interchange between dlr platforms , national rail platforms, passengers had pass down , flights of stairs. remedy this, @ least in part, bridge built connect westbound (london-bound) main line platform adjacent eastbound (canary wharf-bound) dlr platform. due completion end of 2008, opened in november 2009. @ same time bridge being built, other improvements made, including readying station three-carriage operations on dlr , construction of additional eastern entrance, lifts , stairways platform access.