Plaistow ( or ) is a London Underground station, on Plaistow Road in the Plaistow neighbourhood of the London Borough of Newham, East London. It is on the District and Hammersmith & City lines, between West Ham to the west and Upton Park to the east. The station was opened by the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway on 31 March 1858 on a new more direct route from Fenchurch Street to Barking. The station was expanded to accommodate the electric District Railway services on an additional set of tracks in 1905. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries the station served as an eastern terminus for North London Railway trains. Metropolitan line service commenced in 1936. The Fenchurch Street–Southend British Railways service was withdrawn in 1962, leaving abandoned platforms. It is in London fare zone 3.
History
The London, Tilbury and Southend Railway (LTSR) direct line between Bow and Barking was constructed east–west through the middle of the parish of West Ham with service starting on 31 March 1858. Prior to the building of the line, trains took a longer and more congested route via Stratford and Forest Gate. The new line initially had stations at Bromley, Plaistow and East Ham. From 18 May 1869 the North London Railway (NLR) ran a daily service to Plaistow via the Bow–Bromley curve, terminating at the northern bay platform. Upton Park was added as the next station to the east of Plaistow on 1 September 1877. West Ham was added to the west in 1901.
The Whitechapel and Bow Railway opened on 2 June 1902 and allowed through services of the District Railway to operate to Upminster. Service began at Plaistow on 2 June 1902. The District Railway was electrified over a second pair of tracks, with electric service operating from 30 September 1905. The District provided the majority of services at the station by 1912. In 1905 the NLR service switched to a new bay platform on the southern side. The London, Tilbury and Southend Railway became part of the Midland Railway in 1912. The NLR service to Plaistow ceased on 1 January 1916. The Midland Railway was amalgamated into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) on 1 January 1923. The District Railway was incorporated into London Transport in 1933, and became known as the District line.
The eastern section of the District line was very overcrowded by the mid 1930s. In order to relieve this, the Metropolitan line service was extended to Barking. Plaistow was served by a single daily Metropolitan line train from Hammersmith from 30 March 1936. This was expanded from 4 May 1936 with an eight trains per hour service between Barking and Hammersmith at peak times. This was increased to ten trains per hour at Plaistow from 8 May 1938. The Hammersmith service was swapped for longer Uxbridge trains from 17 July 1939, at eight trains per hour at peak times. This service was suspended on 6 October 1941 with Hammersmith trains again running to Barking. The 1947 timetable shows only a few services a day on the Fenchurch Street–Southend line calling at Plaistow and a frequent service provided by the District line.
After nationalisation of the railways in 1948, management of the station passed to British Railways. The Fenchurch Street–Southend services were withdrawn on 14 June 1962 with the introduction of full overhead line electric service. On 1 January 1969 ownership transferred to the London Underground. On 30 July 1990, the Hammersmith–Barking service of the Metropolitan line gained a separate identity as the Hammersmith & City line. From 13 December 2009, off-peak Hammersmith & City line service was extended from Whitechapel to Barking with a daily all-day service at Plaistow.
Design
thumb|'LTSR' bench on the eastbound platform|alt=Station platform with canopy above. There is a bench with 'LTSR' written as a detail in the side.
The station consists of three operational platforms on an east–west alignment. Platform 3, the northernmost, is a bay to reverse eastbound trains.