Whitechapel tube station
Encyclopedia
Whitechapel is a London Underground
and London Overground
station on Whitechapel Road
in the Whitechapel
neighbourhood of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets
in east London
, England. The station is located on the east–west tracks shared by the District line
and Hammersmith and City line and is on the north–south route of the East London Line
. The station was opened in 1876 by the East London Railway on a line connecting Liverpool Street station
in the City of London with destinations south of the River Thames
. The station site was expanded in 1884, and again in 1902, to accommodate the services of the Metropolitan District Railway
, a predecessor of the London Underground. The London Overground section of the station was closed between 2007 and 27 April 2010 for rebuilding, initially reopening for a preview service on 27 April 2010 with the full service starting on 23 May 2010. Whitechapel will become a station on Crossrail
. The station is in Zone 2.
Nearby places of interest include the Royal London Hospital
, the Blind Beggar
public house, and the former Wickhams
department store. There are also many tours in this area focusing on the Jack the Ripper
murders.
. The ELR owned the tracks and stations but did not operate trains. From the beginning various railway companies provided services through Whitechapel including the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
(LB&SCR), the London, Chatham and Dover Railway
(LC&DR) and the South Eastern Railway
(SER). Later the Great Eastern Railway
(GER) added services.
On 6 October 1884 the Metropolitan District Railway
(MDR, now the District Line) opened a new station adjacent to the deeper ELR station as the terminus of an extension from (part of the extension also formed the final section of the Circle Line). The new station was given the name Whitechapel (Mile End). The ELR passenger service between Whitechapel and Liverpool Street was withdrawn in 1885. The station received its present name on 13 November 1901.
On 1 February 1902 the MDR station was temporarily closed for rebuilding. It reopened on 2 June 1902 when the MDR opened the Whitechapel & Bow Railway, a joint venture with the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway
(LT&SR). The new extension ran eastwards to Bromley-by-Bow
where it joined the LT&SR's tracks. MDR services then operated regularly to and as far as Southend-on-Sea
in the summer.
The MDR tracks were electrified
in 1905 and electric trains
replaced steam trains
. Services going eastwards were cut back to the limit of electrification at East Ham and later re-extended to Barking in 1908 and Upminster 1932. On 3 December 1906 the Metropolitan Railway
(MR, now the Metropolitan Line
/ Hammersmith & City Line
) extended its service to Whitechapel as the eastern terminus of its service.
The MR also ran trains over the southern section of ELR via a connection (the St Mary's curve) between the MDR tracks west of Whitechapel and the ELR tracks north of Shadwell station. When, in 1913, the tracks of the ELR were electrified it ended services to the MDR station and extended its ELR service through Whitechapel to (then the terminus of the line but now closed) The change of service took place on 31 March 1913.
On 30 March 1936 the Metropolitan Line began operating again through the District Line station as far as . The Metropolitan Line service is now operated as the Hammersmith & City Line.
On 25 March 1995 the East London Line was closed to allow repair works on the Thames Tunnel
. General renovations and new signalling works were undertaken at the same time. The line reopened south from Whitechapel on 25 March 1998 and north from Whitechapel on 27 September 1998.
Whitechapel was used extensively as the eastern terminus for some Hammersmith & City Line trains. During off peak hours Monday to Saturday, and all days Sunday, trains terminated here and did not continue to Barking. Reversing at Whitechapel was ceased after the timetable change in December 2009. Trains reversed at Plaistow instead of Whitechapel, which was not only because of the timetable change, but because of the construction work to build one large island platform.
As of September 2011 the track has been permanently removed from platforms 2, 3, and 4. Platform 4 has been extended over the trackbed and westbound trains use the route of the old siding which has been connected to the main line at the western end to provide a through route. This platform is renumbered Platform 2. Trailing crossovers are provided at each end of the station. The two island platforms will be combined to form one large island platform with a central circulating area. Escalators will eventually lead down from here to the Crossrail platforms. A new double-ended centre reversing siding has been constructed beyond to compensate for the loss of reversing facilities from Whitechapel. Since December 2009 Hammersmith & City line trains have not been scheduled to reverse at Whitechapel. Outside peak hours they currently reverse alternately at Plaistow and Barking.
and Sunday mornings only and services were replaced by a bus link.
Work on the extension of the East London Line commenced and the line closed on 22 December 2007 and reopened on 27 April 2010 when new tracks on a new alignment were connected to a disused North London Line
viaduct from Shoreditch
to Dalston
. It is now part of the new London Overground
network. Temporary bus services operated during the closure, of which rail replacement route ELW remained in service until the ELL fully opened on 23rd May 2010. Whitechapel has the odd situation where the District
and Hammersmith & City Line
London Underground platforms are above the East London Line
London Overground platforms.
From 2012, 4 additional trains per hour will go to via on the new Clapham Junction Extension, due to open in May that year.
forming Circle Line
services.
will call at Whitechapel. Eastbound services will be split into two branches after leaving the station. Preliminary work has begun to create the interchange between Crossrail
and the East London Line
with subways being constructed. The Crossrail platforms will lie to the north of the existing station, with access being via escalators down from the District and Hammersmith & City Line platforms.
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
and London Overground
London Overground
London Overground is a suburban rail network in London and Hertfordshire. It has been operated by London Overground Rail Operations since 2007 as part of the National Rail network, under the franchise control and branding of Transport for London...
station on Whitechapel Road
Whitechapel Road
Whitechapel Road is a major arterial road in the East End of London, England. It connects Whitechapel High Street to the west with Mile End Road to the east and forms part of the A11 road. It is a main shopping street in the Whitechapel area of Tower Hamlets and has a street market...
in the Whitechapel
Whitechapel
Whitechapel is a built-up inner city district in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, London, England. It is located east of Charing Cross and roughly bounded by the Bishopsgate thoroughfare on the west, Fashion Street on the north, Brady Street and Cavell Street on the east and The Highway on the...
neighbourhood of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets
London Borough of Tower Hamlets
The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is a London borough to the east of the City of London and north of the River Thames. It is in the eastern part of London and covers much of the traditional East End. It also includes much of the redeveloped Docklands region of London, including West India Docks...
in east London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England. The station is located on the east–west tracks shared by the District line
District Line
The District line is a line of the London Underground, coloured green on the Tube map. It is a "sub-surface" line, running through the central area in shallow cut-and-cover tunnels. It is the busiest of the sub-surface lines. Out of the 60 stations served, 25 are underground...
and Hammersmith and City line and is on the north–south route of the East London Line
East London Line
The East London Line is a London Overground line which runs north to south through the East End, Docklands and South areas of London.Built in 1869 by the East London Railway Company, which reused the Thames Tunnel, originally intended for horse-drawn carriages, the line became part of the London...
. The station was opened in 1876 by the East London Railway on a line connecting Liverpool Street station
Liverpool Street station
Liverpool Street railway station, also known as London Liverpool Street or simply Liverpool Street, is both a central London railway terminus and a connected London Underground station in the north-eastern corner of the City of London, England...
in the City of London with destinations south of the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
. The station site was expanded in 1884, and again in 1902, to accommodate the services of the Metropolitan District Railway
Metropolitan District Railway
The Metropolitan District Railway was the predecessor of the District line of the London Underground. Set up on 29 July 1864, at first to complete the "Inner Circle" railway around central London, it was gradually extended into the suburbs...
, a predecessor of the London Underground. The London Overground section of the station was closed between 2007 and 27 April 2010 for rebuilding, initially reopening for a preview service on 27 April 2010 with the full service starting on 23 May 2010. Whitechapel will become a station on Crossrail
Crossrail
Crossrail is a project to build a major new railway link under central London. The name refers to the first of two routes which are the responsibility of Crossrail Ltd. It is based on an entirely new east-west tunnel with a central section from to Liverpool Street station...
. The station is in Zone 2.
Nearby places of interest include the Royal London Hospital
Royal London Hospital
The Royal London Hospital was founded in September 1740 and was originally named The London Infirmary. The name changed to The London Hospital in 1748 and then to The Royal London Hospital on its 250th anniversary in 1990. The first patients were treated at a house in Featherstone Street,...
, the Blind Beggar
Blind Beggar
The Blind Beggar is a public house on Whitechapel Road, Whitechapel in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is notable as the former brewery tap of the Manns Albion brewery, where the first modern Brown Ale was brewed...
public house, and the former Wickhams
Wickhams (department store)
Wickhams was a department store on the north side of the Mile End Road in London's East End, closing in the 1960s.-History:The Wickham family were originally drapers, trading from 69, 71 and 73 Mile End Road. No. 75 was occupied by the Spiegelhalter family business of clockmakers and jewellers...
department store. There are also many tours in this area focusing on the Jack the Ripper
Jack the Ripper
"Jack the Ripper" is the best-known name given to an unidentified serial killer who was active in the largely impoverished areas in and around the Whitechapel district of London in 1888. The name originated in a letter, written by someone claiming to be the murderer, that was disseminated in the...
murders.
History
Whitechapel station was originally opened in 1876 when the mainline East London Railway (ELR, now the East London Line) was extended north from to Liverpool Street stationLiverpool Street station
Liverpool Street railway station, also known as London Liverpool Street or simply Liverpool Street, is both a central London railway terminus and a connected London Underground station in the north-eastern corner of the City of London, England...
. The ELR owned the tracks and stations but did not operate trains. From the beginning various railway companies provided services through Whitechapel including the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1846 to 1922. Its territory formed a rough triangle, with London at its apex, practically the whole coastline of Sussex as its base, and a large part of Surrey...
(LB&SCR), the London, Chatham and Dover Railway
London, Chatham and Dover Railway
The London, Chatham and Dover Railway was a railway company in south-eastern England from 1859 until the 1923 grouping which united it with other companies to form the Southern Railway. Its lines ran through London and northern and eastern Kent to form a significant part of the Greater London...
(LC&DR) and the South Eastern Railway
South Eastern Railway (UK)
The South Eastern Railway was a railway company in south-eastern England from 1836 until 1922. The company was formed to construct a route from London to Dover. Branch lines were later opened to Tunbridge Wells, Hastings, Canterbury and other places in Kent...
(SER). Later the Great Eastern Railway
Great Eastern Railway
The Great Eastern Railway was a pre-grouping British railway company, whose main line linked London Liverpool Street to Norwich and which had other lines through East Anglia...
(GER) added services.
On 6 October 1884 the Metropolitan District Railway
Metropolitan District Railway
The Metropolitan District Railway was the predecessor of the District line of the London Underground. Set up on 29 July 1864, at first to complete the "Inner Circle" railway around central London, it was gradually extended into the suburbs...
(MDR, now the District Line) opened a new station adjacent to the deeper ELR station as the terminus of an extension from (part of the extension also formed the final section of the Circle Line). The new station was given the name Whitechapel (Mile End). The ELR passenger service between Whitechapel and Liverpool Street was withdrawn in 1885. The station received its present name on 13 November 1901.
On 1 February 1902 the MDR station was temporarily closed for rebuilding. It reopened on 2 June 1902 when the MDR opened the Whitechapel & Bow Railway, a joint venture with the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway
London, Tilbury and Southend Railway
The London, Tilbury and Southend Railway is an English railway line linking Fenchurch Street railway station in the City of London with northeast London and the entire length of the northern Thames Gateway area of southern Essex. It is currently known as the Essex Thameside Route by Network Rail...
(LT&SR). The new extension ran eastwards to Bromley-by-Bow
Bromley-by-Bow
Bromley-by-Bow, historically and officially Bromley, is a place in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is an inner-city district situated east north-east of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:...
where it joined the LT&SR's tracks. MDR services then operated regularly to and as far as Southend-on-Sea
Southend-on-Sea
Southend-on-Sea is a unitary authority area, town, and seaside resort in Essex, England. The district has Borough status, and comprises the towns of Chalkwell, Eastwood, Leigh-on-Sea, North Shoebury, Prittlewell, Shoeburyness, Southchurch, Thorpe Bay, and Westcliff-on-Sea. The district is situated...
in the summer.
The MDR tracks were electrified
Electrification
Electrification originally referred to the build out of the electrical generating and distribution systems which occurred in the United States, England and other countries from the mid 1880's until around 1940 and is in progress in developing countries. This also included the change over from line...
in 1905 and electric trains
Electric locomotive
An electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or an on-board energy storage device...
replaced steam trains
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
. Services going eastwards were cut back to the limit of electrification at East Ham and later re-extended to Barking in 1908 and Upminster 1932. On 3 December 1906 the Metropolitan Railway
Metropolitan railway
Metropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...
(MR, now the Metropolitan Line
Metropolitan Line
The Metropolitan line is part of the London Underground. It is coloured in Transport for London's Corporate Magenta on the Tube map and in other branding. It was the first underground railway in the world, opening as the Metropolitan Railway on 10 January 1863...
/ Hammersmith & City Line
Hammersmith & City Line
The Hammersmith & City line is a subsurface London Underground line. It connects Hammersmith in the west with Barking in the east, running through the northern part of central London. It is coloured salmon pink on the Tube map...
) extended its service to Whitechapel as the eastern terminus of its service.
The MR also ran trains over the southern section of ELR via a connection (the St Mary's curve) between the MDR tracks west of Whitechapel and the ELR tracks north of Shadwell station. When, in 1913, the tracks of the ELR were electrified it ended services to the MDR station and extended its ELR service through Whitechapel to (then the terminus of the line but now closed) The change of service took place on 31 March 1913.
On 30 March 1936 the Metropolitan Line began operating again through the District Line station as far as . The Metropolitan Line service is now operated as the Hammersmith & City Line.
On 25 March 1995 the East London Line was closed to allow repair works on the Thames Tunnel
Thames Tunnel
The Thames Tunnel is an underwater tunnel, built beneath the River Thames in London, United Kingdom, connecting Rotherhithe and Wapping. It measures 35 feet wide by 20 feet high and is 1,300 feet long, running at a depth of 75 feet below the river's surface...
. General renovations and new signalling works were undertaken at the same time. The line reopened south from Whitechapel on 25 March 1998 and north from Whitechapel on 27 September 1998.
Whitechapel was used extensively as the eastern terminus for some Hammersmith & City Line trains. During off peak hours Monday to Saturday, and all days Sunday, trains terminated here and did not continue to Barking. Reversing at Whitechapel was ceased after the timetable change in December 2009. Trains reversed at Plaistow instead of Whitechapel, which was not only because of the timetable change, but because of the construction work to build one large island platform.
Design
The station used to have six platforms in open cuttings north of Whitechapel Road. The Hammersmith & City and District lines had two eastbound and two westbound (although trains could have reversed back in the opposite direction from any platform during times of disruption or engineering work). There was a siding alongside the platform 4 track accessed from the east side of the station which could accept either 6 car C or D stock train. The East London line (now part of London Overground) has one northbound and one southbound platform. They are sited at the eastern end of the station and are in a deeper cutting.As of September 2011 the track has been permanently removed from platforms 2, 3, and 4. Platform 4 has been extended over the trackbed and westbound trains use the route of the old siding which has been connected to the main line at the western end to provide a through route. This platform is renumbered Platform 2. Trailing crossovers are provided at each end of the station. The two island platforms will be combined to form one large island platform with a central circulating area. Escalators will eventually lead down from here to the Crossrail platforms. A new double-ended centre reversing siding has been constructed beyond to compensate for the loss of reversing facilities from Whitechapel. Since December 2009 Hammersmith & City line trains have not been scheduled to reverse at Whitechapel. Outside peak hours they currently reverse alternately at Plaistow and Barking.
St Mary's Curve
The St Mary's curve connection between the District Line track and the East London Line was used for passenger traffic until 1941 but was subsequently only used to transfer empty trains to and from the other sub-surface lines. The curve was often lit and could easily be seen from the left-hand side of East London Line trains entering Whitechapel station from the south, prior to refurbishment of the East London line commencing late December 2007. The points on the District Line, connecting it to the curve, were removed in summer 2008. Also just west of Whitechapel is the former station, one of the many closed London Underground stations.East London Line
In preparation for the future extension of the East London Line to and , the line north of Whitechapel to Shoreditch was closed on 9 June 2006. Services to Shoreditch had previously been run during peak hoursRush hour
A rush hour or peak hour is a part of the day during which traffic congestion on roads and crowding on public transport is at its highest. Normally, this happens twice a day—once in the morning and once in the evening, the times during when the most people commute...
and Sunday mornings only and services were replaced by a bus link.
Work on the extension of the East London Line commenced and the line closed on 22 December 2007 and reopened on 27 April 2010 when new tracks on a new alignment were connected to a disused North London Line
North London Line
The North London Line is a railway line which passes through the inner suburbs of north London, England. Its route is a rough semicircle from the south west to the north east, avoiding central London. The line is owned and maintained by Network Rail...
viaduct from Shoreditch
Shoreditch
Shoreditch is an area of London within the London Borough of Hackney in England. It is a built-up part of the inner city immediately to the north of the City of London, located east-northeast of Charing Cross.-Etymology:...
to Dalston
Dalston
Dalston is a district of north-east London, England, located in the London Borough of Hackney. It is situated northeast of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London...
. It is now part of the new London Overground
London Overground
London Overground is a suburban rail network in London and Hertfordshire. It has been operated by London Overground Rail Operations since 2007 as part of the National Rail network, under the franchise control and branding of Transport for London...
network. Temporary bus services operated during the closure, of which rail replacement route ELW remained in service until the ELL fully opened on 23rd May 2010. Whitechapel has the odd situation where the District
District Line
The District line is a line of the London Underground, coloured green on the Tube map. It is a "sub-surface" line, running through the central area in shallow cut-and-cover tunnels. It is the busiest of the sub-surface lines. Out of the 60 stations served, 25 are underground...
and Hammersmith & City Line
Hammersmith & City Line
The Hammersmith & City line is a subsurface London Underground line. It connects Hammersmith in the west with Barking in the east, running through the northern part of central London. It is coloured salmon pink on the Tube map...
London Underground platforms are above the East London Line
East London Line
The East London Line is a London Overground line which runs north to south through the East End, Docklands and South areas of London.Built in 1869 by the East London Railway Company, which reused the Thames Tunnel, originally intended for horse-drawn carriages, the line became part of the London...
London Overground platforms.
London Overground
Mondays to Saturdays there is a service every 5-10 minutes throughout the day, while on Sundays before 13:00 there is a service every 5-9 minutes, changing to every 7-8 minutes until the end of service after that. Current off peak frequency is:- 8 Northbound to Highbury & IslingtonHighbury & Islington stationHighbury & Islington station is a London Underground and National Rail station in the London Borough of Islington in north London. It is served by the Victoria line, London Overground's East and North London Lines and First Capital Connect's Northern City Line....
- 4 Northbound to
- 4 Southbound to West CroydonWest Croydon stationWest Croydon station is a transport interchange for National Rail and Tramlink services, as well as London Buses. It is in the London Borough of Croydon and Travelcard Zone 5...
- 4 Southbound to
- 4 Southbound to
From 2012, 4 additional trains per hour will go to via on the new Clapham Junction Extension, due to open in May that year.
Hammersmith & City Line
This is the general off-peak frequency. It should be noted that some early morning services run via Tower HillTower Hill tube station
Tower Hill is a London Underground station at Tower Hill in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.The station is in Travelcard Zone 1 and near the Tower of London...
forming Circle Line
Circle Line
The Circle line, coloured yellow on the tube map, is the eighth busiest line on the London Underground. It forms a loop line around the centre of London on the north side of the River Thames with, since 13 December 2009, an extension to Hammersmith on its north-western side.-History:The route now...
services.
- 3 tph eastbound to PlaistowPlaistow tube stationPlaistow station is a London Underground station on the District and Hammersmith and City lines, located in Plaistow and West Ham, east London. It is in Zone 3....
- 3 tph eastbound to Barking
- 6 tph westbound to Hammersmith via King's Cross and Wood Lane
District Line
This is the general off-peak frequency. During peak times trains also operate to Ealing Broadway. During off peak times, trains from Ealing Broadway terminate short at Tower Hill.- 12 tph eastbound to Upminster (On Sunday's alternate trains run to Barking only)
- 6 tph westbound to Wimbledon
- 6 tph westbound to RichmondRichmond station (London)Richmond station is a National Rail and London Underground station in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in south west London which is managed by South West Trains....
Transport Links
The station is served by London bus route 25, 106, 205, 254, D3 and night route N253.Future Developments
CrossrailCrossrail
Crossrail is a project to build a major new railway link under central London. The name refers to the first of two routes which are the responsibility of Crossrail Ltd. It is based on an entirely new east-west tunnel with a central section from to Liverpool Street station...
will call at Whitechapel. Eastbound services will be split into two branches after leaving the station. Preliminary work has begun to create the interchange between Crossrail
Crossrail
Crossrail is a project to build a major new railway link under central London. The name refers to the first of two routes which are the responsibility of Crossrail Ltd. It is based on an entirely new east-west tunnel with a central section from to Liverpool Street station...
and the East London Line
East London Line
The East London Line is a London Overground line which runs north to south through the East End, Docklands and South areas of London.Built in 1869 by the East London Railway Company, which reused the Thames Tunnel, originally intended for horse-drawn carriages, the line became part of the London...
with subways being constructed. The Crossrail platforms will lie to the north of the existing station, with access being via escalators down from the District and Hammersmith & City Line platforms.