We used to be able to get all the way to the bech by just hopping on the Tube
Essex has long maintained a strong connection with the London Underground, owing to its proximity. The Central line serves Epping, Chigwell and Buckhurst Hill, amongst other stations, for example.
With the Elizabeth line stretching all the way out to Brentwood and Shenfield, this relationship with London’s transport network continues (yes, we know the Elizabeth line isn’t part of the Tube). However, if you delve into the history of the Tube itself, you’ll discover that its reach was once far more extensive than it is today.
In the early 20th century, London’s railway companies operated services all the way to Shoeburyness. This route broadly follows what we now recognise as the c2c Rail line, which once carried tourists to the Essex seaside town of Southend-on-Sea, back when it was a flourishing holiday destination.
In its earliest days, the London Underground was far from the unified system we know today, reports Essex Live.
We are now accustomed to the entire network being overseen by Transport for London. Yet when it first came into existence, a number of rival railway companies constructed and ran competing lines beneath the streets of London.
This meant that the modern Metropolitan line and District line were built by entirely separate companies, and a ticket for one would not be accepted on the other. These independent private firms were perpetually vying to outdo one another in every way imaginable — and this fierce rivalry stretched well beyond the boundaries of the capital.
The c2c rail route in south Essex, formerly known as the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway (LTSR), was established in the late 19th century to connect parts of Essex with the capital. The District Railway, one of the earliest underground railways serving passengers, recognised the potential of this particular line.
In 1868, the railway was launched in London, running from South Kensington to Westminster. As the years passed, the line expanded, stretching further east to Mansion House and west towards Richmond.
However, these ambitious projects considerably exceeded their budgets, forcing the District Railway to seek out additional sources of income. Somewhat reluctantly, they agreed to share a line with their rivals, the Metropolitan Railway, heading eastward to Whitechapel and a terminal station known as St Mary’s.
From Whitechapel, they were able to make use of two overground lines, amongst them the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway. By 1902, the District Railway had extended its services all the way to Upminster, paving the way for travel further into Essex.
By 1910, Southend-on-Sea had established itself as one of the most beloved seaside destinations in the UK. The Kursaal amusement park attracted enormous crowds, and the town had firmly cemented its reputation as a premier getaway for visitors from across the country, not least from London.
The District Railway was eager to seize the opportunity to become the go-to route for travellers heading to Southend-on-Sea. Rather than requiring passengers to change trains at the edge of the London Underground network, they struck a deal with the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway (LTSR) to run their own trains along the Southend-bound lines.
In exchange, the LTSR was granted permission to use the District’s tracks in East London between Whitechapel and Bow, bypassing the more restrictive London Fenchurch Street terminus. This agreement allowed the District Railway to operate tube trains — which would later become the District line — all the way through to Shoeburyness.
Departing from Ealing Broadway, cutting through the heart of London, and running non-stop between Barking and Leigh-on-Sea before reaching the seaside, these trains proved a firm favourite with day-trippers. The service launched in 1910 and ran successfully for 29 years before coming to an end in 1939.
The precise reasons for its closure remain unclear, though it may be linked to the District Railway’s takeover by London Transport in 1933, which would eventually evolve into today’s Transport for London. The onset of the Second World War also played a significant role in bringing leisure travel to a virtual standstill.
The service from Ealing Broadway to Shoeburyness was never reinstated following the war, leaving Southend residents with just one way to reach the Tube – catching the existing c2c line and changing at Upminster, Barking, West Ham, Limehouse or London Fenchurch Street. Notably, the first three of these are predominantly District line stations.
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