Stations › London termini › Fenchurch Street

Fenchurch Street

The London and Blackwall Railway’s terminus, opened in 1841, and since 1858 the London end of the line to Tilbury and Southend. Its 1854 front survives; the platforms behind now run under an office block.

Fenchurch Street: section looking out from the buffer stops (schematic)1234Class 720 AventraClass 720 AventraClass 720 AventraClass 720 Aventra
Looking east from the buffer stops. Today’s office block over the platforms is drawn indicatively. Where the platforms sit is schematic. The train is a c2c Class 720. 5 px per metre.
4Platforms
1841Opened
10.9 millionEntries and exits (2024-25)
45thBusiest station in Britain (2024-25)

Facts

Opened
20 July 1841, by the London and Blackwall Railway, replacing its Minories terminus
Platforms
4, all terminal, on two islands raised on a viaduct (Wikipedia only)
Routes
The London, Tilbury and Southend line
Operators
c2c
Underground
None inside the station: Tower Hill (Circle and District) is about two minutes’ walk, and Tower Gateway DLR about eight minutes’ walk
Roof
The 1854 trussed-arch roof was removed in the 1980s (Wikipedia), and the platforms now lie under an office block
Architect
George Berkeley (the 1854 front; Historic England queries the attribution); William Tite designed the 1841 station
Listed
The front block only, Grade II (Historic England, entry 1079149)
Interchanges
0.84 million (2024-25)
Managed by
c2c

unverified Some of these figures haven’t yet been checked against an official source or a published history. What’s in doubt ↓

Where trains go

Where trains from Fenchurch Street go The 13 London termini at their real positions, with each terminus's routes following the railway out of London and then splitting to the parts of the country they serve, set out by compass direction. N Clapham JunctionClapham Junction StratfordStratford Finsbury ParkFinsbury Park Willesden JunctionWillesden Junction LewishamLewisham Elephant & CastleElephant & Castle WimbledonWimbledon River Thames Fenchurch Street to South Essex: c2c Fenchurch Street South Essex Basildon, Southend PaddingtonPaddington MaryleboneMarylebone EustonEuston St PancrasSt Pancras King's CrossKing's Cross Liverpool StreetLiverpool Street Cannon StreetCannon Street BlackfriarsBlackfriars London BridgeLondon Bridge Charing CrossCharing Cross WaterlooWaterloo VictoriaVictoria Fenchurch Street

Fenchurch Street’s routes follow the railway out of London, then split to the parts of the country they reach, set at their compass bearings; point at a line to see who runs it. The other termini are the small dots; select one to open its page. Distances are true at the circle’s edge, 6 miles (10 km) out, and stretched towards the middle so the termini have room. The route colour is the map’s own: not official, and not any operator’s livery. All 13 together: the map on the Maps page.

Platforms 4

Platform plan, to scale from OpenStreetMap3/41/2Platforms 1 and 2. About 720 ft (221 m) long, off OpenStreetMapPlatforms 3 and 4. About 720 ft (218 m) long, off OpenStreetMapN100 ft (30 m)Platforms, tracks and outline © OpenStreetMap contributors

Seen from above, to scale: the platforms, tracks and the station building’s outline (the grey line) from OpenStreetMap, the buffer stops on the left (north is marked top left). OpenStreetMap maps each island as one platform, so they’re numbered in pairs.

Trains

c2c’s whole fleet.

History 5

Fenchurch Street: section looking out from the buffer stops (schematic)1234Class 720 AventraClass 720 AventraClass 720 AventraClass 720 Aventra1854 roof, since removed: 105 ft (32.0 m) span
The 1854 roof, since removed, drawn dashed over today’s station at the same scale, at the 105 ft Walmisley gives (1888); its height is indicative.
  1. Opens for the London and Blackwall Railway, designed by William Tite.
  2. Rebuilt, with the front block by George Berkeley (Historic England gives 1853).
  3. Becomes the London terminus of the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway.
  4. The front block is listed, Grade II.
  5. The roof is removed and an office block built over the platforms (Wikipedia).

Sources 9

Show the 9 sources from Grace's Guide to British Industrial History, Wikipedia, Transport for London and 6 more

Where the sources disagree:

  • Architect's name: 'George Berkley' (brief), 'George Berkeley' (Grace's Guide) and 'G Berkeley (?)' (Historic England, which also queries the attribution). Date: 1853 (Historic England) vs 1854 (Grace's Guide, Wikipedia).
  • Facing direction (north-west onto Fenchurch Place) is inferred from TfL's entrance coordinates and the station address, not stated in a source.
  • Platform count (4) and the 1854 roof dimensions (105 ft by 299 ft) are from Wikipedia only.
  • Roof removal and office overbuild date: Wikipedia says 1980s; one search snippet said the office development (RHWL) was completed in 1988, unverified.
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