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| Stepney Green exterior on a sunny afternoon, 18th February 2017 |
Opening in 1902, Stepney Green has changed little in its 115 years serving the East of London. With just under 6 million users each year, the station is the third least used station served by both the District line and Hammersmith & City line. Also, Stepney Green is the second least used station out of the nine London Underground stations that end in 'Green', with Kensal Green being the least used station on the network that ends in 'Green'. The classic and historic station is situated between Whitechapel and Mile End and has retained much of its character since opening in 1902.
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| My final journey on a D78 Stock train from Stepney Green, 20th April 2017 |
Stepney Green opened on 23rd June 1902 by the Whitechapel and Bow Railway, which was a joint project by the London Tilbury and Southend Railway, and the Metropolitan District Railway. Electrified services started serving the station in 1905 and were provided by the Metropolitan District Railway. The Metropolitan Railway started serving Stepney Green in 1936, which would become the Hammersmith & City line in 1990. Roughly 42 stations serve this station every hour during off-peak hours. On the Hammersmith & City line, 6 trains an hour head eastbound, and 6 trains an hour head westbound. On the District line, 12 train an hour head east to Upminster and 3 more head east terminating at Barking. On the other hand, heading west, 6 terminate at Ealing Broadway an hour, 6 terminate at Richmond an hour and 3 an hour terminate at Wimbledon.
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| The original "to the trains" signage at Stepney Green station, 18th February 2017 |
The station is a sub-surface station, just below the surface, with two platforms. The station is filled with original features, including the original signage painted onto the wall heading from the ticket office in the station building towards the stairs down to the platforms. This "to the trains" signage has become an icon for the London Underground, and I have seen this sign at Stepney Green countless times on TV, news and social media. To access the westbound platform, or to exit the station from the westbound platform, you have to walk over a bridge, which looks really old - adding to the character of Stepney Green.
Recently Stepney Green station was closed over the Easter weekend in 2017. Although they are extremely important and necessary, weekend closures are frustrating, especially over four days during Easter, but I thought it would be interesting to share some details of the important work conducted. So if you are a regular user of Stepney Green and were irritated last weekend, maybe this will make things better. According to @districtline on twitter, which is provided by TFL, radio units were installed and the existing signals were improved.
Stepney Green is a classic station in zone 2, near the Queen Mary University of London on Mile End Road. If you prefer classic London Underground stations, I highly recommend a visit to this station to see some of the original features Stepney Green offers.
More photos
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| Platforms at Stepney Green, 21st March 2017 |
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