Tilbury Riverside railway station

Tilbury Riverside railway station is a closed railway station located in the town of Tilbury in the borough and unitary authority of Thurrock in Essex, England, south of a triangular junction on the railway between Tilbury Town and East Tilbury. The station was 22 miles 46 chains (36.33 km) down the line from London Fenchurch Street station via Rainham.[1]

Tilbury Riverside
LocationTilbury, Borough of Thurrock
England
Coordinates51.4519°N 0.3646°E / 51.4519; 0.3646
Grid referenceTQ643752
Platforms5
Other information
StatusDisused
History
Original companyLondon, Tilbury and Southend Railway
Pre-groupingMidland Railway
Post-groupingLondon, Midland and Scottish Railway
Eastern Region of British Railways
Network SouthEast
Key dates
13 April 1854Opened as Tilbury
3 August 1934Renamed Tilbury Riverside
30 November 1992Closed

History
A 1946 Ordnance Survey map showing the station, Tilbury Town and the triangular junction

It was opened on 13 April 1854 as part of the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway,[2] providing an interchange with Port of Tilbury to take advantage of the increasing steamboat traffic in this area of the river Thames. The station was opened as Tilbury, and it became Tilbury Riverside on 3 August 1934.[2] It used to provide an interchange with the Gravesend - Tilbury Ferry.

Tilbury engine shed was sited in the triangular junction to the north of Tilbury Riverside station.

Most trains from Fenchurch Street via Tilbury Town would reverse at this station and continue to Westcliff and Benfleet, with a few to or from Fenchurch Street starting or ending here, and there were also a few services operating short to or from Upminster. However, in 1986, London trains ceased calling here and the services were shortened to operate only from Upminster to Tilbury Riverside, East Tilbury and Stanford-le-Hope.

Tilbury Marine

Tilbury Marine was a short-lived station built by the Port of London Authority to serve boat trains, it was located within the docks area to the west of Tilbury Riverside.[3] It opened on 15 May 1927 and closed on 1 May 1932.[3] The station suffered bomb damage in World War 2 but was still largely intact in 1947.[4]

Closure

On 30 November 1992, the station was closed.[2] For many years prior to closure, the station was served only by certain trains on the local service from Upminster via Grays, because the nearby Dartford Crossing and increased car ownership had caused a decline in its importance as a passenger ferry terminal. There was some opposition to closure, but British Rail cited financial reasons for the closure with the annual cost of running the service at £180,000 against income of £11,000.[5]

The large and empty circulating area in Tilbury Riverside station 5 June 1986

The station building can now be reached by a shuttle bus service from Tilbury Town railway station, which was a requirement of the line closure. Conditions placed include that the bus service is at least as frequent as the train service at closure, and also that any withdrawal of the bus service go through the same process as closure of the rail service.[5]

The station building is now an indoor car park for Tilbury passenger terminal.

Preceding station   Disused railways   Following station
Tilbury Town   Network SouthEast
London Fenchurch Street-Shoeburyness		   East Tilbury or
Terminus

References
  1. Oakley, Michael. Diesel Enthusiasts Pocket Guide. 1 Eastern Region South. Truro: Bradford Barton. pp. Table 1. ISBN 0 85153 402 3.
  2. Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations. Yeovil: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 230. ISBN 1-85260-508-1. R508.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  3. Brown, Joe (2015). London Railway Atlas. Hersham: Ian Allan. p. 46. ISBN 978 0 7110 3819 6.
  4. Course, Dr Edwin (2002). The Tilbury Loop. Midhurst UK: Middleton Press. p. 44. ISBN 1 901706 86 9.
  5. Helm, John (November 1992). "Tilbury Riverside to close". Modern Railways. Shepperton: Ian Allan. p. 594.

Media related to Tilbury Riverside railway station at Wikimedia Commons

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