Trains at Whitechapel (ELL, Tube, EL) - 19/02/2026

The 297th video of my train spotting adventures. ----- This video rounds up this trip to London, heading from Custom House on the Elizabeth Line to Whitechapel railway station. A large, 6-platform Metro/Underground/Interchange station, it's one of a couple of stations, and lines, in the region. The East London Railway (ELR) opened their Whitechapel station on the 10th April 1876. It coincided with the extension of the railway north from Wapping to Shoreditch and the extension of London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LBSCR) services to Liverpool Street and Croydon. The South Eastern Railway (SER) started running trains between Liverpool Street and Addiscombe Road on the 1st April 1880. SER services ceased to call at the station from 3 March 1884 and were diverted to St Mary's (Whitechapel). The Great Eastern Railway (GER) took over running trains on the ELR from Liverpool Street in 1886. LBSCR trains from the south thereafter terminated at Whitechapel or Shoreditch. - The District Railway (DR) opened their Whitechapel (Mile End) station adjacent to the ELR station on 6 October 1884. It was located at the end of an eastern spur of the Metropolitan and Metropolitan District Joint Railway, a line that connected the eastern end of the District Railway (DR) at Mansion House to the Metropolitan Railway (the Met) at Aldgate and completed the Circle line. The station was the eastern terminus for the majority of DR trains. The DR station was renamed Whitechapel on 13 November 1901. - In 1883, the Met jointly sponsored a scheme to connect St Mary's (Whitechapel) station with the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway (LTSR) at Campbell Road in Bromley via underground railway that avoided Whitechapel station. The DR was able to block Met/LTSR through services and the LTSR withdrew from the partnership with the Met. In 1897 the DR revived the Whitechapel and Bow Railway (W&BR), this time with trains running east from their Whitechapel station. Whitechapel DR station was closed for reconstruction on 2 February 1902 and was transferred to W&BR ownership. From 2 June 1902, regular DR steam services were extended to East Ham with some trains going as far as Upminster. In 1904 the DR station entrance and booking hall was closed with all passengers then using the ELR entrance. After fourth-rail electrification of the line, eastbound services terminated at East Ham from 30 September 1905 and Barking from 1 April 1908. The ELR was fourth-rail electrified and electric services started at Whitechapel on 31 March 1913, with the Met providing trains between Shoreditch and the two New Cross stations. Met services were withdrawn from the W&B platforms. - In preparation for the extension of the East London line to Dalston Junction and Highbury & Islington, the line north of Whitechapel to Shoreditch was closed on 9 June 2006. Work commenced and the line was closed on the 22nd December 2007. It reopened on the 27th April 2010 when tracks on a new alignment were connected to a disused North London line viaduct from Shoreditch to Dalston, making Whitechapel part of the London Overground network. The southern extension of phase 1 from New Cross Gate to Crystal Palace and West Croydon was completed simultaneously with that to Dalston in 2010 and a full service began in May 2010. - From December 2019, Night Overground began to stop additionally at Whitechapel. When the Elizabeth Line opened on 24 May 2022, services initially ran between Paddington and Abbey Wood only. Since 6 November 2022, the line splits into two branches just east of the station: one towards Shenfield, joining the Great Eastern Main Line just south of Stratford, and the other continuing to Abbey Wood. ----- Filmed on the: East London Line District/Hammersmith & City Line Elizabeth Line ----- Services seen: EL) Services towards Abbey Wood via Canary Wharf, or London Liverpool Street, Farringdon, Tottenham Court Road, Bond Street, London Paddington and Heathrow Airport/Reading. - LO) Services towards Dalston Junction, Canonbury and Highbury & Islington, or Shadwell, Canada Water and New Cross/New Cross Gate/Crystal Palace/West Croydon/Clapham Junction. - LU) -District Line to Upminster via West Ham and Barking, or Wimbledon/Richmond/Ealing Broadway via Tower Hill, Westminster and Earls Court. -Hammersmith & City Line to Barking via West Ham, or Hammersmith via London Liverpool Street, Kings Cross/St Pancras and London Paddington. ----- Trains seen: EL) Class 345 Aventra LO) Class 378 Capitalstar LU) S7 Stock ----- Please leave a like, comment or even subscribe if you enjoy my content. Thanks for watching :)