![Old railway station, Leigh-on-Sea](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0c/Old_railway_station%2C_Leigh-on-Sea.jpg)
Leigh-on-Sea railway station is on the
London, Tilbury and Southend line
The London, Tilbury and Southend line, also known as Essex Thameside, is a commuter railway line on the British railway system. It connects Fenchurch Street station, in central London, with destinations in east London and Essex, including , , , ...
, serving the town of
Leigh-on-Sea
Leigh-on-Sea (), commonly referred to simply as Leigh, is a town and civil parish in the City of Southend-on-Sea, in the ceremonial county of Essex, England. In 2011, it had a population of 22,509.
Geography
Leigh-on-Sea is on the northern ...
, Essex. It is down the main line from
London Fenchurch Street via and it is situated between to the west and to the east. Its three-letter station code is LES.
It was originally opened as ''Leigh'' by the
London, Tilbury and Southend Railway
The London, Tilbury and Southend Railway (LT&SR), was a British railway company, whose network connected Fenchurch Street railway station, Fenchurch Street station, in central London, with destinations in east London and Essex, including , , , T ...
on 1 July 1855, being renamed ''Leigh-on-Sea'' on 1 October 1904, but was rebuilt by the
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMSIt has been argued that the initials LMSR should be used to be consistent with LNER, GWR and SR. The London, Midland and Scottish Railway's corporate image used LMS, and this is what is generally u ...
on a new site, to the west, opening on 1 January 1934. The station and all trains serving it are currently operated by
.
History
The original station was built in Leigh Old Town and opened in 1855, but a larger three-platform station some distance to the west was opened on 1 January 1934 to replace the first structure. The original building was then used by a local
Sea Scout
Sea Scouts are a part of the Scout movement, with a particular emphasis on boating and other water-based activities on the sea, rivers or lakes (canoeing, rafting, scuba, sailboarding). Sea Scouts can provide a chance to sail, cruise on boats, ...
troop until the northern platform buildings were demolished to allow the widening of the adjacent road. The other platform and station building still exist and are currently used by Leigh Sailing Club.
When the
London Underground
The London Underground (also known simply as the Underground or by its nickname the Tube) is a rapid transit system serving Greater London and some parts of the adjacent ceremonial counties of England, counties of Buckinghamshire, Essex and He ...
's
District line
The District line is a London Underground line running from in the east and Edgware Road in the west to in west London, where it splits into multiple branches. One branch runs to in south-west London and a short branch, with a limited servic ...
operated a seasonal non-stop excursion service between 1910 and 1939 through to the Southend area, Leigh-on-Sea was the first stop after .
There were formerly sidings on the 'up' London-bound side to the south-west of the station.
There was a fatal accident at these sidings on 15 December 1935.
The sidings had been partly decommissioned by 1969.
[Route training manual: London, Tilbury & Southend Lines, British Rail Eastern Region (November 1969). Published by Great Eastern Railways Society (2003) ]
Services
The typical off-peak service frequency is:
* 4tph (trains per hour) westbound towards
London Fenchurch Street, of which:
**2 tph call at all stations via
**2 tph call at all stations via the branch
* 4 tph eastbound towards , of which:
** 2 tph terminate at
** 2 tph continue to Shoeburyness
During peak hours there are additional trains to and from Fenchurch Street, some of which terminate at Leigh-on-Sea.
References
External links
*
{{Railway stations served by c2c
Railway stations in Essex
DfT Category C2 stations
Railway stations in Southend-on-Sea
Former London, Tilbury and Southend Railway stations
Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1855
Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1934
Railway stations in Great Britain closed in 1934
Railway stations served by c2c
Buildings and structures in Southend-on-Sea