Fenchurch Street railway station is the City of London's oldest main line station, the smallest,…read moreand also one of the nicest. It is also one of the four stations on the original Monopoly Board. Perhaps these things are not unrelated?
The first station in the area was the London & Blackwall railway's terminus in nearby Minories, opened in 1840. These trains ran down to the Thames at Blackwall, and were designed to take traffic from the ferries, which they successfully achieved. In 1841 it was extended close to the city, on the present site. It was rebuilt in 1853-4 to the designs of George Berkeley, in grey stock brick, in a simple classical design with doric pilasters separating round-arched windows, all surmounted by a crescent-shaped pediment, in which is located the station clock.
The station also became the terminus of the London, Tilbury & Southend Railway (LT&SR) n 1858, and it is these services - to Tilbury and Southend - which survive to-day. The frontage happily survives almost untouched, and in excellent condition, although the original flat canopy above the entrance has been replaced by a nevertheless attractive zig-zag canopy. It faces a small square, and is delightful in summer sunshine.
The same cannot be said of the accommodation behind, where the graceful arched glass train-shed has been replaced by a rather low and dingy ceiling underneath a large office development, although the long platforms do at least have some daylight further out. Its small size means it is also easy to navigate, and there are no long walks to anywhere.
The main ticketing facilities and concourse behind are at first floor level: there are escaltors, stairs and a lifts. Toilets (free) are on the ground floor, with all other facilities at first floor level. There are a number of food and drink outlets, a Transport for London help desk, several cashpoints and a small newsagent (W H Smiths) on the concourse. There is also a small ticket office at the Cooper's Row entrance.
The station has just two island platforms giving four platform faces, which are used to capacity at peak hours, providing some 20 trains an hour. The services used to be a by-word for awfulness: the LT&SR acronym was reinterpreted as the 'Late, tired and suffering railway' by its passengers. However, the trains are now exclusively operated by the c2c company (c2c = City to coast), with shiny new trains which are among the most punctual in the UK.
Fenchurch Street It is unique in London termini in not having an underground connection. The best connection is from the rear exit (Cooper's Row) to Tower Hill station, a two-minute walk away. There is a small taxi rank by the main entrance, but no cycle storage, nor any left luggage facilities.