Chafford Hundred Station

Ever heard of a station built on a single track? Chafford Hundred Station is just that. It serves the Chafford Hundred area and Lakeside Shopping Centre in Essex. This station, sometimes called Chafford Hundred Lakeside station, sits on a unique branch line of the London, Tilbury, and Southend line. It’s a bit over 20 miles from London Fenchurch Street, nestled between Ockendon and Grays stations. Chafford Hundred Station opened in 1995, thanks to Railtrack. Today, c2c runs the trains and manages the station. Interestingly, even though it’s outside London’s main fare zones, Oyster cards work here since 2010. The history of Chafford Hundred Station is tied to the Lakeside Shopping Centre. The single-track line existed since 1893, part of a branch from Romford to Grays built by the London, Tilbury, and Southend Railway. Back then, service was limited, basically a shuttle between Upminster and Grays, stopping only at Ockendon. After Lakeside Shopping Centre opened in 1990, the area needed better transport links. That’s where Chafford Hundred Station came in. The station’s construction cost around £1 million, funded by the Chafford Hundred development group. At first, a free shuttle bus ran between the station and the shopping centre. A pedestrian bridge replaced the bus service in 2000, offering a direct link. The train service also expanded, going beyond Upminster to Fenchurch Street and past Grays to Southend Central. The frequency increased to two trains per hour in both directions. Chafford Hundred Station became increasingly busy. The station buildings underwent a rebuild in 2006 to handle the growing number of passengers. Although the station is officially called Chafford Hundred, some refer to it as Chafford Hundred Lakeside because of its proximity to the shopping centre. However, c2c and Transport for London mainly use the shorter name. The station has become quite important. It even holds the title of the busiest single-platform station in the UK.