Plaistow tube station is a London Underground station on Plaistow Road in Plaistow neighbourhood of the London Borough of Newham in east London, England. The station is on the District line and the Hammersmith and City line, and in London fare zone 3. The station was opened in 1858 by the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway on a new direct route from Fenchurch Street to Barking that avoided Stratford. The station was served by the District Railway from 1902, switching to electric services in 1905. The Fenchurch Street–Southend service was withdrawn from Plaistow and the platforms used by that service have been abandoned since 1962.
The London, Tilbury and Southend Railway direct line from Bow to Barking was constructed east to west through the middle of the Parish of West Ham in 1858. Before this, trains took a longer route via Stratford and Forest Gate to the north. The new line opened with stations initially at Bromley, Plaistow and East Ham. Upton Park was added as a new station to the east in 1877 and West Ham was added to the west in 1901. From 18 May 1869 The North London Railway ran a daily service to Plaistow via the Bow-Bromley curve, terminating at the northern bay platform. In 1905 the service switched to a new bay platform on the southern side. The North London Railway service to Plaistow ceased on 1 January 1916.
With the completion of the Whitechapel and Bow Railway in 1902 the line was doubled to four tracks and through services of the Metropolitan District Railway (commonly known as the District Railway) were able to operate to Upminster. The District Railway converted to electric trains in 1905 and services were cut back to East Ham. The District Railway was incorporated into London Transport in 1933, and became known as the District line.
The 1947 timetable shows only a few services a day provided by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway and a frequent service provided by the District. The remaining Fenchurch Street–Southend services were withdrawn in 1962 when the route was electrified with overhead lines.
Ownership of the station passed to the Midland Railway in 1912 and the London, Midland and Scottish Railway in 1923. After nationalisation of the railways in 1948 management of the station passed to British Railways. In 1969 ownership was transferred to the London Underground.
The station has three platforms in use, two through platforms and a third bay platform enabling eastbound trains to terminate and reverse back to central London. Two other platforms used to serve the LTSR line but are now closed and derelict; c2c trains pass through non-stop. Plaistow used to have sidings on the north side of the line, but the site is now occupied by a Dagenham Motors car showroom.
The station booking hall, built in 1905, is the subject of a local listing which, while not conferring any additional planning controls on a building under current legislation, encourages the proper consideration of a building’s architectural or historic interest(s) in the exercise of normal planning controls.
Although there is no station car park, there is a Newham London Borough Council-run pay and display car park to the immediate south, connected by a set of steps.
London Buses Routes 69, 241, 262 and 473 serve the station.