Leigh-on-Sea railway station

For other stations called Leigh, see Leigh railway station (disambiguation).

Leigh-on-Sea
General information
Location	Leigh-on-Sea, Southend-on-Sea England
Grid reference	TQ831857
Managed by	c2c
Platforms	3
Other information
Station code	LES
Classification	DfT category C2
Key dates
1 July 1855 (1855-07-01)	Opened as Leigh
1 October 1904	Renamed Leigh-on-Sea
1 January 1934	Re-sited
Passengers
2019/20	2.315 million
2020/21	0.480 million
2021/22	1.248 million
2022/23	1.563 million
2023/24	1.635 million
Notes Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

The original station building, now used by Leigh Sailing Club

Leigh-on-Sea railway station is on the London, Tilbury and Southend line, serving the town of Leigh-on-Sea, Essex. It is 32 miles 43 chains (52.4 km) down the main line from London Fenchurch Street via Basildon and it is situated between Benfleet to the west and Chalkwell to the east. Its three-letter station code is LES.

It was originally opened as Leigh by the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway on 1 July 1855, being renamed Leigh-on-Sea on 1 October 1904, but was rebuilt by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway on a new site, 880 yards (805 m) to the west, opening on 1 January 1934.^[1] The station and all trains serving it are currently operated by c2c.

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.^[2] The original building was then used by a local Sea Scout 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.^[3]

When the London Underground's District line operated a seasonal non-stop excursion service between 1910 and 1939 through to the Southend area, Leigh-on-Sea was the first stop after Upminster.^[4]

There were formerly sidings on the 'up' London-bound side to the south-west of the station.^[5] There was a fatal accident at these sidings on 15 December 1935.^[6] The sidings had been partly decommissioned by 1969.^[5]

Services

As of the June 2024 timetable the typical Monday to Friday off-peak service is:^[7]

• 4 tph (trains per hour) westbound to London Fenchurch Street via Basildon (2 tph all stations and 2 tph semi-fast)
• 2 tph westbound to London Fenchurch Street via Tilbury Town and Ockendon
• 6 tph eastbound to Southend Central, of which 4 tph continue to Shoeburyness

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Benfleet		c2c London, Tilbury and Southend line		Chalkwell
Historical services
Preceding station	London Underground			Following station
Upminster towards Wimbledon, Richmond or Ealing Broadway		District line		Southend Central towards Shoeburyness

References

1. Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations. Yeovil: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 141. ISBN 1-85260-508-1. R508.
2. Cooke, B.W.C., ed. (December 1956). "Leigh-on-Sea Station". The Why and the Wherefore. The Railway Magazine. Vol. 102, no. 668. Westminster: Tothill Press. p. 867.
3. History of 3rd Chalkwell Bay Sea Scouts Archived 2 February 2007 at the Wayback Machine
4. CULG – District Line
5. Route training manual: London, Tilbury & Southend Lines, British Rail Eastern Region (November 1969). Published by Great Eastern Railways Society (2003)
6. "Fatal accident Leigh-on-Sea 15 December 1935".
7. "c2c Train Times" (PDF). c2c. June 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.

External links

• Media related to Leigh-on-Sea railway station at Wikimedia Commons

• Train times and station information for Leigh-on-Sea railway station from National Rail

51.541°N 0.640°E / 51.541; 0.640