Bethnal Green tube station
Central line · Zone 2 · Tower Hamlets
About Bethnal Green station
The tunnels here were almost finished when war broke out in 1939, still without rails, and the unfinished station became an air-raid shelter run by the local borough. On the evening of 3 March 1943, with reprisal raids expected after an RAF attack on Berlin, the siren sounded at 8:17 pm and crowds hurried down the blacked-out staircase from the street. A woman and a child fell three steps from the bottom, others fell over them, and the pile grew to nearly 300 people. 173 were killed, 62 of them children. News was held back for 36 hours, and a secret official report later acknowledged that the council had warned in 1941 that the staircase needed a crush barrier, only to be told it would be a waste of money.
Trains finally arrived on 4 December 1946, when the Central line was extended east from Liverpool Street to Stratford; the name Bethnal had been proposed before opening. The station is a typical product of London Transport’s 1935–40 New Works Programme: pale yellow tiling originally made by Poole Pottery, relief tiles of London symbols by Harold Stabler, and subway staircases showing Charles Holden’s influence. The tiling was replicated in the 2007 modernisation, with some original panels kept on the platforms. A plaque on the south-eastern staircase, put up in 1993, records the disaster as the worst civilian disaster of the Second World War.
First and last trains from Bethnal Green
| Line and direction | Mon–Thu first – last | Friday first – last | Saturday first – last | Sunday first – last |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central towards West Ruislip, Ealing Broadway or White City | 05:43 – 00:19 | 05:43 – all night | 24 hours | all night – 23:35 to Ealing Broadway |
| Central towards Hainault, Epping or Loughton | 06:01 to Epping – 00:43 to Epping | 06:01 to Epping – all night | 24 hours | all night – 23:55 |
Times are TfL’s published timetable departures from this station; on Saturday the list follows TfL’s “Saturdays and public holidays” timetable.
At the busiest hour on a weekday there are up to 30 Central trains an hour per direction from Bethnal Green, counting both directions separately.
Next stations from Bethnal Green
Running times between Bethnal Green and the adjoining stations, from TfL’s timetable.
| Line | Next station | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Central | Liverpool Street | 3.2 min |
| Central | Mile End | 2.5 min |
Connections
Bethnal Green is served by the Central line only; there is no interchange with other rail lines here.
Station facilities
What is near Bethnal Green station
The station is reached only by staircases down from the street, and the Stairway to Heaven Memorial stands just 30 m away in a corner of Bethnal Green Gardens: an inverted teak stairway of 18 steps, a full-size replica of the one where the crush happened, unveiled on 16 December 2017. The Bethnal Green War Memorial is about 40 m off, Paradise Gardens 90 m, Museum Gardens 130 m and Bethnal Green Library 150 m. The Young V&A museum and the Backyard Comedy Club are both about 210 m away, and Bethnal Green Nature Reserve roughly 320 m. Sir John Soane’s church of St John on Bethnal Green overlooks the site.
| Place | Walk from the station |
|---|---|
| Bethnal Green Library | 150 m |
| Young V&A | 210 m |
| Stairway to Heaven Memorial | 30 m |
| Bethnal Green War Memorial | 40 m |
| Paradise Gardens | 90 m |
| Museum Gardens | 130 m |
| Bethnal Green Gardens | 180 m |
| Poets Corner Community Garden | 180 m |
Frequently asked questions
On 3 March 1943 people were hurrying into the unfinished station, then used as an air-raid shelter, when a woman and a child fell near the bottom of the stairs. Nearly 300 people became trapped and 173 died, 62 of them children. A plaque on the south-eastern staircase and the Stairway to Heaven Memorial outside remember them.
It was part of the Central line’s eastern extension in the 1935–40 New Works Programme. Construction began in the 1930s and the tunnels were nearly complete when war broke out, but rails had not been laid. The station opened with the extension to Stratford on 4 December 1946.