Bromley-by-Bow tube station
District line and Hammersmith & City line · Zones 2 and 3 · Tower Hamlets
About Bromley-by-Bow station
Long before the Underground, the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway opened a station here on 31 March 1858 on its new, more direct line from Fenchurch Street to Barking, and called it simply Bromley. After a fire in December 1892 the platforms were moved west of St Leonard’s Street and a new station opened on 1 March 1894. District Railway trains began calling on 2 June 1902 via the Whitechapel and Bow Railway, running electrically on their own pair of tracks from 30 September 1905, and the District soon supplied most of the service. When the Fenchurch Street–Southend trains were withdrawn on 14 June 1962, their platforms were left abandoned; they still lie south of the two in use.
Another fire, on 20 February 1970, damaged the 1894 building. Its replacement, opened on 11 June 1972 across a road widened as the East Cross Route, was built by London Transport on a raft over the tracks in dark brick like the Victoria line stations of the period. A short length of eastbound canopy with “LTSR” detail survives from 1894. Lifts to the platforms came into use in March 2018, and a Hawkins\Brown modernisation finished in 2019 added a double-height glazed atrium with a large roundel facing the road. An unexploded wartime bomb found north-east of the station disrupted trains on 2 June 2008.
First and last trains from Bromley-by-Bow
| Line and direction | Mon–Thu first – last | Friday first – last | Saturday first – last | Sunday first – last |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District towards Richmond, Ealing Broadway or Wimbledon | 05:26 – 00:12 to Ealing Broadway | 05:26 – 00:12 to Ealing Broadway | 05:26 – 00:12 to Ealing Broadway | 06:07 to Whitechapel – 23:37 |
| District towards Upminster, Barking or Dagenham East | 05:49 – 01:05 | 05:49 – 01:05 | 05:49 – 01:05 | 06:38 – 00:30 |
| Hammersmith & City towards Hammersmith (Circle and H&C lines) | 05:13 – 00:20 | 05:13 – 00:20 | 05:13 – 00:20 | 06:38 – 23:58 |
| Hammersmith & City towards Barking or Plaistow | 05:45 – 01:07 | 05:45 – 01:07 | 05:45 – 01:07 | 07:36 – 00:44 |
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 20 District trains an hour per direction and 8 Hammersmith & City trains an hour per direction from Bromley-by-Bow, counting both directions separately.
Next stations from Bromley-by-Bow
Running times between Bromley-by-Bow and the adjoining stations, from TfL’s timetable.
| Line | Next station | Time |
|---|---|---|
| District | Bow Road | 2 min |
| District | West Ham | 2.3 min |
| Hammersmith & City | Bow Road | 2 min |
| Hammersmith & City | West Ham | 2.6 min |
Connections
- Tube: change here between the District line and Hammersmith & City line.
Station facilities
What is near Bromley-by-Bow station
The station sits on the Blackwall Tunnel Northern Approach, among schools, small green spaces and the mill buildings by the River Lea. East London Arts & Music is about 90 m away and Oxley Square around 130 m. Bromley Recreation Ground is at about 240 m and Prospect Park about 360 m. House Mill is roughly 380 m away, with The Clock Mill at about 390 m and The Miller’s House at around 400 m. Bus routes 323, 488 and D8 serve the station.
| Place | Walk from the station |
|---|---|
| East London Arts & Music | 90 m |
| Bromley Recreation Ground | 240 m |
| House Mill | 380 m |
| Oxley Square | 130 m |
| Prospect Park | 360 m |
| Gillender Play Area | 380 m |
| The Clock Mill | 390 m |
| The Miller's House | 400 m |
Frequently asked questions
Main-line trains between Fenchurch Street and Southend used to stop here alongside the District. When those services were withdrawn on 14 June 1962, their platforms were abandoned. They remain to the south of the two platforms used by District and Hammersmith & City line trains today.
Funded by Tower Hamlets Council and the London Legacy Development Corporation, the works brought lifts giving step-free access to the platforms, in use from March 2018, and a modernisation by Hawkins\Brown completed in 2019. It added a double-height glazed atrium to the 1972 building, with a large roundel facing the road.