USS Dominik @ Upminster Bridge

Posted on by Pastor Cmentarny

USS stands for underground’s secret search, and it is about exploring things around London’s underground station. Read more about it in my introduction: https://dominiksymonowicz.com/2017/07/07/uss-dominik-underground-secrets-search-introduction/

Upminster Bridge
Upminster Bridge

This station is in zone 6 and belong to London Borough of Havering which is the east part of London.

The railway station was opened in 17.12’1934, and District line started to stop here since 1969. I visited this station on 19.01’2019. At the time of writing this blog, I visited 21 stations this year (7%). Since I started this project, I visited 74 stations (24%), and I passed 201 stations. (38%).
I passed 81% stations of Central line so far.

I visited this station during my reconnaissance mission to explore the east part of London. My route from home to home with stops at Marylebone, Edgware Road, West Ham, East Ham, Hornchurch, Upminster Bridge, Upminster, Romford, Forest Gate, Stratford, Epping and Theydon Bois.

According to information found on poster at station.

The station was constructed in 1934 by the London Midland & Scottish Railway as part of a rail electrification scheme from Barking to Upminster. The Underground took over the station in 1969.

Many of the station’s original features still exist, including the cream and red tiled interior and oval platform benches.

Tfl / Upminster Bridge posters

This station has very interesting decoration and that’s main reason to come here. More about this decoration shortly. I discover that station itself looks quite nice.

  • Train approaching a platform
  • platform
  • waiting room
  • posters with history of station
  • canopy
  • ceiling at entrance building
  • entrance
  • stairs
  • platform again
  • waiting room
  • red canopy
  • bench

When I saw sign first time I read as “Waiting room for Woman”

Waiting room
Woman

As it turns out there are 2 waiting rooms where this one is just waiting room and this one is waiting room with entrance to woman toilet 🙂

Most unique thing about this station is this decoration on the floor.

decoration

For many people, this “logo” has an unfortunate connection with dark times in human history. However, Swastika came from word svastika. It means “good to be” and it is used as symbol of good fortune. I saw this sign in China and it is very popular in Asian culture. If you want more about this decoration and why is popular in UK, check this BBC article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-26369329

Upminster Bridge is a residential area without any unique cafe, restaurant or pub. The most popular place in this area seems to be 122 Cafe as passed a few places and only there were many people.

Trivia:

  • This is only station where I saw a red telephone box.
  • The station has been one of the first on the network that lost ticket office.

Note: All resources I used to gather knowledge I will keep on the introduction page (https://dominiksymonowicz.com/2017/07/07/uss-dominik-underground-secrets-search-introduction/)