The Last Train

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Booking Hall

Despite arriving early, the booking hall was crowded throughout the evening. There were several signs announcing the closure in the hall - they'd been there since the closure was announced a few months previously. These days it's not possible to buy a ticket from the ticket windows and in Shoreditch they're often closed. Today however, they were open and were issuing special commemorative platform tickets and Tube maps with the station's name stamped on its cover.

The police presence was there not because they were expecting trouble but because they were expecting a lot of people being there later and because there would be quite a few dignitaries for the closing ceremony later on in the evening.

At one end of the booking hall, a set of loudspeakers had been set up. This was for the ceremonial closure that would take place after the last passenger train had left.

Despite the availability of the commemorative ticket, I also bought a real last day ticket from the ticket machine. I wondered, with the electronic Oyster Cards now being heavily promoted over tickets, is this the last station closure where a true last day ticket to travel could be bought from the closing station on the Underground?

Notice that the commemorative ticket is printed on Systems Development paper. This paper is normally used when testing ticket machines to ensure that false tickets aren't issued. The date stamp suggests that they were printed in bulk that morning before services started on the line.

The Platform

Because I was wearing a shirt emblazoned with the Underground History logo, quite a few people introduced themselves. I used to work with Eugene Sully, runner up in Big Brother 6. I still keep in touch occasionally and he said that it was a very strange experience at first where complete strangers would come and talk to him on the street. I think I now know how he feels ;)

That's not to say the only people using the station were there for the event - every train that came in that evening brought a trickle of commuters who wound their way, some looking bewildered, through the gathering throng. I heard one couple describe them as "the normal people". Hmm...

Each train that arrived brought more people and by the time the last train was due, the platform was a mass of expectant people. Of course, the train was late!

At 18:43, eleven minutes later than it was scheduled to leave, the final train slowly trundled into the station to cheers from the platform and whistles from the train (Underground trains still have whistles that sound like steam whistles).

The Last Train

The platform was crowded before the train arrived, but the train itself was also full of people eager to be on the last train into the station - who also wanted to leave the train, take pictures and then be on the last train to leave Shoreditch! For about 3 minutes, the platform was a scene of organised chaos!

It is customary for last trains to have commemorative headboards. I was disappointed to see that this train didn't appear to have such adornment. Soon it was announced that the train was about to leave and there was an almighty squeeze as a vast majority of the people on the platform boarded the train and it was off - there it went, the last passenger train to leave Shoreditch.

The platform had considerably fewer people on it than when the train had arrived! Soon, we were ushered off the platform so that the ceremonial closure of the station could take place. Outside the station, the doors were closed for the last time - to the public at least.

Those of us who waited outside the station for a while after it had closed then heard a strange sound - the sound of a train whistle and that of a train entering the station! This was the real last train - a staff special for the dignitaries. The ceremonial closing of the station took place behind closed doors in the station's booking hall.

Those who elected to go on the last passenger train saw the special train as it left on its final journey to Shoreditch.

Picture: Alastair Hooley

And guess what? It had a headboard! Granted, it looked suspiciously like 2 A4 printouts showing the opening and closure years, but it's the thought that counts, right? ;)

As it seemed that there was nothing else to do at Shoreditch, we then walked to Whitechapel down Brick Lane (being invited into every other restaurant along the way by over-eager proprietors!). On arriving at Whitechapel, we were just in time to see the last special train from Shoreditch arrive at the platform carrying a small number of people - mostly London Underground staff.

It transpired that, had we waited at Shoreditch, after the ceremonial closure of the station had completed, a few people who had waited at the station were invited to see the last special train and to ride it to Whitechapel.

Moments to remember

A few moments stand out in the evening apart from the actual train departure.

One person, an American (I didn't make a note of his name) just visiting London who is a regular visitor of this web site introduced himself to me. He told me that he was in London for a few days and was using the Web to find out something to do. He happened to look at my page and noticed that on the top of the front page, the closure of Shoreditch was actually taking place at that moment, so he decided to come along!

Another surreal moment was just as we were being vacated from the station, a foreign gent stopped me and asked when the next train was due... At first I thought he was having a laugh and a few people responded with "never!" but it transpired he was told that someone was coming to meet him on a train and he genuinely wanted to know when the next train would come!

It was good to meet so many people who came along on that day. I think it'll be quite a while before there'll be another station closure on the Underground - and this was my first.