Whitechapel and Bow Railway

==History==

==History==

===Origins===

===Origins===

The railway had its origins in a scheme promoted by the [[Metropolitan Railway]] (the Met), under chairman [[Edward Watkin]], to connect [[St Mary's (Whitechapel Road) tube station|St Mary's]] station in Whitechapel with the [[London, Tilbury and Southend Railway]] (LTSR) at Campbell Road in Bromley via underground railway.{{sfn|Kay|1997|p=95}} The purpose of the proposed line was to relieve pressure on the LTSR terminus at [[Fenchurch Street railway station|Fenchurch Street]] by routing local trains on to the Met.{{sfn|Horne|2018|p=160}} The Metropolitan and LTSR agreed to jointly promote the scheme in 1883.{{sfn|Horne|2018|p=160}} The route trains would take to reach the Met avoided Whitechapel station and 850 yards of track that were both exclusively owned by the [[District Railway]] (DR).{{efn|Formally known as the Metropolitan District Railway.{{sfn|Lee|1988|p=6}}}} However, trains would still need to pass through a section of the Metropolitan and Metropolitan District Joint Railway. The DR was able to block Metropolitan/LTSR through services on this basis and chairman [[James Staats Forbes]] made clear his intention to oppose the necessary legislation for the new line. The LTSR withdrew from the partnership with the Met.{{sfn|Horne|2018|p=161}} In 1897 the DR revived the scheme, seeking permission from shareholders in February and receiving legislative consent in August.{{sfn|Horne|2018|p=163}} The DR scheme was identical, except trains would run to their Whitechapel station and the line would not avoid it.{{sfn|Kay|1997|pp=95-96}} Further legislation in 1898 established a joint committee of the DR and LTSR. They agreed to jointly fund the new line and a third act in 1900 confirmed how it would be operated.{{sfn|Horne|2018|p=163}}

The railway had its origins in a scheme promoted by the [[Metropolitan Railway]] (the Met), under chairman [[Edward Watkin]], to connect [[St Mary's (Whitechapel Road) tube station|St Mary's]] station in Whitechapel with the [[London, Tilbury and Southend Railway]] (LTSR) at Campbell Road in Bromley via underground railway.{{sfn|Kay|1997|p=95}} The purpose of the proposed line was to relieve pressure on the LTSR terminus at [[Fenchurch Street railway station|Fenchurch Street]] by routing local trains onto the Met.{{sfn|Horne|2018|p=160}} The Metropolitan and LTSR agreed to jointly promote the scheme in 1883.{{sfn|Horne|2018|p=160}} The route trains would take to reach the Met avoided Whitechapel station and 850 yards of track that were both exclusively owned by the [[District Railway]] (DR).{{efn|Formally known as the Metropolitan District Railway.{{sfn|Lee|1988|p=6}}}} However, trains would still need to pass through a section of the Metropolitan and Metropolitan District Joint Railway. The DR was able to block Metropolitan/LTSR through services on this basis and chairman [[James Staats Forbes]] made clear his intention to oppose the necessary legislation for the new line. The LTSR withdrew from the partnership with the Met.{{sfn|Horne|2018|p=161}} In 1897 the DR revived the scheme, seeking permission from shareholders in February and receiving legislative consent in August.{{sfn|Horne|2018|p=163}} The DR scheme was identical, except trains would run to their Whitechapel station and the line would not avoid it.{{sfn|Kay|1997|pp=95-96}} Further legislation in 1898 established a joint committee of the DR and LTSR. They agreed to jointly fund the new line and a third act in 1900 confirmed how it would be operated.{{sfn|Horne|2018|p=163}}

===Construction===

===Construction===