Julia Lopez, Member of Parliament for Hornchurch & Upminster, has written to the Deputy Mayor for Transport, Seb Dance, to press for action and transparency over ongoing problems with passenger facilities at Hornchurch and Upminster Bridge stations on the eastern end of the District line.
Mrs Lopez has been speaking with Transport for London (TfL) for over a year about concerns raised by residents, including toilets that are advertised as open between 5 am and 3 pm on weekdays but are often not open in practice, reports that the waiting room at Hornchurch is locked even during advertised opening hours and concerns that ticket barriers are frequently left open, enabling fare evasion.
TfL previously told Mrs Lopez that lone staffing and antisocial behaviour were contributing to the problems. When pressed, TfL advised in May 2025 that it planned to trial interventions to reduce antisocial behaviour at the eastern end of the District line, with the aim of extending toilet opening hours and improving access to facilities. However, Mrs Lopez says her office has received no further updates since June 2025, and residents report that the situation remains unchanged.
In her letter, Mrs Lopez has asked the Deputy Mayor to ensure TfL provides a clear update on progress and for an on-site meeting with senior TfL representatives at Hornchurch station in a couple of weeks time.
Mrs Lopez said:
“Residents have raised repeated concerns with me about basic facilities at Hornchurch and Upminster Bridge stations, including toilets that are often not open when advertised and the waiting room at Hornchurch being locked.
“TfL previously indicated it would trial measures to tackle antisocial behaviour to improve access, but a year on local people have seen no meaningful change.
“I have written to the Deputy Mayor to seek a clear update and to request a meeting with senior TfL representatives on site to make progress.”
Further updates will be provided in due course.
