Part 1 of the history of Laindon Station explains why the railway changed Laindon more dramatically than almost any other development.
Laindon railway station opened in 1888 when the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway opened its more direct route between the London side of the line and Pitsea. The new route allowed trains between London and Southend to avoid the longer journey through Tilbury and placed Laindon directly on an important commuter and excursion railway.
Before the railway arrived, Laindon and the surrounding district were largely rural, with farms and small settlements spread across the landscape. The station made the area much easier to reach from East London and became one of the main reasons land around Laindon was sold for development.
Cheap plots attracted people who wanted weekend homes, smallholdings and eventually permanent houses. Over the following decades the population grew rapidly and the plotland settlement expanded around the High Road, railway and surrounding roads.
The station name helped define the identity of the wider district, although historic parish boundaries around the site were complicated. Research into old boundaries shows that parts of the station and Railway Cottages actually stood in neighbouring historic parishes rather than entirely within the ancient parish of Laindon. In everyday use, however, the station became firmly associated with Laindon.
The station was built by the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway. In 1912 the company was absorbed by the Midland Railway, and after the 1923 railway grouping the line became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway. After nationalisation in 1948 it came under British Railways.
Laindon was not used only by commuters. In the early years excursion trains brought large groups from London into the countryside. The number of special trains became significant enough for extra siding accommodation to be required. The station therefore helped establish Laindon as both a place to live and a destination for visitors escaping the city.
Land development accelerated after the railway opened. Residents could live in Laindon while retaining links with London, and builders could bring materials into the district much more easily. Roads, shops and social venues gradually developed around the growing population.
When Basildon New Town was designated in 1949 there was still no railway station in Basildon town centre. For many years Laindon and Pitsea remained the principal railway stations serving the developing town. Basildon station itself did not open until 1974.
Laindon Station is more than a transport facility. It was one of the major causes of the transformation from scattered rural settlements into a large commuter community and later became an important western rail gateway for Basildon New Town.