West Horndon is a smaller stop on the direct route and reflects the railway's passage through the Essex countryside between Basildon and Greater London. It sits on the route created in the 1880s to shorten the journey between Pitsea and Barking.
Upminster is an important interchange and an old Essex settlement absorbed into Greater London. Visitors interested in history can explore the older town and use the station to connect with other parts of east London. Its position also illustrates why the 1888 direct railway was so important: the line gave Pitsea a much shorter route towards Barking and London.
Barking has a history extending far beyond its modern urban appearance. The area developed around Barking Abbey and later became strongly associated with fishing and industry. Its station is also a major interchange, making it possible to branch away from the c2c route.
West Ham provides connections with London's Underground and other rail services. For a visitor from Pitsea it is useful less as a single tourist destination than as a gateway to Stratford, the Olympic Park and many parts of east and central London.
Limehouse offers access to one of London's most historically interesting riverside districts. Its story includes docks, canals, shipping and the transformation of London's East End. The station also provides interchange with the Docklands Light Railway.
London Fenchurch Street is the traditional London terminus of the c2c network. Arriving here places visitors within walking distance of some of the capital's most historic sites, including the Tower of London, Tower Hill, the old City streets and the Thames. For generations of Pitsea residents, Fenchurch Street has been the London end of their local railway.
Travelling from Pitsea towards London retraces more than a century and a half of local transport history. The Tilbury route recalls the railway of 1855, while the Basildon–Laindon–Upminster route follows the direct railway of 1888. The destinations have changed enormously, but Pitsea's unusual choice of two westbound routes remains one of the defining features of the station.