About Aldgate East Station
The station serves both the District Line and the Hammersmith and City Line. There are no surface buildings, with the platforms running underneath Whitechapel High Street and entrances and exits being found at both ends, on the crosses of Commercial Street and Osborn Street respectively. If arriving by tube, the closest exit to the cache is exit 1 (at the Toynbee Hall end if using the old skool signs).
The original Aldgate East station opened in 1884 as the District and Metropolitan Railways expanded eastwards, and was jointly operated by the two railway companies. The old Metropolitan Railway route between Hammersmith and Barking was shown on the tube map as part of the Metropolitan line until 1990, at which point it was given a separate identity as the Hammersmith and City line, with the Metropolitan Line becoming the route from Aldgate to Baker Street and northwards only.
The location of this original Aldgate East station, which was around 170 yards to the west of the current site and closer to Aldgate Station, caused operational problems due in part to the tightness of the curve that was needed between the station and Liverpool Street station. In 1938 the new Aldgate East station was opened in its current location, with the platforms having been moved eastwards, allowing a longer and more gentle curve. This also moved the station closer to St Mary’s station, the next stop along the line, allowing the latter to be closed once the new station was opened.