Between 1885 and 1888 a new route authorised as the Barking and Pitsea Railway was constructed, that branched off to the east of Barking. It provided a more direct service from London to Southend, avoiding Tilbury.

The station was expanded in 1889 with the addition of two platforms and a new station building. In 1894, the line to Forest Gate Junction provided a connection to the Tottenham and Forest Gate Railway (TFGR), with