Gunnersbury station
Encyclopedia
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Gunnersbury station is a London Underground
and National Rail
station in Gunnersbury
in west London
. The station is served by the District Line
and London Overground
trains on the North London Line
and is managed by London Underground. On the District Line the station is between and stations. On the North London Line the station is between and Kew Gardens stations.
The station is located off Chiswick High Road (A315) and is in Travelcard Zone 3
.
(L&SWR) on a new branch line to built from the West London Joint Railway
starting north of Addison Road station (now ). The line ran through Shepherd's Bush
and Hammersmith
via a now closed curve and Grove Road
station in Hammersmith (also now closed). A short connection was also made from the North & South Western Junction Railway (N&SWJR) line to meeting the L&SWR line immediately north of the station. This line was served by the North London Railway
(NLR).
Brentford Road station originally had four platforms; two on the line to Richmond and two serving a loop (the Chiswick Curve) which connected to the line through Kew Bridge
station.
Between 1 June 1870 and 31 October 1870 the Great Western Railway
(GWR) briefly ran services from to Richmond via Hammersmith & City Railway (now the Hammersmith & City Line
) tracks to Grove Road then on the L&SWR tracks through Gunnersbury.
The station was given its current name in 1871.
On 1 June 1877, the Metropolitan District Railway
(MDR, now the District Line) opened a short extension from its terminus at Hammersmith to connect to the L&SWR tracks east of station. The MDR then began running trains over the L&SWR tracks to Richmond. On 1 October 1877, the Metropolitan Railway
(MR, now the Metropolitan Line) restarted the GWR's former service to Richmond via Grove Road station.
The MDR's service between Richmond, Hammersmith and central London was more direct than the NLR's route via , the L&SWR's or the MR's routes via Grove Road station or the L&SWR's other route from Richmond via . From 1 January 1894, the GWR began sharing the MR's Richmond service and served Gunnersbury once again, meaning that passengers from Gunnersbury could travel on the services of five operators.
Following the electrification
of the MDR's own tracks north of in 1903, the MDR funded the electrification of the tracks through Gunnersbury. The tracks on the Richmond branch were electrified on 1 August 1905. Whilst MDR services were operated with electric
trains, the L&SWR, NLR, GWR and MR services continued to be steam
hauled.
MR services were withdrawn on 31 December 1906 and GWR services were withdrawn on 31 December 1910 leaving operations at Gunnersbury to the MDR (by then known as the District Railway), the NLR and L&SWR. By 1916, the L&SWR's route through Hammersmith was being out-competed by the District to such a degree that the L&SWR withdrew its service between Richmond and Addison Road on 3 June 1916, leaving the District as the sole operator over that route.
In 1932, the Chiswick Curve was closed and the tracks were later removed. The site of the curve is now a housing estate known as Chiswick Village.
On 8 December 1954 the station was damanged by a tornado
which ripped off the roof and injured six people. Almost exactly fifty-two years later, another tornado hit London, damaging several properties in the Kensal Rise area on 7 December 2006.
In the 1960s the station was redeveloped with just the two platforms it currently possesses. The London Overground and London Underground services share the same tracks.
, 267
, 391
, 440, H91
and night route N9.
Gunnersbury station is a London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
and National Rail
National Rail
National Rail is a title used by the Association of Train Operating Companies as a generic term to define the passenger rail services operated in Great Britain...
station in Gunnersbury
Gunnersbury
Gunnersbury is a place in the London Borough of Hounslow, with its northern edge in the London Borough of Ealing, west London. It has an area of less than half a square kilometre and is within the west area of the Chiswick W4 postal district of London....
in west London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The station is served by the District Line
District Line
The District line is a line of the London Underground, coloured green on the Tube map. It is a "sub-surface" line, running through the central area in shallow cut-and-cover tunnels. It is the busiest of the sub-surface lines. Out of the 60 stations served, 25 are underground...
and London Overground
London Overground
London Overground is a suburban rail network in London and Hertfordshire. It has been operated by London Overground Rail Operations since 2007 as part of the National Rail network, under the franchise control and branding of Transport for London...
trains on the North London Line
North London Line
The North London Line is a railway line which passes through the inner suburbs of north London, England. Its route is a rough semicircle from the south west to the north east, avoiding central London. The line is owned and maintained by Network Rail...
and is managed by London Underground. On the District Line the station is between and stations. On the North London Line the station is between and Kew Gardens stations.
The station is located off Chiswick High Road (A315) and is in Travelcard Zone 3
Travelcard Zone 3
Fare zone 3 is a zone of Transport for London's zonal fare system used for calculating the price of tickets for travel on the London Underground, London Overground, Docklands Light Railway and, since 2007, on National Rail services...
.
History
The station was opened as Brentford Road on 1 January 1869 by the London and South Western RailwayLondon and South Western Railway
The London and South Western Railway was a railway company in England from 1838 to 1922. Its network extended from London to Plymouth via Salisbury and Exeter, with branches to Ilfracombe and Padstow and via Southampton to Bournemouth and Weymouth. It also had many routes connecting towns in...
(L&SWR) on a new branch line to built from the West London Joint Railway
West London Line
The West London Line is a short railway in inner West London which links lines at in the south to lines near Willesden Junction in the north. It has always been an important cross-London link especially for freight services...
starting north of Addison Road station (now ). The line ran through Shepherd's Bush
Shepherd's Bush
-Commerce:Commercial activity in Shepherd's Bush is now focused on the Westfield shopping centre next to Shepherd's Bush Central line station and on the many small shops which run along the northern side of the Green....
and Hammersmith
Hammersmith
Hammersmith is an urban centre in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in west London, England, in the United Kingdom, approximately five miles west of Charing Cross on the north bank of the River Thames...
via a now closed curve and Grove Road
Hammersmith (Grove Road) station
Hammersmith railway station was on the London and South Western Railway . It was located in Grove Road , Hammersmith, adjacent to the Hammersmith & City and Circle lines station....
station in Hammersmith (also now closed). A short connection was also made from the North & South Western Junction Railway (N&SWJR) line to meeting the L&SWR line immediately north of the station. This line was served by the North London Railway
North London Railway
The North London Railway was a railway company that opened lines connecting the north of London to the East and West India Docks. The main east to west route is now part the North London Line. Other lines operated by the company fell into disuse, but were later revived as part of the Docklands...
(NLR).
Brentford Road station originally had four platforms; two on the line to Richmond and two serving a loop (the Chiswick Curve) which connected to the line through Kew Bridge
Kew Bridge railway station
Kew Bridge railway station is in the London Borough of Hounslow, in west London, and is in Travelcard Zone 3. The station and all trains serving it are operated by South West Trains....
station.
Between 1 June 1870 and 31 October 1870 the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
(GWR) briefly ran services from to Richmond via Hammersmith & City Railway (now the Hammersmith & City Line
Hammersmith & City Line
The Hammersmith & City line is a subsurface London Underground line. It connects Hammersmith in the west with Barking in the east, running through the northern part of central London. It is coloured salmon pink on the Tube map...
) tracks to Grove Road then on the L&SWR tracks through Gunnersbury.
The station was given its current name in 1871.
On 1 June 1877, the Metropolitan District Railway
Metropolitan District Railway
The Metropolitan District Railway was the predecessor of the District line of the London Underground. Set up on 29 July 1864, at first to complete the "Inner Circle" railway around central London, it was gradually extended into the suburbs...
(MDR, now the District Line) opened a short extension from its terminus at Hammersmith to connect to the L&SWR tracks east of station. The MDR then began running trains over the L&SWR tracks to Richmond. On 1 October 1877, the Metropolitan Railway
Metropolitan railway
Metropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...
(MR, now the Metropolitan Line) restarted the GWR's former service to Richmond via Grove Road station.
The MDR's service between Richmond, Hammersmith and central London was more direct than the NLR's route via , the L&SWR's or the MR's routes via Grove Road station or the L&SWR's other route from Richmond via . From 1 January 1894, the GWR began sharing the MR's Richmond service and served Gunnersbury once again, meaning that passengers from Gunnersbury could travel on the services of five operators.
Following the electrification
Electrification
Electrification originally referred to the build out of the electrical generating and distribution systems which occurred in the United States, England and other countries from the mid 1880's until around 1940 and is in progress in developing countries. This also included the change over from line...
of the MDR's own tracks north of in 1903, the MDR funded the electrification of the tracks through Gunnersbury. The tracks on the Richmond branch were electrified on 1 August 1905. Whilst MDR services were operated with electric
Electric locomotive
An electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or an on-board energy storage device...
trains, the L&SWR, NLR, GWR and MR services continued to be steam
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
hauled.
MR services were withdrawn on 31 December 1906 and GWR services were withdrawn on 31 December 1910 leaving operations at Gunnersbury to the MDR (by then known as the District Railway), the NLR and L&SWR. By 1916, the L&SWR's route through Hammersmith was being out-competed by the District to such a degree that the L&SWR withdrew its service between Richmond and Addison Road on 3 June 1916, leaving the District as the sole operator over that route.
In 1932, the Chiswick Curve was closed and the tracks were later removed. The site of the curve is now a housing estate known as Chiswick Village.
On 8 December 1954 the station was damanged by a tornado
Tornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
which ripped off the roof and injured six people. Almost exactly fifty-two years later, another tornado hit London, damaging several properties in the Kensal Rise area on 7 December 2006.
In the 1960s the station was redeveloped with just the two platforms it currently possesses. The London Overground and London Underground services share the same tracks.
Transport links
London bus routes 237London Buses route 237
London Buses route 237 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. This route is currently contracted to Metroline.-History:...
, 267
London Buses route 267
London Buses route 267 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to London United.-History:...
, 391
London Buses route 391
London Buses route 391 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to London United.-History:...
, 440, H91
London Buses route H91
London Buses route H91 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to London United.-History:...
and night route N9.