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Kensington (Olympia) station
Encyclopedia
Kensington station is a station in West London
managed and served by London Overground
and also served by Southern
and London Underground
. It is in Travelcard Zone 2
. On the Underground it is the terminus of a short District Line
branch, built as part of the Middle Circle
, from ; on the main-line railway it is on the West London Line
from to by which many trains bypass Central London.
to the north and South Kensington
to the south. From 1869, the L&SWR operated trains from Richmond to London Waterloo via Addison Road, until their branch via Shepherd's Bush
closed in 1916.
In 1940, Addison Road, as well as the link to the Metropolitan line at Latimer Road, closed along with the other West London Line stations, but in 1946 it was renamed "Kensington (Olympia)" and became the northern terminus of a peak-hour shuttle service to Clapham Junction, as well as a District line shuttle to Earl's Court. The current District Line bay platform opened in 1958, but the previous (1872) connection between the District and the main line south of the station was not finally lifted until 1992. Between 1979 and 2008
the Clapham Junction service was supplemented by a Cross Country route from Brighton
to Manchester Piccadilly(via Birmingham New Street).
In 1994, a full passenger service between Willesden Junction and Clapham Junction was reinstated after a gap of 54 years.
This station is quieter than in the past, even though for many years the passenger service was only a few peak-hour main-line trains to and from , with Underground trains only during exhibition times. Many freight trains pass through the station, as the West London Line is the main freight route from north of London to the south-east of England and the Channel Tunnel
.
Before Eurostar
services transferred in November 2007 to St Pancras International
Eurostar trains passed through Kensington Olympia going from Waterloo International station to North Pole depot
and the station was a backup terminus for the services should Waterloo International have become unusable and immigration facilities were maintained there.
The former British Rail Motorail services which carried passengers and their cars between London and many parts of the country used to terminate here. The car park for the service is now used by Earls Court Olympia for exhibition vehicles, & Europcar for car rental and is called "Olympia Motorail Car Park P4".
The link to the Great Western Main Line
at North Pole Junction, three miles to the north, avoiding the western central London terminus of Paddington station
, meant that the station was to play an important role in the Cold War
should a nuclear exchange have seemed likely. Secret plans entailed use of the station, in the prelude to a nuclear war, to evacuate several thousand civil servants to the Central Government War Headquarters
underground bunker in Wiltshire
.
while the northbound and London Underground
platforms are in Hammersmith and Fulham
.
London bus routes 9
, 10
, 27
, 28
, 49
, 391
, C1
, night route N9, N28 and coaches routes 701 and 702 all pass close to the station.
indicators on District line trains, the station is shown as simply Olympia.
services are provided by London Overground and Southern
.
The London Overground
services in trains per hour are:
Southern operate between and typically once an hour.
The District line has a rather irregular short shuttle service of two or three trains per hour to via . One late evening train runs daily from Kensington (Olympia) to .
Transport for London
decided in December 2010 to close the regular weekday District line service from December 2011. The options for doing so were outlined in an executive committee document. which stated the alternatives being considered as
The single trains listed in the options were the minimum that could be run and still be considered legally as operating a service from the station. They then publicly announced in early 2011 plans to effectively close the regular weekday District line service from December 2011. TFL in the form of Richard Parry (who drafted the document cited above) denied at a public meeting at the Pillar Hall, Olympia that the decision was about the savings/financial benefits and claimed that no final decision had been taken, and that all the options were still being considered. Despite strong protests/campaigns from the events industry especially Olympia itself, Local Members of Parliament/Councils , Disabled groups and Local Residents, TFL went ahead with option 5.3
At least one exhibition at Olympia has been lost to another venue with the Landlord and Letting Show moving to the Barbican. Oliver Romain, the managing director of the shows owner said,
The shuttle to High Street Kensington will only run at weekends and during major exhibitions.
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...
managed and served by 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...
and also served by Southern
Southern (train operating company)
Southern is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Officially named Southern Railway Ltd., it is a subsidiary of Govia, a joint venture between transport groups Go-Ahead Group and Keolis, and has operated the South Central rail franchise since October 2000 and the Gatwick Express service...
and 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...
. It is in Travelcard Zone 2
Travelcard Zone 2
Fare zone 2 is an inner 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.-Background:...
. On the Underground it is the terminus of a short 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...
branch, built as part of the Middle Circle
Middle Circle
The Middle Circle was a railway route in London which operated in the late 19th and early 20th centuries over tracks which are now mainly part of the London Underground...
, from ; on the main-line railway it is on the West London Line
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...
from to by which many trains bypass Central London.
History
A station was opened by the West London Railway as its southern terminus on 27 May 1844 as "Kensington", located just south of Hammersmith Road; it closed at the end of November 1844 due to the losses made. Although a scant and erratic goods service ran, the line re-opened to passengers with a new station called "Addison Road" on 2 June 1862, located to the north of Hammersmith Road. Metropolitan Railway trains started serving the station in 1864, via a link to Latimer Road, with District Railway trains arriving in 1872. This enabled the so-called "Middle Circle" service to operate via PaddingtonPaddington
Paddington is a district within the City of Westminster, in central London, England. Formerly a metropolitan borough, it was integrated with Westminster and Greater London in 1965...
to the north and South Kensington
South Kensington
South Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London. It is a built-up area located 2.4 miles west south-west of Charing Cross....
to the south. From 1869, the L&SWR operated trains from Richmond to London Waterloo via Addison Road, until their branch via Shepherd's Bush
Shepherd's Bush railway station (L&SWR)
Shepherd's Bush is a closed London and South Western Railway station in Shepherd's Bush, west London. The station was situated on the L&SWR's line between Richmond and the West London Joint Railway...
closed in 1916.
In 1940, Addison Road, as well as the link to the Metropolitan line at Latimer Road, closed along with the other West London Line stations, but in 1946 it was renamed "Kensington (Olympia)" and became the northern terminus of a peak-hour shuttle service to Clapham Junction, as well as a District line shuttle to Earl's Court. The current District Line bay platform opened in 1958, but the previous (1872) connection between the District and the main line south of the station was not finally lifted until 1992. Between 1979 and 2008
the Clapham Junction service was supplemented by a Cross Country route from Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
to Manchester Piccadilly(via Birmingham New Street).
In 1994, a full passenger service between Willesden Junction and Clapham Junction was reinstated after a gap of 54 years.
This station is quieter than in the past, even though for many years the passenger service was only a few peak-hour main-line trains to and from , with Underground trains only during exhibition times. Many freight trains pass through the station, as the West London Line is the main freight route from north of London to the south-east of England and the Channel Tunnel
Channel Tunnel
The Channel Tunnel is a undersea rail tunnel linking Folkestone, Kent in the United Kingdom with Coquelles, Pas-de-Calais near Calais in northern France beneath the English Channel at the Strait of Dover. At its lowest point, it is deep...
.
Before Eurostar
Eurostar
Eurostar is a high-speed railway service connecting London with Paris and Brussels. All its trains traverse the Channel Tunnel between England and France, owned and operated separately by Eurotunnel....
services transferred in November 2007 to St Pancras International
St Pancras railway station
St Pancras railway station, also known as London St Pancras and since 2007 as St Pancras International, is a central London railway terminus celebrated for its Victorian architecture. The Grade I listed building stands on Euston Road in St Pancras, London Borough of Camden, between the...
Eurostar trains passed through Kensington Olympia going from Waterloo International station to North Pole depot
North Pole depot
North Pole depot was the London depot for Eurostar from 1994 until 2007. It was used for maintaining and stabling the fleet of British Rail Class 373 trains...
and the station was a backup terminus for the services should Waterloo International have become unusable and immigration facilities were maintained there.
The former British Rail Motorail services which carried passengers and their cars between London and many parts of the country used to terminate here. The car park for the service is now used by Earls Court Olympia for exhibition vehicles, & Europcar for car rental and is called "Olympia Motorail Car Park P4".
The link to the Great Western Main Line
Great Western Main Line
The Great Western Main Line is a main line railway in Great Britain that runs westwards from London Paddington station to the west of England and South Wales. The core Great Western Main Line runs from London Paddington to Temple Meads railway station in Bristol. A major branch of the Great...
at North Pole Junction, three miles to the north, avoiding the western central London terminus of Paddington station
Paddington station
Paddington railway station, also known as London Paddington, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex.The site is a historic one, having served as the London terminus of the Great Western Railway and its successors since 1838. Much of the current mainline station dates...
, meant that the station was to play an important role in the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
should a nuclear exchange have seemed likely. Secret plans entailed use of the station, in the prelude to a nuclear war, to evacuate several thousand civil servants to the Central Government War Headquarters
Central Government War Headquarters
The Central Government War Headquarters is a complex built underground as the United Kingdom's Emergency Government War Headquarters - the hub of the country's alternative seat of power outside London during a nuclear war or conflict with the Soviet Union...
underground bunker in Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
.
Location
The railway here forms the boundary between two London Boroughs and the southbound platform lies in The Royal Borough of Kensington and ChelseaRoyal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is a central London borough of Royal borough status. After the City of Westminster, it is the wealthiest borough in England....
while the northbound and 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...
platforms are in Hammersmith and Fulham
London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham
The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham is a London borough in West London, and forms part of Inner London. Traversed by the east-west main roads of the A4 Great West Road and the A40 Westway, many international corporations have offices in the borough....
.
London bus routes 9
London Buses route 9
London Buses route 9 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England, United Kingdom. The regular service on route 9 is currently contracted to London United...
, 10
London Buses route 10
London Buses route 10 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to London United.-History:...
, 27
London Buses route 27
London Buses route 27 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London. The service is currently contracted to London United.-History:...
, 28
London Buses route 28
London Buses route 28 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to First Centrewest.-History:...
, 49
London Buses route 49
London Buses route 49 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to London United.-History:Route 49 is a long standing route, once running as far as Crystal Palace...
, 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:...
, C1
London Buses route C1
London Buses route C1 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to London United.-History:The route has always been operated by minibuses since London Transport operation...
, night route N9, N28 and coaches routes 701 and 702 all pass close to the station.
Name
The station appears in some National Rail maps and timetables as Kensington Olympia. However, on London Underground maps and the London Overground-maintained station signage it appears as Kensington (Olympia). The name Kensington (Olympia) is also used on the latest National Rail "London Connections" map. The variant with brackets is the name given to the station in the London Railway Atlas, published by Ian Allan in 2009. On the dot matrixDot matrix
A dot matrix is a 2-dimensional array of LED used to represent characters, symbols and images.Typically the dot matrix is used in older computer printers and many digital display devices. In printers, the dots are usually the darkened areas of the paper...
indicators on District line trains, the station is shown as simply Olympia.
Services
National RailNational 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...
services are provided by London Overground and Southern
Southern (train operating company)
Southern is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Officially named Southern Railway Ltd., it is a subsidiary of Govia, a joint venture between transport groups Go-Ahead Group and Keolis, and has operated the South Central rail franchise since October 2000 and the Gatwick Express service...
.
The 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...
services in trains per hour are:
- 4 northbound to , of which 2 continue to .
- 4 southbound to .
Southern operate between and typically once an hour.
The District line has a rather irregular short shuttle service of two or three trains per hour to via . One late evening train runs daily from Kensington (Olympia) to .
Transport for London
Transport for London
Transport for London is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London in England. Its role is to implement the transport strategy and to manage transport services across London...
decided in December 2010 to close the regular weekday District line service from December 2011. The options for doing so were outlined in an executive committee document. which stated the alternatives being considered as
5 OPTIONS / ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED
5.1 Option A: Withdraw the Olympia service during weekday peak periods only. This delivers an annual benefit of £2.7m and an annual cost saving of £348,000.
5.2 Option B: Withdraw the Olympia service during weekdays, but retain the service at weekends. This delivers annual benefits of £7.6m and cost savings of £813,000
5.3 Option C: Withdraw the Olympia service through the week (with the exception of at least 1 train a day starting from Lillie Bridge depot into service at Olympia) except during major exhibitions at Olympia. The annual benefits and costs for this option will depend on the future exhibition schedule, but based on the current schedule for 2011 will be £8.1m benefit delivered and an £859,000 cost saving. The service delivered would be spread unpredictably through the week.
5.4 Option D: Withdraw the Olympia service through the week (with the exception of at least 1 train a day starting from Lillie Bridge depot into service at Olympia) including during major exhibitions at Olympia. This delivers annual benefits of £10.3m and a cost savings of £1.1m.
The single trains listed in the options were the minimum that could be run and still be considered legally as operating a service from the station. They then publicly announced in early 2011 plans to effectively close the regular weekday District line service from December 2011. TFL in the form of Richard Parry (who drafted the document cited above) denied at a public meeting at the Pillar Hall, Olympia that the decision was about the savings/financial benefits and claimed that no final decision had been taken, and that all the options were still being considered. Despite strong protests/campaigns from the events industry especially Olympia itself, Local Members of Parliament/Councils , Disabled groups and Local Residents, TFL went ahead with option 5.3
At least one exhibition at Olympia has been lost to another venue with the Landlord and Letting Show moving to the Barbican. Oliver Romain, the managing director of the shows owner said,
“Olympia is a great London venue and the team have been very supportive in the past, however, the closure of Olympia’s weekday tube services makes the venue untenable for many weekday trade shows,”
The shuttle to High Street Kensington will only run at weekends and during major exhibitions.
External links
- Kensington Olympia, Subterranea Britannica disused station project. Extensive history of the station, and the West London Line.
- Kensington station 1st site (never used) and 2nd site (1844, 1862-4). From SubBrit.