Latimer Road tube station
Encyclopedia
Latimer Road Station is a London Underground
station in North Kensington
on the Circle and Hammersmith & City
lines between Wood Lane
and Ladbroke Grove
stations. It is in Travelcard Zone 2
.
and running between Westbourne Park
and Hammersmith stations) and the West London Railway
(WLR) (between Willesden Junction
and Addison Road (now Kensington (Olympia)
stations). Services to Addison Road were originally provided via the junction to the WLR tracks but these were discontinued in 1940 and the junction no longer exists. The line between Latimer Road and Uxbridge Road
was then closed and the raised train track demolished. The remains of that stretch of track can be seen from the west end of the eastbound platform, which now houses a secure Relay Room.
The station ticket hall at Latimer Road is located at ground level within the arches of the viaduct carrying the tracks above. The platforms are accessed by stairs and retain much of their original character with simple open timber canopies.
Unusually, Latimer Road and the station that bears its name are not geographically close, being approximately 500 metres apart and on opposite sides of the Westway
Flyover
(A40 road
) – the road being to the north and the station to the south. Prior to the construction of the Westway and the elevated roundabout
that joins it to the West Cross Route
(A3220), Latimer Road ran further south and closer to the station. The construction of the elevated road required the demolition of the central section of Latimer Road and the truncated and isolated southern end of the road was renamed as part of Freston Road. Despite the renaming of the southern part of the road, the station retained its original name.
The station also benefits from the use of Electric Service Update Boards or ESUBS. These large screens advertise service information which is updated from the Network Operations Centre, located at London Undergrounds head office above St James Park Tube station.
There are currently 5 Customer Help Points on the station, 1 in the Ticket hall at ground level and 2 on each platform. These communication devices are connected to the Station Control Room at Ladbroke Grove station. They are mostly used by customers to find out where or when their next train is due to arrive, but can be used to contact staff or the police in an emergency.
There is a local news agent to the right of the station entrance, which also sell groceries.
The old Station Public house, currently known as The Garden, is to the left of the station entrance, just under the train bridge. This building appears to have once been accessible from the westbound platform using a flight of stairs from street level. The entrance was recently discovered when the walls were removed to carry out refurbishment works.
, to be introduced on the Circle and Hammersmith & City lines from 2012, which will consist of 7 cars instead of the current 6-car configuration. Volker Rail has been contracted by TfL
to demolish and rebuild both the east- and westbound platforms, starting with the westbound platform and then moving over to the eastbound. Reportedly it had been paid 7 million pounds to carry out the work laid out in the original plans. However the plans changed due to the poor conditions of the arches underneath the platforms, the poor condition of the lattice girders on the bridge over Bramley Road, and subsidence at ground level in the ticket hall.
The station closed completely on Monday 17 January 2011 for 14 weeks. The westbound platform re-opened first, and the eastbound platform's re-opening on Monday 1 August 2011 heralded the stations full return to service. A new station entrance is to be built next to the disused kiosk after underpinning work has been carried out to the station's green painted wall facing Bramley Road.
When the wall for the westbound platform was removed, contractors discovered an old bricked-up entrance to the station public house, currently known as The Garden. They also found underneath the platform a very old and possibly Mahogany staircase leading up to the pub entrance. Apart from all the years of dust and grime they also found, amongst other things, a bath, old gun parts and even a vat of acid.
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...
station in North Kensington
North Kensington
North Kensington is an area of west London lying north of Notting Hill Gate and south of Harrow Road.North Kensington is the key neighbourhood of Notting Hill...
on the Circle and Hammersmith & City
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...
lines between Wood Lane
Wood Lane tube station
Wood Lane is a London Underground station, located in the White City area of west London, England, UK. It is on the Circle and Hammersmith & City Lines, between Latimer Road and Shepherd's Bush Market stations. The station lies in Travelcard Zone 2....
and Ladbroke Grove
Ladbroke Grove tube station
Ladbroke Grove is a London Underground station on the Circle and Hammersmith & City lines, between Latimer Road and Westbourne Park stations, and in Travelcard Zone 2 set in The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea ....
stations. 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:...
.
History
The station opened on 16 December 1868 at a junction formed between two existing railway lines – the Hammersmith & City Railway (owned by the Great Western RailwayGreat 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...
and running between Westbourne Park
Westbourne Park tube station
Westbourne Park is a London Underground station on the Circle and Hammersmith and City lines, between Ladbroke Grove and Royal Oak stations, and in Travelcard Zone 2 in The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea . Although the Metropolitan Railway had been extended to Notting Hill and Hammersmith...
and Hammersmith stations) and the West London 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...
(WLR) (between Willesden Junction
Willesden Junction station
Willesden Junction station is a Network Rail station in Harlesden, northwest London, UK. It is served by both London Overground and the Bakerloo line of the London Underground.-History:The station developed on three contiguous sites:...
and Addison Road (now Kensington (Olympia)
Kensington (Olympia) station
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...
stations). Services to Addison Road were originally provided via the junction to the WLR tracks but these were discontinued in 1940 and the junction no longer exists. The line between Latimer Road and Uxbridge Road
Uxbridge Road tube station
Uxbridge Road was a London Underground station on a branch of the Metropolitan Line. It was located at the eastern end of the Uxbridge Road in Shepherd's Bush, west London, UK, just before the start of Holland Park Avenue, a short distance from Shepherd's Bush station on the Central Line...
was then closed and the raised train track demolished. The remains of that stretch of track can be seen from the west end of the eastbound platform, which now houses a secure Relay Room.
The station ticket hall at Latimer Road is located at ground level within the arches of the viaduct carrying the tracks above. The platforms are accessed by stairs and retain much of their original character with simple open timber canopies.
Unusually, Latimer Road and the station that bears its name are not geographically close, being approximately 500 metres apart and on opposite sides of the Westway
Westway (London)
The Westway is a long elevated dual carriageway section of the A40 route in west London running from Paddington to North Kensington. The road was constructed between 1964 and 1970 to relieve congestion at Shepherd's Bush caused by traffic from Western Avenue struggling to enter central London on...
Flyover
Overpass
An overpass is a bridge, road, railway or similar structure that crosses over another road or railway...
(A40 road
A40 road
The A40 is a major trunk road connecting London to Fishguard, Wales and officially called The London to Fishguard Trunk Road in all legal documents and Acts...
) – the road being to the north and the station to the south. Prior to the construction of the Westway and the elevated roundabout
Roundabout
A roundabout is the name for a road junction in which traffic moves in one direction around a central island. The word dates from the early 20th century. Roundabouts are common in many countries around the world...
that joins it to the West Cross Route
West Cross Route
The West Cross Route is a short, dual carriageway section of the A3220 route in central London in The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, with a small part being shared with borderlining borough Hammersmith and Fulham. It runs north-south between the northern elevated roundabout junction...
(A3220), Latimer Road ran further south and closer to the station. The construction of the elevated road required the demolition of the central section of Latimer Road and the truncated and isolated southern end of the road was renamed as part of Freston Road. Despite the renaming of the southern part of the road, the station retained its original name.
Public Transport Links
Buses 295 and 316 operate from stops A and B outside the station. The 295 bus travels between Ladbroke Grove and Clapham Junction station, passing through Shepherds Bush and Hammersmith. The 316 Bus route operates between Cricklewood Broadway and White City Bus Garage on Wood Lane. The 316 route was started in 2008 to allow travel from North West London to the newly opened Westfield shopping centre at Shepherds Bush.Station Amenities
The station currently benefits from 1 ticket office and 2 Passenger Operated Machines (or POM's). The larger POM, called a Multi Fare Machine (MFM) accepts UK Sterling notes, up to the value of £20 and gives change consisting of 10p, 50p, £1 and £2 coins. The smaller machine known as an Advance Fare Machine (AFM) does not give change and accepts overpayment up to 30p. Both machines accept most major Credit and Debit cards, however to help combat fraud, individual cards can only be used once a day. These machines are the standard London Underground installation at all LU operated stations.The station also benefits from the use of Electric Service Update Boards or ESUBS. These large screens advertise service information which is updated from the Network Operations Centre, located at London Undergrounds head office above St James Park Tube station.
There are currently 5 Customer Help Points on the station, 1 in the Ticket hall at ground level and 2 on each platform. These communication devices are connected to the Station Control Room at Ladbroke Grove station. They are mostly used by customers to find out where or when their next train is due to arrive, but can be used to contact staff or the police in an emergency.
Local Amenities
The station kiosk has been closed for many years. It is now used by London Underground as a storage area.There is a local news agent to the right of the station entrance, which also sell groceries.
The old Station Public house, currently known as The Garden, is to the left of the station entrance, just under the train bridge. This building appears to have once been accessible from the westbound platform using a flight of stairs from street level. The entrance was recently discovered when the walls were removed to carry out refurbishment works.
Refurbishment
In July 2010 the westbound platform 2 was closed to begin refurbishment and extension work, in preparation for the new S StockLondon Underground S Stock
The S Stock is a class of sub-surface train currently being delivered by Bombardier Transportation in Derby to the London Underground to replace 177 existing trains on the Metropolitan, District, Hammersmith & City, and Circle lines, with a new fleet of standardised car design, totalling 191 trains...
, to be introduced on the Circle and Hammersmith & City lines from 2012, which will consist of 7 cars instead of the current 6-car configuration. Volker Rail has been contracted by TfL
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...
to demolish and rebuild both the east- and westbound platforms, starting with the westbound platform and then moving over to the eastbound. Reportedly it had been paid 7 million pounds to carry out the work laid out in the original plans. However the plans changed due to the poor conditions of the arches underneath the platforms, the poor condition of the lattice girders on the bridge over Bramley Road, and subsidence at ground level in the ticket hall.
The station closed completely on Monday 17 January 2011 for 14 weeks. The westbound platform re-opened first, and the eastbound platform's re-opening on Monday 1 August 2011 heralded the stations full return to service. A new station entrance is to be built next to the disused kiosk after underpinning work has been carried out to the station's green painted wall facing Bramley Road.
When the wall for the westbound platform was removed, contractors discovered an old bricked-up entrance to the station public house, currently known as The Garden. They also found underneath the platform a very old and possibly Mahogany staircase leading up to the pub entrance. Apart from all the years of dust and grime they also found, amongst other things, a bath, old gun parts and even a vat of acid.