South Acton railway station
Encyclopedia
South Acton railway station is in the London Borough of Ealing
in South Acton
, west London
. It is on the North London Line
, and the station and all trains serving it are operated by London Overground
. It is in Travelcard Zone 3
. Until 1959 it was also served by the District Line
of the London Underground
.
(MDR) from station, 1,232 yards (1,126 metres) long, was authorised by the Metropolitan Railway Act of 1874. When first opened, the spur was used for goods trains from 15 May 1899 onwards. Passenger services were introduced on 13 June 1905 to provide an interchange with the North London Railway
which ran services from north London to the MDR's branch. It thus provided an easier interchange for Richmond for eastbound passengers than changing trains at further east.
The South Acton station on the District Line
of the London Underground
was located adjacent to South Acton station on the North London Line
on the north-west side of the tracks.
Initially, the line had through passenger services to Hounslow Barracks (now ). However, the line was relatively little used and in 1932 the line was reduced to a single track, operated by a one-car shuttle service between Acton Town and South Acton.
In 1933 the railway became part of the London Passenger Transport Board
, becoming a branch line of the District line.
In later years, the shuttle train was normally worked by a single car of London Underground G Stock
, specially modified for one person operation and fitted with additional brakes. Given the (then highly unusual) driver-only operation, the branch line was equipped with a two wire emergency telephone system at window level, a feature normally found only in tunnels on the London Underground.
London Borough of Ealing
The London Borough of Ealing is a borough in west London.-Location:The London Borough of Ealing borders the London Borough of Hillingdon to the west, the London Borough of Harrow and the London Borough of Brent to the north, the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham to the east and the London...
in South Acton
South Acton
South Acton is the name of two railway stations:* South Acton, London** South Acton railway station* South Acton on the Fitchburg Line on the MBTA Commuter Rail...
, 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...
. It is 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 the station and all trains serving it are operated 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...
. It 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...
. Until 1959 it was also 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...
of the 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...
.
History
Between 1880 and 1917 the station served as an interchange station between the North London Line and the branch.Construction
A short spur of the Metropolitan District RailwayMetropolitan 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) from station, 1,232 yards (1,126 metres) long, was authorised by the Metropolitan Railway Act of 1874. When first opened, the spur was used for goods trains from 15 May 1899 onwards. Passenger services were introduced on 13 June 1905 to provide an interchange with 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...
which ran services from north London to the MDR's branch. It thus provided an easier interchange for Richmond for eastbound passengers than changing trains at further east.
The South Acton station on 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...
of the 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...
was located adjacent to South Acton station 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...
on the north-west side of the tracks.
Initially, the line had through passenger services to Hounslow Barracks (now ). However, the line was relatively little used and in 1932 the line was reduced to a single track, operated by a one-car shuttle service between Acton Town and South Acton.
In 1933 the railway became part of the London Passenger Transport Board
London Passenger Transport Board
The London Passenger Transport Board was the organisation responsible for public transport in London, UK, and its environs from 1933 to 1948...
, becoming a branch line of the District line.
In later years, the shuttle train was normally worked by a single car of London Underground G Stock
London Underground G Stock
The G Stock were 50 electric multiple unit train carriages built for the Metropolitan District Railway in 1923 by Gloucester RC&W. They operated on the District line of the London Underground until 1971 ....
, specially modified for one person operation and fitted with additional brakes. Given the (then highly unusual) driver-only operation, the branch line was equipped with a two wire emergency telephone system at window level, a feature normally found only in tunnels on the London Underground.