Acton Town tube station
Template:Short description Template:About Template:Good article Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English Template:Infobox London station Acton Town is a London Underground station in the south-west corner of Acton, West London, in the London Borough of Ealing, close to its boundary with the London Borough of Hounslow.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The station is served by the District and Piccadilly lines and is in Travelcard Zone 3.<ref name=tubemap>Template:Cite map/Standard Tube Map</ref> On the District line, the station is between Ealing Common and Chiswick Park stations, and on the Piccadilly line it is between Ealing Common (Uxbridge branch) or South Ealing (Heathrow branch) and Hammersmith (or Turnham Green in the early mornings and late evenings) stations.<ref name=tubemap />
Acton Town station was opened as Mill Hill Park on 1 July 1879 by the District Railway (now the District line). It remained as a terminus until on 1 May 1883 and 23 June 1903 the District Railway opened two branches from Acton Town to Hounslow Town and Park Royal & Twyford Abbey respectively. On 4 July 1932 the Piccadilly line was extended to Acton Town. District line services to both the Hounslow and Uxbridge branches were withdrawn completely on 9 and 10 October 1964 after which operations were provided by the Piccadilly line alone.
The original brick-built station was built in 1879 and in February 1910 the station building was reconstructed.<ref name=architecture /> On 1 March 1910 the station was given its present name.<ref name=architecture /> In 1931 and 1932 the station was rebuilt again in preparation for transferring the Uxbridge branch service from the District line to the Piccadilly line.<ref name=architecture /> The new station was designed by Charles Holden<ref name=architecture /> in a modern European geometric style using brick, reinforced concrete and glass.<ref name="eh_1263471" />
LocationEdit
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The station is at the junction of Gunnersbury Lane (A4000) and Bollo Lane.<ref name=maps>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> To the south-west of the station is the former Acton Works,<ref name=maps /> central overhaul and engineering works for the London Underground.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It is now home to the London Transport Museum's reserve collection of rail and road vehicles<ref name=maps /> (as known as London Transport Museum Depot or Museum Depot). The museum depot is opened to the public on a number of weekends throughout the year.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> To the north of the station is the District line's Ealing Common Depot.<ref name=maps /><ref name=culgpiccadilly>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Frank Pick House is near the station, on Gunnersbury Lane.<ref name=maps /> Named after Frank Pick, the London Passenger Transport Board's chief executive<ref name=frankpick>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> from 1933 to 1940, it is home to one of the engineering departments of the London Underground.<ref name=frankpick />
HistoryEdit
District lineEdit
Hounslow and Uxbridge branchesEdit
Acton Town station was opened as Mill Hill Park on 1 July 1879Template:Sfn by the District Railway (now the District line) on its extension from Turnham Green to Ealing Broadway.<ref name=architecture>Template:PastScape</ref><ref name=culgdistrict>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On 1 May 1883 the District Railway opened a branch from Acton Town to the now defunct Hounslow Town station, which developed into the Heathrow branch.<ref name=culgdistrict /> On 23 June 1903 the District Railway tracks extended north of Acton Town to a new station at Park Royal & Twyford Abbey which became the first of the Underground's surface lines to use electric traction instead of steam with the Acton Town – Ealing Common section also electrified.<ref name=culgdistrict /> The existing deep tube lines, (City and South London Railway, Waterloo & City Railway (now Waterloo & City line) and Central London Railway) had always been electrically powered.Template:Sfn<ref name=culgw&c>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>Template:Sfn Services on the Hounslow branch (now the Heathrow branch) and to Central London were electrified on 13 June 1905 and 1 July 1905 respectively.<ref name=culgdistrict />
South Acton branchEdit
On 13 June 1905, a passenger service began on the short branch to South Acton.<ref name=culgdistrict /><ref name=sact>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> A short fifth platform for the single car train of the South Acton branch was provided to the north of the eastbound island platform.<ref name=sact /> At first the service ran to Hounslow West and to Uxbridge but it was later reduced to a shuttle between Acton Town and South Acton on 15 February 1932.<ref name=culgdistrict /><ref name=sact />Template:Refn The South Acton branch was closed on 28 February 1959 due to low usage;<ref name=culgdistrict /> its platform at Acton Town has not been removed and is still visible. Much of the branch remains including a bridge support on the south side of Bollo Lane.<ref name=sact /> In the picture, the area behind the hoarding in the background is the location of the former branch platform (Platform 5) which was only ever very short, two carriages at most. Part of a dismantled bridge where the shuttle crossed Bollo Lane remains near the entrance to Acton Works<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Piccadilly lineEdit
On 4 July 1932, the Piccadilly line was extended west from its original terminus at Hammersmith and shared the route with the District line to Ealing Common.<ref name=architecture /><ref name=culgpiccadilly /> From Ealing Common to South Harrow, the District line was replaced by the Piccadilly line, and from that date, District line trains from Acton Town ran only either to Hounslow West or to Ealing Broadway.<ref name=culgpiccadilly /> On 9 January 1933 Piccadilly line trains, sharing with the District line, began serving Northfields on the Hounslow branch, and their service was extended to Hounslow West on 13 March 1933 but Piccadilly line trains did not call at South Ealing until 1935.<ref name=culgpiccadilly /> District line services on the Hounslow branch were withdrawn on 9 and 10 October 1964 after which operations were provided by the Piccadilly line alone.<ref name=culgdistrict />
Station buildingEdit
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Template:Acton Town tube station The original brick-built station was built in 1879.<ref name=architecture /> In February 1910 the station building was reconstructed and on 1 March 1910 the station was given its present name.<ref name=architecture /> In 1931 and 1932 the station was rebuilt again in preparation for transferring the Uxbridge branch service from the District line to the Piccadilly line.<ref name=architecture /> The new station was designed by Charles Holden<ref name=architecture /> in a modern European geometric style using brick, reinforced concrete<ref name="eh_1263471" /> and glass.
As with other stations that Holden designed,<ref name="eh_16">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>Template:Refn Acton Town station features a tall block-like ticket hall rising above a low horizontal structure housing the station offices and shops.<ref name="eh_1263471" /> The ticket hall has a projecting London Underground roundel sign over a canopy,<ref name=architecture /> the brick walls of the ticket hall are punctuated with panels of clerestory windows<ref name="eh_1263471" /> and the structure is capped with a flat concrete slab roof. From the ticket hall enclosed stairs descend to the platforms under integral concrete canopies on paired piers in alternating broad and narrow bay formation.<ref name=architecture /> A part of the narrow bays is infilled by kiosks, integral poster boards, roundel signs and fixed seating.<ref name=architecture /> The platforms are linked by a secondary bridge at the southern end.<ref name=architecture /> Reinforced concrete platform canopies replaced the original timber canopies.<ref name=architecture /> Since 17 May 1994, the station has been a Grade II Listed building.<ref name="eh_1263471"/>
The stated reason for why it should be listed was:
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ServicesEdit
Between Acton Town and Hammersmith, District line trains serve all stations, but Piccadilly line trains run non-stop to Hammersmith except for calling at Turnham Green at the start and end of the day.<ref name=tubemap /> The run between Acton Town and Hammersmith spans nearly three miles – the longest distance between stops on the Piccadilly line.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> West of Acton Town, District line trains go via Ealing Common to Ealing Broadway and Piccadilly line trains run either via South Ealing to Heathrow, or via Ealing Common to Uxbridge.<ref name=tubemap />
District lineEdit
The typical off-peak service in trains per hour (tph) is:
- 6tph eastbound to Upminster (Barking on Sundays)<ref name=culgdistrict /><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- 6tph westbound to Ealing Broadway<ref name=culgdistrict /><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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There is also a morning service every day from Acton Town (Ealing Broadway on Saturdays) to Edgware Road and a late evening service from Edgware Road to Ealing Broadway on Sundays only.<ref name=culgdistrict />
Piccadilly lineEdit
Train frequencies vary throughout the day, but generally operate every 2–5 minutes eastbound,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Off-Peak = 3 tph to Uxbridge and 3 tph to Rayners Lane, Peak = 6 tph to Uxbridge and 6 tph to Rayners Lane, and every 2–7 minutes westbound to Heathrow Terminal 2 & 3 and Terminal 5 or via the Heathrow Terminal 4 loop.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Since 16 December 2016, Acton Town is also served by Night Tube trains between Cockfosters and Heathrow Terminal 5.<ref>Template:Cite map/Standard Night Tube Map</ref>
During occasional closures on the District line, the Piccadilly line provides additional services to serve destinations on the District line such as Ealing Broadway.<ref name=culgpiccadilly /> This is done either by diverting some trains bound for Rayners Lane and Uxbridge, or as a shuttle from Acton Town.<ref name=culgpiccadilly /> Also, Piccadilly line trains may also run on the District line tracks between Hammersmith and Acton Town to serve the District line stations with no platforms on the Piccadilly line,<ref name=culgpiccadilly /> namely Ravenscourt Park, Stamford Brook, Turnham Green and Chiswick Park.Template:Refn
ConnectionsEdit
London Buses routes 70, E3 and night route N11 serve the station.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
IncidentsEdit
On 25 March 1993, a woman named Jean Bradley was stabbed to death by a man after leaving Acton Town tube station. The notorious murder still remains unsolved.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
On Tuesday, 1 February 2022, a large fire occurred at the Autocar Centre,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> a garage adjacent to the now-abandoned Platform 5 is, which subsequently caused the evacuation of the station and "severe delays" to the District line and Piccadilly line.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 10 fire engines and 70 firefighters <ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> were sent to the scene after being called at 5:10 PM and stayed there until late at night, bringing the fire under control. The cause of the fire is not yet known, but will be investigated by the LFB.<ref name=":0" /> Since the fire, witnesses in the area have described the roof as burned and partially caved in, though the damage to the abandoned Platform 5 itself is unknown.
GalleryEdit
- ActonDepot-fromGunnersburyLane.jpg
A row of London Underground D78 stock trains in old painted livery at Acton Depot viewed from Gunnersbury lane
- Electric locomotive at Acton Town.jpg
Electric locomotive at Acton Town. This shows an example of the class of 20 electric locomotives introduced by the Metropolitan Railway from 1922 onwards. The example shown here is No. 12, Sarah Siddons.
Notes and referencesEdit
NotesEdit
ReferencesEdit
Further readingEdit
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External linksEdit
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