Ealing Common tube station

Ealing Common is a London Underground station on the Uxbridge branch of the Piccadilly line, and on the Ealing Broadway branch of the District line. Eastbound the next station is Acton Town, westbound the next station is North Ealing on the Piccadilly line and Ealing Broadway on the District line.

The station is located on Uxbridge Road (A4020) about 450m east of the junction with Gunnersbury Avenue and Hanger Lane (A406, North Circular Road). It is in Travelcard Zone 3.

History

Ealing Common station was opened on 1 July 1879 by the District Railway (DR, now the District line) on its extension from Turnham Green to Ealing Broadway. From 1886 until 1 March 1910 the station was known as Ealing Common and West Acton after which it changed to its current name.

On 23 June 1903 the DR opened an extension of the tracks from north of Ealing Common. The extension initially reached as far as Park Royal & Twyford Abbey (closed and replaced by Park Royal in 1931), where the Royal Agricultural Society's Park Royal show grounds had been recently opened, before being opened to South Harrow on 28 June 1903.

This new extension was, together with the existing tracks between Ealing Common & Acton Town, the first section of the Underground's surface lines to be electrified and operate electric instead of steam trains. The deep level tube lines open at that time (City & South London Railway, Waterloo & City Railway and Central London Railway) had been electrically powered from the start. Electric trains started running on the section of line between Ealing Common and Ealing Broadway on 1 July 1905.

During 1930 and 1931 a new station building was constructed to replace the 1879 building. The new building, by Charles Holden in a style reminiscent of his designs for the 1926 Morden extension of the City & South London Railway (now part of the Northern line), was constructed in Portland stone and features a tall heptagonal ticket hall with glazed screens to all sides. The new building opened on 1 March 1931 and is very similar to the reconstructed station at Hounslow West built at the same time, also by Heaps and Holden.

On 4 July 1932 the Piccadilly line was extended to run west of its original terminus at Hammersmith sharing the route with the District line to Ealing Common. From Ealing Common to South Harrow, the District line was replaced by the Piccadilly line and, from this date, District line trains west from Ealing Common ran to Ealing Broadway only.

The station today

Track and platform layout
Legend
West to Hanger Lane Jn Ealing Broadway and North Ealing Ealing Common File:BSicon uÜWol.svg to Ealing Common Depot East to Acton Town

The two platforms serve all District and Piccadilly line services. There is a shop/kiosk available at times in the station booking hall area. Many trains leaving Ealing Common Depot enter service here. This is usually in the early morning, and in the westbound direction (towards Ealing Broadway Station).

Although it is possible for trains to enter the depot directly from platform one (the westbound platform), this rarely happens except for a few empty trains after the station is closed at night. However at times of disruption it is possible for trains to arrive on platform one and empty of passengers, then it would have to shunt forward in order to reverse and enter the depot. The train would then stable, or reverse into platform two in order to re-enter service and continue eastbound.

To the east of platform two there are two siding roads. Those stop approximately halfway along the adjacent main-line road. They are separated from the platforms by a cement wall (which viewing is possible) and a wooden locked door from the platform. These roads are not connected directly to the main line, but to Ealing Common Depot and are used for shunting and reversing trains within the depot.

Connections

London Buses Routes 207, 427 and 607 and night routes N7 and N207 serve the station.

Gallery

• 

  Looking north from the southern end of the westbound platform

• 

  Ealing Common underground station interior (September 2006)

• 

  Ealing Common station, southbound Piccadilly line train departs (September 2006)

• 

  Platform roundel

External links

• • Ealing Common station, 1893
  • View of station from platforms, 1928
  • Temporary station entrance in use whilst station is under construction, 1930
  • New station building being built, 1931
  • New station building open, 1931
  • Brick and Concrete, platform shelter and canopy, 1932
  • Ticket hall, 1957
  • Ealing Common station, 2001
  • View of station from platforms, 2001

Preceding station		London Underground		Following station
Ealing Broadway Terminus		District line		Acton Town towards Upminster or High Street Kensington
North Ealing towards Rayners Lane or Uxbridge		Piccadilly line		Acton Town towards Cockfosters
	Former services
Preceding station		London Underground		Following station
North Ealing towards South Harrow or Uxbridge		District line (1903-1932)		Acton Town towards Upminster