Westbourne Park interchange with NR (or BR as was)

I definately remember catching a train to Westbourne Park from Paddington. It was back in the days when the Travelcard only allowed use of a few British Rail services -one of which was the bizarre short hop from Paddington to Westbourne Park. I went and used it just for the sake of it! It would not have surprised me if I was the only person to have changed from BR to LU there all that week.

Thanks. Surprised to see it was as late as 1992, really. As I say, I just can't see why there was an interchange there at all.

This info is taken from JE Connor's excellent book "GWR disused stations in Greater London"

Indeed, it closed 16th March 1992. In 1904, rail motor surburban services terminated there to allow capacity at Paddington for the long distance services. A refreshment room was built many years after opening, due to increasing popularity. Due to the interchange with the H&C, many trains stopped there. Two island platforms were provided at its peak, with the afforementioned terminators terminating in platform 6, and then proceeded via a crossover.

I strongly suggest you get the book, its an excellent read.


Forgot to say, that by the end, it was only the half hourly Greenford trains that served the station. Thinking about it, why it was very little used at the end, superior frequency on the H&C, direct to the City, faster approach into Paddington compared to the DMU journey. At the time it was built, it was obviously advantageous to have the link with the H&C.....and daresay steal some of the custom.

...also Class 37 (EE Type 2) I think it is, not a NBL Diesel-hydraulic. Oh, and Pressed Steel DMMU.

Thanks for the interesting info - especially Tubeboy.

Was it even served by a half-hourly service? I seem to remember it being one train per hour...

Didn't they run to Greenford? I don't know if the Slough and Hayes - Paddingtons stopped there as well as they were 'all-stations' when I used to use them from Southall to Paddington in the late 1960s.

Two advantage for people going from Greenford to the City were :
1. to have a shorter walk from one platform to the other at Westbourne Park than in Paddington;
2. to board a less crowded H&C train, and probably to find a seat before people from other WR lines which connect at Paddington.

Am I correct in saying that Royal Oak also had BR facilities, til about the same time as Westbourne Park?

I believe I have read somewhere that Royal Oak did originally have mainline platforms, but services calling there went a (very) short time after the Underground service started. I have a feeling that it may even have been before 1900 that what is now the H&C became the only operator.

The GWR may have had mainline platforms at royal Oak in the early 1900's, but in latter years the only WR trains that called there were the ones that terminated at Paddington Met. they certainly didn't stop there when I was on the H&C in 1973, but still used the met lines to Paddington.

Also, where the H&C currently dives under the GW Main Line, this used to be a crossing on the level, akin to Newark. Not sure when that arrangement was abolished, but know it's mentioned in some media I have somewhere!

According to Wikipedia (yes, I know this should be taken with a pinch of salt!) the mainline service to Royal Oak ceased in 1871. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westbourne_Park_tube_station