Kew Bridge railway station
Kew Bridge railway station is a railway station in Brentford and in the London Borough of Hounslow, and is in Travelcard Zone 3. The station and all trains serving it are operated by South Western Railway. The station was named after the nearby Kew Bridge.
Kew Bridge | |
---|---|
Kew Bridge station with platform shelters | |
Kew Bridge Location of Kew Bridge in Greater London | |
Location | Brentford/Gunnersbury |
Local authority | London Borough of Hounslow |
Grid reference | TQ189781 |
Managed by | South Western Railway |
Owner | Network Rail |
Station code | KWB |
DfT category | F1 |
Number of platforms | 2 |
Fare zone | 3 |
National Rail annual entry and exit | |
2014–15 | |
2015–16 | |
2016–17 | |
2017–18 | |
2018–19 | |
Railway companies | |
Original company | Windsor, Staines and South Western Railway |
Pre-grouping | London and South Western Railway |
Post-grouping | Southern Railway |
Key dates | |
22 August 1849 | Opened as Kew |
1 January 1869 | Renamed Kew Bridge |
Other information | |
External links | |
WGS84 | 51.4895°N 0.2878°W |
History
The station was built by the Windsor, Staines and South Western Railway (WS&SWR) and was opened on 22 August 1849 by the London and South Western Railway (LSWR), which had absorbed the WS&SWR whilst that railway was under construction. Originally named Kew, it was renamed Kew Bridge on 1 January 1869.[2][3] The starting category (Grade II) listed large station building, designed by Sir William Tite,[4] is now a coffee shop.[4] The North & South Western Junction Railway in a spirit of affording LSWR access to Fenchurch Street operated its admittedly rival 'Kew' station (1853-1866) on the western curve. From 1862 the companies cooperated: the junction railway company building additional Kew Bridge platforms (closed 1940), the LSWR having constructed the eastern curve itself.
Present
The station, on the Hounslow Loop Line, is on the southern and eastern curves of the Kew Bridge railway triangle, although the eastern curve platforms are abandoned. The station building was extensively refurbished in June 2013, with the platforms reached by a side walkway.
The station has 2 active platforms and 2 disused platforms:
- Platform 2: Trains to Brentford, Hounslow and Weybridge
- Platform 1: Trains to Chiswick, Barnes, Clapham Junction and London Waterloo
- Platform 3: Currently disused, served trains via South Acton
- Platform 4: Currently disused, served trains from South Acton continuing via Chiswick.
There are currently no passenger services on the eastern and western curves,[5][6] but both have been proposed by the London Borough of Hounslow for Crossrail and also for Zone 3 Overground Orbirail.[7] The football stadium redevelopment plan includes space for additional platforms on the other curves.
Briefly, between 2000 and 2002, Anglia Railways ran trains originating from the Great Eastern Main Line via the North London Line and the western curve as far as Basingstoke. This was termed the "Crosslink" service.
Local attractions
Britain's largest foldable cycle manufacturer, Brompton Bicycle, is based behind the station, along the northeast edge of the railway triangle. Nearby attractions include the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the London Museum of Water & Steam and the Musical Museum, Brentford.
Proposals
Hounslow Council proposed that Crossrail services from the east have the option of terminating at Hounslow as well as Reading by a mix of existing line and new connections.[8] This proposal was rejected.
Other plans have been drafted and floated to Network Rail for reinstatement of track on the curves and direct services for Brentford Football Club's development of its Lionel Road stadium.
Gallery
- The footbridge viewed from platform 1. Note the large space under the footbridge on platform 2.
- The view back from the footbridge.
- The view to New Kew junction from platform 1.
- This subway goes under Chiswick High Rd. It is unknown why it was built
- This is the subway under Lionel Rd. to abandoned platform 3.
- The abandoned platforms 3 & 4.
- The ramp down to abandoned platform 4.
Service
The typical off-peak weekday service in trains per hour is
- 6 to London Waterloo of which
- 2 to Weybridge.
On Sundays there is one train per hour in each direction between Waterloo and Woking via Feltham and one train per hour in each direction between Waterloo and Twickenham, Kingston, Wimbledon and Waterloo via Hounslow.
Preceding station | Following station | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Chiswick | South Western Railway Hounslow Loop Line |
Brentford |
Connections
London Buses routes 65, 237, 267 and 391 and night routes N9 and N65 serve the station.
References
- "Station usage estimates". Rail statistics. Office of Rail Regulation. Please note: Some methodology may vary year on year.
- Awdry, Christopher (1990). Encyclopaedia of British Railway Companies. London: Guild Publishing. p. 202. CN 8983.
- Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations. Yeovil: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 131. ISBN 1-85260-508-1. R508.
- Historic England. "Kew Bridge Station, Kew Bridge Road (1260672)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
- loveplums page on Kew Bridge station
- London's Abandoned Tube Stations: Kew Bridge
- Corridor 7: Crossrail to Hounslow Archived 14 April 2010 at the Wayback Machine
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kew Bridge railway station. |
- Train times and station information for Kew Bridge railway station from National Rail