Hounslow railway station

Hounslow
Hounslow Location of Hounslow in Greater London
Location	Hounslow
Local authority	London Borough of Hounslow
Managed by	South Western Railway
Owner	Network Rail
Station code	HOU
DfT category	D
Number of platforms	2
Accessible	Yes
Fare zone	5
National Rail annual entry and exit
2015–16	1.183 million[1]
– interchange	2,919[1]
2016–17	1.178 million[1]
– interchange	2,241[1]
2017–18	1.159 million[1]
– interchange	3,455[1]
2018–19	1.250 million[1]
– interchange	3,185[1]
2019–20	1.203 million[1]
– interchange	21,160[1]
Key dates
1 February 1850	Opened
Other information
External links	Departures Layout Facilities Buses
WGS84	51°27′43″N 0°21′44″W / 51.462°N 0.3622°W

Hounslow railway station, on the Hounslow Loop Line, is in the London Borough of Hounslow, in Middlesex, and is in Travelcard Zone 5. The station and all trains serving it are operated by South Western Railway.

History

The London and South Western Railway opened the calling point on 1 February 1850 on completion of the bridges and embankments at Isleworth station. A temporary station had opened as "Hounslow" 400 metres northeast of the present Isleworth station on 22 August 1849 to allow a service to run until the loop was connected and the line complete.^[2] After this point the main commercial businesses of Hounslow and landmark buildings moved westward along Staines Road, Hounslow's fledgling high street and a major then-artery serving London and the south-west to reflect the new position of the railway station serving the nascent town. The Victoria County History series local historian Susan Reynolds, in 1962, noted

"...it was not until the very end [of the nineteenth century] that there were any houses to speak of to the south of the station."^[3]

A resident station master was installed at the replacement Hounslow station in the early years and ceased to occupy the station house in the mid 20th century.

A total of £650,000 was spent for alterations over four months in the early 2010s including a larger booking hall and toilet, access for people with disabilities and low-energy, semi-automated lighting.

Services

Hounslow loop line
Waterloo–Reading line to Waterloo Barnes Barnes Junction Waterloo–Reading line via Richmond Vine Road level crossing Barnes Bridge Barnes Railway Bridge over River Thames Chiswick Grove Park Terrace level crossing North London line and District line to Gunnersbury│to Kew Gardens to North London line 1 2 New Kew Junction Kew Bridge (1 N&SWJR│L&SWR 2) Kew (N&SWJR) Old Kew Junction Brentford Grand Union Canal Brentford branch line to Southall│to Brentford Dock Syon Lane Wood Lane level crossing Hounslow/ Smallberry Green Isleworth Waterloo–Reading line via Richmond Hounslow Hounslow Junction │ Whitton Junction Feltham Junction Feltham Waterloo–Reading line to Reading

The typical off-peak service from the station in trains per hour is:

• 4 direct to Waterloo via Brentford
• 2 circuitously to Waterloo via Twickenham and Richmond
• 2 to Weybridge, beyond the end of the loop which sees the line work as a corollary, to/from one of three of the destinations served by the main line.

On Sundays two trains per hour run to and from Waterloo, one of which continues to Woking and the other to Whitton, Twickenham and following stops back to London Waterloo including Richmond.

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Isleworth		South Western Railway Hounslow Loop Line		Whitton
		South Western Railway Waterloo to Chertsey via Hounslow		Feltham

Station amenities and setting

London Buses route 281 serves the station. The town centre of Hounslow is 400m north of the station. The station has seating areas and a shop.

Service expansion schemes

Two early 21st century proposals short of central government pledge stage, or Network Rail proposals, exist for the Hounslow Loop Line, further details of which are mentioned at Syon Lane.

West London Orbital
Proposed route
Midland Main Line Thameslink route Hendon North Circular Brent Cross West planned Dudding Hill Line (currently freight only) Cricklewood West Hampstead Thameslink route via St Pancras Dudding Hill closed 1964 Neasden Jubilee & Metropolitan lines Chiltern Main Line Harlesden Watford DC line & Bakerloo lines West Coast Main Line Grand Union Canal North London line to Willesden Junction Old Oak Common Lane GWML Central line Acton Central South Acton North London line to Richmond District & Piccadilly lines M4 motorway Hounslow Loop Line to Waterloo via Chiswick Lionel Road proposed Hounslow Loop Line to Waterloo via Kew Bridge Brentford Syon Lane Isleworth Hounslow Hounslow Loop Line & Chertsey branch line

In 2017 a proposal to extend the London Overground network to Hounslow was announced by the London Assembly and Transport for London.^[4] The scheme, known as the West London Orbital envisages re-opening the Dudding Hill Line to passenger services and running trains from West Hampstead Thameslink and Hendon to Hounslow via the planned Old Oak Common Lane station. The plans are currently at public consultation stage with TfL.^[5]

In popular culture

• The station was featured in the music video for the 1982 Depeche Mode song See You.
• The line "Jeffrey, take the 9pm to Hounslow out of your mouth" is stated by character Stewie Griffin in the Family Guy episode "Dammit Janet!" (2000).

References

External links

• Train times and station information for Hounslow railway station from National Rail