Osterley tube station

Osterley
Osterley Location of Osterley in Greater London
Location	Osterley
Local authority	London Borough of Hounslow
Managed by	London Underground
Number of platforms	2
Fare zone	4
London Underground annual entry and exit
2011	2.15 million
2012	2.19 million
2013	2.32 million
2014	2.46 million
Railway companies
Original company	District Railway
Key dates
1 May 1883	Opened as Osterley & Spring Grove
13 March 1933	Piccadilly line service introduced
25 March 1934	Relocated and renamed Osterley
9 October 1964	District line service ceased
Listed status
Listing grade	II
Entry number	1240806
Added to list	26 May 1987
Other information
Lists of stations	DLR Underground National Rail Tramlink
London Transport portal

Osterley is a London Underground station in Osterley in west London. The station is on the Heathrow branch of the Piccadilly line, between Boston Manor and Hounslow East. The station is located on Great West Road (A4) close to the National Trust-owned Osterley Park. It is in Travelcard Zone 4.

History

The current Osterley station was opened on 25 March 1934 adjacent to the Great West Road which had been opened in 1925. The station was designed by Stanley Heaps in the modern European style used elsewhere on the Piccadilly line by Charles Holden. The design uses brick, reinforced concrete and large areas of glass and features a brick tower topped with a concrete "obelisk". It was served from its outset by trains from the District and Piccadilly Lines, although District line services were withdrawn on 9 October 1964.

Osterley station was a replacement for an earlier station, Osterley & Spring Grove, located about 300m to the east on Thornbury Road, which was closed when Osterley opened. The old station is now Osterley Bookshop. The archway to the platforms is still visible inside the bookshop, but is now bricked off. The platforms are still in place, and the entire station may be viewed from a passing train.

Earlier history

Osterley & Spring Grove station and the tracks through the current station were opened by the District line's predecessor, the District Railway (DR), on 1 May 1883 as a line to Hounslow Town (located on Hounslow High Street but now closed).

Map showing operational dates for lines and stations in Hounslow

On 21 July 1884 a branch was constructed from shortly north of Hounslow Town to Hounslow Barracks (now Hounslow West). The branch line was constructed as single track and initially had no intermediate stations between the terminus and Osterley & Spring Grove. Until 31 March 1886 passengers travelling west from Osterley & Spring Grove could go to either Hounslow Barracks or Hounslow Town. On that date Hounslow Town station closed and a new station, Heston & Hounslow (now Hounslow Central), opened to the west.

Electrification of the DR's tracks took place between 1903 and 1905 with electric trains replacing steam trains on the Hounslow branch from 13 June 1905. When the branch was electrified, the track between Osterley & Spring Grove and Heston & Hounslow was closed and a new loop was opened from Hounslow Town back to Heston & Hounslow. Trains would run from Osterley & Spring Grove to Hounslow Town then reverse and run to Hounslow Barracks.

This method of operation was unsuccessful and short-lived. On 2 May 1909 the track between Heston & Hounslow and Osterley & Spring Grove was reopened with a new Hounslow Town station (now Hounslow East) located about 300m west of the loop to the old station. The old Hounslow Town station and its two loop tracks were closed for good.

Piccadilly line services, which had been running as far as Northfields since January 1933 were extended to run to Hounslow West on 13 March 1933.

Step-free access

In 2009, because of financial constraints, TfL decided to stop work on a project to provide step-free access at Osterley on the grounds that it was a relatively quiet station and within one or two stops of an existing step-free station, Hounslow East where step-free access has been available since 2005.

Connections

• London Buses route H91 serves the station.
• Osterley is the closest station to British Sky Broadcasting's offices near Gillette Corner. Sky jointly runs a non public minibus service with Harrods to and from the station every 15 minutes during extended office hours for visitors and staff. The bus may be labelled Sky or Harrods.

External links

• • Osterley Park & Spring Grove station, 1932
  • Osterley station under construction, March 1934
  • Ticket hall, 1934
  • Osterley station, 1948

Gallery

• 

  Looking west

• 

  Looking east

• 

  Looking east towards the former station, visible ahead

• 

  Platform roundel

Preceding station		London Underground		Following station
Hounslow East towards Heathrow Airport (Terminal 4 or Terminal 5)		Piccadilly line		Boston Manor towards Cockfosters
	Former services
Preceding station		London Underground		Following station
Hounslow Town Terminus		District line Hounslow Town branch (1883-86)		Boston Manor towards Upminster
Hounslow West Terminus		District line Hounslow West branch (1884-86)
Hounslow Central towards Hounslow West		District line Hounslow West branch (1886-1905)
Hounslow Town Terminus		District line Hounslow Town branch (1903-09)
Hounslow East towards Hounslow West		District line Hounslow West branch (1909-64)