West Brompton station

London Underground, London Overground and National Rail station

West Brompton

Station entrance

West Brompton

Location of West Brompton in Greater London

Location| West Brompton
Local authority| Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
Managed by| London Underground[1]
London Overground (western platforms only)[2]
Station code(s)| WBP
DfT category| E
Number of platforms| 4
Accessible| Yes (except District line westbound platform)[3]
Fare zone| 2
London Underground annual entry and exit
2019|  5.20 million[4]
2020|  2.39 million[5]
2021|  2.73 million[6]
2022|  4.42 million[7]
2023|  5.18 million[8]
National Rail annual entry and exit
2018–19|  4.936 million[9]
2019–20|  4.517 million[9]
2020–21|  1.411 million[9]
2021–22|  3.027 million[9]
2022–23|  3.511 million[9]
Key dates
1 September 1866| Opened (WLEJR)
12 April 1869| Started (Terminus) (DR)
1 March 1880| Started (Through Service) (DR)
21 October 1940| Ended (WLL)
1 June 1999| Restarted (WLL)
Other information
External links|

* TfL station info page
* Departures
* Facilities

Coordinates| 51°29′12″N 0°11′45″W﻿ / ﻿51.4866°N 0.1957°W﻿ / 51.4866; -0.1957
London transport portal

West Brompton is a station located on Old Brompton Road (A3218) in West Brompton, West London for London Underground, London Overground and National Rail services. It is immediately south of the demolished Earls Court Exhibition Centre and west of Brompton Cemetery in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

The station is on the Wimbledon branch of the Underground's District line between Earl's Court and Fulham Broadway stations, the Overground's West London line between Kensington (Olympia) and Imperial Wharf stations, and National Rail services are provided by Southern

The station's location on the West London line forms a borough boundary and its tracks are shared between Kensington & Chelsea and the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Since 2000 it has been a Grade II (starting category) Listed Building.[10]

## History

[edit]

The West London Extension Joint Railway (WLEJR) was opened in the early 1860s. It joined the southern end of the West London Joint Railway at Kensington (Olympia) station with Clapham Junction station and ran through West Brompton although a station was not opened until 1866.[11] The original station was designed by the chief engineer of the Metropolitan and District Railway, Sir John Fowler[12] and thus has local railway associations that go back to 1838.[13] The current Lillie (road) bridge dates from 1860 and is the work of Fowler.[13] The soon to disappear Lillie Bridge Railway and Engineering Depot, opened in 1872, is close by. Other historic associations are with the Lillie Bridge Grounds, a noted 19th c. athletics, cricket, ballooning and cycling venue adjacent to the West of the station and Brompton Cemetery adjacent to the East. From 1887, the station gave access to John Robinson Whitley's Earl's Court exhibition grounds and from 1937 to 2014 it was the alternative access to Earls Court Exhibition Centre, now demolished.

On 12 April 1869, the District Railway (DR, now the District line) opened its own station adjacent to the WLEJR station as the terminus and only station on its extension from Gloucester Road station (Earl's Court station did not open until 1871). The original plan was to connect the DR to the WLEJR but this did not take place.

On 1 March 1880, the DR opened an extension south from West Brompton to Putney Bridge.[14] In 1906 a heat wave affected the railway such that one of the Underground's electric rails was warped at the station; trains coasted over the affected track until it was repaired.[15]

In 1940, during World War II, several WLL stations sustained bomb damage. Passenger services on the WLL between Willesden Junction and Clapham Junction were withdrawn on 21 October 1940. The Underground station remained in use and the WLL continued in use for freight traffic. The WLL station buildings and platforms were subsequently demolished.

Full passenger services resumed on the WLL in 1994, but it was not until 1 June 1999 that new Network Rail platforms were opened at West Brompton by the then Minister of Transport, Glenda Jackson. There is a commemorative plaque to this effect on the Western lift tower. The station design was by Robinson Kenning and Gallagher of Croydon.[16][17] The lift tower design is an echo of the decorative brickwork by the 19th c. City of London architect and surveyor, John Young designer of the nearby Empress Place and Lillie Road terrace in Fulham.[18] The works were funded by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham on whose border the station lies.

The WLL platforms do not have a separate entrance and access is from the Underground station. The District line serves platforms 1 and 2 and the WLL serves platforms 3 and 4. There is a fence between platforms 2 and 3, but they are on the same level and it is possible to pass directly between them.

There are lifts to both overground platforms for wheelchair access, and this means there is also step-free access to the eastbound District line platform, but not the westbound one. The station is in a cutting that is covered at one end.

## Services

[edit]

### National Rail

[edit]

National Rail services at West Brompton are operated by Southern and London Overground using Class 377 and 378 EMUs.

The typical off-peak service in trains per hour is:[19][20]

* 4 tph to Stratford via Willesden Junction
* 1 tph to Watford Junction
* 4 tph to Clapham Junction
* 1 tph to East Croydon

Additional services call at the station during the peak hours.

During the late evenings, London Overground services at the station run between Clapham Junction and Willesden Junction only.

### London Underground

[edit]

The typical off-peak London Underground service on the District Line in trains per hour is:[21]

* 6 tph to Tower Hill of which 3 continue to Barking
* 6 tph to Edgware Road
* 12 tph to Wimbledon

Additional services, including trains to and from Dagenham East and Upminster call at the station during the peak hours.

Preceding station  |  National Rail | Following station

|
|

Kensington (Olympia)

| | Southern

West London Line

| |

Imperial Wharf

Preceding station  |  |  London Overground |  | Following station
Kensington (Olympia)

towards Stratford

|  | West London Line |  | Imperial Wharf

towards Clapham Junction

Preceding station  |  |  London Underground |  | Following station
Fulham Broadway

towards Wimbledon

|  | District line

Wimbledon Branch

|  | Earl's Court

towards Upminster or Edgware Road

| Disused railways  |
Chelsea & Fulham |  | West London Railway |  | Kensington (Olympia)

## Image gallery

[edit]

* Station, entrance on Old Brompton Road in 1963

* West Brompton underground station platforms, with northbound train arriving (September 2006)

* West Brompton underground station footbridges (September 2006)

* West Brompton overground station – southbound Southern Class 377 Electrostar service at the platform (September 2006)

* London Overground branded sign at West Brompton Station.

* Vintage sign, from before the Johnston typeface was standardised

* Green verges beside the track into West Brompton station, adjacent to Brompton Cemetery

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Safety boost as London Underground to take control of 11 Silverlink stations". Transport for London. 5 December 2006. Archived from the original on 13 December 2014. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
2. ^ thetrainline
3. ^ "Step free Tube Guide" (PDF). Transport for London. April 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 May 2021.
4. ^ "Station Usage Data" (XLSX). Usage Statistics for London Stations, 2019. Transport for London. 23 September 2020. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
5. ^ "Station Usage Data" (XLSX). Usage Statistics for London Stations, 2020. Transport for London. 16 April 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
6. ^ "Station Usage Data" (XLSX). Usage Statistics for London Stations, 2021. Transport for London. 12 July 2022. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
7. ^ "Station Usage Data" (XLSX). Usage Statistics for London Stations, 2022. Transport for London. 4 October 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
8. ^ "Station Usage Data" (XLSX). Usage Statistics for London Stations, 2023. Transport for London. 8 August 2024. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
9. ^ a b c d e "Estimates of station usage". Rail statistics. Office of Rail Regulation. Please note: Some methodology may vary year on year.
10. ^ Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1385365)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
11. ^ Hobhouse (1986), footnote 55.
12. ^ Walford, Edward (1878). Underground London: Its railways, subways and sewers. London: Cassell, Petter & Galpin. pp. 224–242 - via British History Online (transcription).
13. ^ a b Hobhouse (1986).
14. ^ "Extension of the District Line to Fulham". Daily News. London. 28 February 1880. p. 6 - via Newspapers.com.
15. ^ "Effect of Heat on Rails – Mishap on the Metropolitan Line". The Guardian. 14 April 1906. p. 5 - via Newspapers.com.
16. ^ "(unspecified)".[dead link]
17. ^ "West Brompton Station". RKG. 2013. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016.
18. ^ Blower's Architect's, Surveyor's, Engineer's and Builder's Directory. T. Blower. 1860 - via Archive.org.
19. ^ Table 59, 66, 170, 176 National Rail timetable, June 2024
20. ^ "London Overground Timetable: Stratford to Richmond and Clapham Junction" (PDF). Transport for London. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
21. ^ "District Line Timetable". Transport for London. Retrieved 13 December 2023.

* Hobhouse, Hermione, ed. (1986). "The Kensington Canal, railways and related developments". Survey of London: Volume 42, Kensington Square To Earl's Court. London. pp. 322–338. Retrieved 15 October 2016 - via British History Online (transcription).`{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to West Brompton station.

* Train times and station information for West Brompton station from National Rail
* London Transport Museum Photographic Archive Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
* Construction of the District Railway station at West Brompton, 1867
* District Railway platforms, 1876
* West Brompton Underground station, 1928
* London's Abandoned Tube stations – West London Line
* West Brompton, SubBrit disused stations project
* www.Old-maps.co.uk – West Brompton station, 1874

* A
* B
* C
* D
* E
* F
* G
* H
* I
* J
* K
* L
* M
* N
* O
* P
* Q
* R
* S
* T
* U
* V
* W
* X
* Y
* Z

* v
* t
* e

Transport in London

Companies and
organisations|

| Transport for
London (TfL)|

| London Underground|

* Night Tube
* Bakerloo
* Central
* Circle
* District
* Hammersmith & City
* Jubilee
* Metropolitan
* Northern
* Piccadilly
* Victoria
* Waterloo & City

|

London Rail|

* Docklands Light Railway
* Elizabeth line
* Tramlink
* London Overground
* North London
* East London
* South London
* West London
* Gospel Oak to Barking
* Lea Valley
* Romford–Upminster
* Watford DC

London Buses|

*   * East London Transit
* Superloop
* Night buses

Other|

* Coach station
* Cycle hire
* Dial-a-Ride
* IFS Cloud Cable Car
* London River Services
* London Streets
* Source London
* Taxi and Private Hire office

Bus operators|

* Arriva Herts & Essex
* Arriva London
* Arriva Southern Counties
* Go-Ahead London
* Blue Triangle
* Docklands Buses
* London Central
* London General
* Metrobus
* Metroline
* RATP Dev Transit London
* London Sovereign
* London Transit
* London United
* Stagecoach London
* East London
* Selkent
* Thameside
* Transport UK London Bus
* Uno

River operators|

* Lower Thames and Medway Passenger Boat Company
* Uber Boat by Thames Clippers
* Thames River Services
* Westminster Passenger Services Association

Train operators|

* Arriva Rail London
* Avanti West Coast
* c2c
* Caledonian Sleeper
* Chiltern Railways
* East Midlands Railway
* Eurostar
* Govia Thameslink Railway
* Gatwick Express
* Great Northern
* Southern
* Thameslink
* Grand Central
* Great Western Railway
* Greater Anglia
* Stansted Express
* Heathrow Express
* Hull Trains
* MTR Elizabeth line
* London North Eastern Railway
* London Northwestern Railway
* Lumo
* South Western Railway
* Southeastern

Other|

* Global Infrastructure Partners
* Heathrow Airport Holdings
* Port of London Authority

Airports|

| Within London|

* City
* Heathrow
* London Heliport
* Military: Northolt
* Private: Biggin Hill

|

Outside London|

* Gatwick
* Luton
* Southend
* Stansted

Major stations|

| Central area|

* Baker Street
* Bank-Monument
* Blackfriars
* Bond Street
* Cannon Street
* Charing Cross
* City Thameslink
* Earl's Court
* Elephant & Castle
* Euston
* Farringdon
* Fenchurch Street
* Green Park
* King's Cross
* Liverpool Street
* London Bridge
* Marylebone
* Moorgate
* Oxford Circus
* Paddington
* St Pancras International
* Tottenham Court Road
* Vauxhall
* Victoria
* Waterloo
* Waterloo East
* Westminster

|

Other|

* Barking
* Bromley South
* Canary Wharf
* Clapham Junction
* Ealing Broadway
* East Croydon
* Finsbury Park
* Heathrow stations
* Highbury & Islington
* Lewisham
* London City Airport
* Richmond
* Stratford
* Surbiton
* Sutton
* Upminster
* West Ham
* West Hampstead stations
* Whitechapel
* Willesden Junction
* Wimbledon

Roads|

| Motorways|

* M1
* M4
* M11
* M25 London Orbital
* Former: M41 (West Cross Route)
* A40(M) (Westway)
* A102(M) (East Cross Route)

|

Ring roads|

* London Inner Ring Road
* North Circular Road
* South Circular Road

Charging|

* Congestion charge
* Low emission zone
* Ultra Low Emission Zone

Ticketing|

* Freedom Pass
* Oyster card
* Travelcard

Other|

* Cycle routes
* History of public transport authorities
* Accessibility of transport in London
* London Transport Museum
* Places for London
* Port of London
* Regent's Canal
* Thameslink
* Trams
* Trolleybuses
* Windsor House

Former BR sectors|

* British Rail
* InterCity
* Network SouthEast

* Category
* Portal

* v
* t
* e

District line

Stations|

* Upminster
* Upminster Bridge
* Hornchurch
* Elm Park
* Dagenham East
* Dagenham Heathway
* Becontree
* Upney
* Barking
* East Ham
* Upton Park
* Plaistow
* West Ham
* Bromley-by-Bow
* Bow Road
* Mile End
* Stepney Green
* Whitechapel
* Aldgate East
* Tower Hill ( Tower Gateway)
* Monument ( Bank)
* Cannon Street
* Mansion House
* Blackfriars
* Temple
* Embankment
* Westminster
* St James's Park
* Victoria
* Sloane Square
* South Kensington
* Gloucester Road
* Earl's Court
* West Kensington
* Barons Court
* Hammersmith
* Ravenscourt Park
* Stamford Brook
* Turnham Green

| Richmond branch|

* Gunnersbury
* Kew Gardens
* Richmond

|

Ealing branch|

* Chiswick Park
* Acton Town
* Ealing Common
* Ealing Broadway

Wimbledon branch|

* West Brompton
* Fulham Broadway
* Parsons Green
* Putney Bridge
* East Putney
* Southfields
* Wimbledon Park
* Wimbledon

Edgware Road branch|

* High Street Kensington
* Notting Hill Gate
* Bayswater
* Paddington
* Edgware Road

Olympia branch|

* Kensington (Olympia)

Rolling stock|

* S7 Stock

History|

* District Railway
* History of the District line

| Former stations|

* Alperton
* Benfleet
* Boston Manor
* Castle Hill & Ealing Dene
* Chalkwell
* Deptford Road
* East Horndon
* Eastcote
* Hanwell
* Hayes
* Hillingdon
* Hounslow Central
* Hounslow East
* Hounslow Town
* Hounslow West
* Ickenham
* Laindon
* Langley
* Leigh-on-Sea
* Mark Lane
* New Cross Gate
* North Ealing
* Northfields
* Northfields & Little Ealing
* Osterley
* Osterley & Spring Grove
* Park Royal
* Park Royal & Twyford Abbey
* Pitsea
* Rayners Lane
* Rotherhithe
* Ruislip
* Ruislip Manor
* Shadwell
* Shoeburyness
* Slough
* South Acton
* South Ealing
* South Harrow
* Southall
* Southend Central
* Southend East
* St Mary's (Whitechapel Road)
* Sudbury Town
* Sudbury Hill
* Thorpe Bay
* Uxbridge
* Wapping
* Westcliff
* West Drayton
* Windsor

|

Wimbledon & Sutton Railway|

* Cannon Hill
* Cheam
* Collingwood Road
* Elm Farm
* Elm Grove
* Merton Park
* Morden
* Sutton
* Sutton Common

Former stock|

* C69 & C77
* D78
* A Stock
* B Stock
* C Stock
* D Stock
* E Stock
* F Stock
* G Stock
* H Stock
* K Stock
* L Stock
* O/P/CO/CP Stock
* Q Stock
* R Stock

Depots|

* Acton
* Ealing Common
* Lillie Bridge
* Upminster

See also|

| Other sub-surface lines|

* Circle line
* Hammersmith & City line
* Metropolitan line

|

* London Underground
* Transport for London

London transport portal

* v
* t
* e

London Overground

| North London and
West London lines
(Mildmay line)|

* Richmond
* Kew Gardens
* Gunnersbury
* South Acton
* Acton Central
* Clapham Junction
* Imperial Wharf
* West Brompton
* Kensington (Olympia)
* Shepherd's Bush
* Willesden Junction
* Kensal Rise
* Brondesbury Park
* Brondesbury
* West Hampstead
* Finchley Road & Frognal
* Hampstead Heath
* Gospel Oak
* Kentish Town West
* Camden Road (from Camden Town)
* Caledonian Road & Barnsbury
* Highbury & Islington
* Canonbury
* Dalston Kingsland
* Hackney Central
* Homerton
* Hackney Wick
* Stratford

|

Other topics

| Future plans|

| Planned and proposed stations|

* Brent Cross West
* Castle Green
* Thamesmead
* Abbey Wood
* East Brixton
* Maiden Lane
* Junction Road
* Surrey Canal
* Old Oak Common Lane
* Hythe Road
* Primrose Hill

|

Planned and proposed routes|

* R25 (London)
* West London Orbital

Rolling stock|

| Current|

* Class 378
* Class 710

|

Former|

* Class 150
* Class 172
* Class 313
* Class 315
* Class 317
* Class 508

Operations|

* Arriva Rail London
* London Overground Night Service
* London Rail
* National Rail
* Network Rail
* Transport for London

History|

* East London line extension
* London Overground Rail Operations
* North London Railway
* Orbirail
* Overground Network
* Silverlink

London transport portal

* v
* t
* e

Thameslink, Great Northern, Southern and Southeastern routes

Southern routes serving this station

West London Route|

* Hemel Hempstead
* Watford Junction
* Harrow & Wealdstone
* Wembley Central
* Shepherd's Bush
* Kensington (Olympia)
* West Brompton
* Imperial Wharf
* Clapham Junction
* Wandsworth Common
* Balham
* Streatham Common
* Norbury
* Thornton Heath
* Selhurst
* East Croydon
* South Croydon
* Purley Oaks
* Purley
* Reedham
* Coulsdon Town

Stations in italics are served on limited occasions, at peak hours or on Sundays only.

* Govia
* National Rail
* Thameslink
* Great Northern
* Southeastern
* Southern
* Gatwick Express

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template