Ickenham station

Image: © Marathon Taken: 31 Jan 2018

Metropolitan trains started running between Harrow-on-the-Hill and Uxbridge on 4th July 1904. Traffic between Harrow and Uxbridge was at first very disappointing. To build up its traffic the Metropolitan opened a series of halts which it was hoped would attract pleasure-seekers until housing got underway. The first of these was at Ickenham, close to the old village, but this was only after the villagers protested to the local council that they had no station. It was constructed at minimum cost and opened on 25th September 1905. Holidaymakers formed the main traffic for many years, the numbers leading to the extension of the platforms for the 1922 season. However, the pace of building at Ickenham did not justify reconstruction before 1939 and although platforms were lengthened it remained very much the country halt of 1905. In the mid 1960s London Transport slowly transformed Ickenham into a suburban station, opening a passenger hall over the line in 1971. The District Railway opened its new extension from north of Ealing Common to Park Royal & Twyford Abbey on 23rd June 1903. The line was opened fully to South Harrow on 28th June 1903. District line trains started to run beyond South Harrow on 1st March 1910 to meet the Metropolitan Railway at Rayners Lane and continue on to Uxbridge, but they were only hourly for much of the day, increasing to a 20 minute service the following year. This new extension was, together with the existing tracks between Ealing Common and Acton Town, the first section of the Underground's surface lines to be electrified and operate electric instead of steam trains. In the early 1930s, Government money was on offer to combat unemployment and using some of this the Piccadilly line was extended to run west of its original terminus at Hammersmith sharing the route with the District line to Ealing Common. This change took place in two stages. From 4th July 1932 between Ealing Common and South Harrow, the District line was replaced by the Piccadilly line. On 23rd October 1933 Piccadilly line trains continued from South Harrow to Uxbridge and District line trains to Uxbridge ceased on the same date. Ickenham station now sees Metropolitan line and Piccadilly line trains, although there tend to be more of the former. The next station in this view from the down platform is Hillingdon. Although this was a miserable cold and wet morning it did brighten up later.

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