IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Bakers Road, UXBRIDGE, UB8 1RJ

Uxbridge Station

Metropolitan Line services to Baker Street and Aldgate await departure. The flower bed is an extra bonus.

Heading towards seven years after Image and this is a full on straight down the centre view into the Grade II Listed station from the York Road bridge. The blue boxes on the platforms have gone, but the biggest change is in the rolling stock with the new Metropolitan Line units having now completely replaced the old. The three track terminal platform arrangements are a little unusual.

The station, designed by Charles Holden https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Holden with LH Bucknell, opened in late 1938. A tall concrete canopy arches over the tracks with a row of clerestory windows above the platforms https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uxbridge_tube_station . The canopy is similar to the one at Cockfosters, the terminus at the other end of the Piccadilly line - see Image As at Cockfosters, the station has three tracks and four platforms (numbered 1 to 4): the centre track is between platforms 2 and 3. This is an example of the so-called "Spanish solution" which helps to speed up boarding and alighting https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_solution . The station is Grade II listed https://www.historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1358405 .

See Image and compare with Image (photographed by Ben Brooksbank).

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. At the time of the expansion of the Underground after the First World War, Uxbridge remained more or less a London country town rather than an Underground suburb and there was little large-scale building between the wars. Originally the line terminated at a station at Belmont Road, Uxbridge, to the north-east of the present station - see http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/u/uxbridge_belmont_road/ This was planned as a through station which the Metropolitan intended to extend on to High Wycombe. However, this never happened and Belmont Road station was closed and replaced from 4th December 1938 by the three-track new terminus seen here. The new station is in the same style as Cockfosters at the other end of the Piccadilly line. It has stained glass windows representing local heraldic devices. A goods yard was provided to the north of the new station but this was later replaced by sidings. 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. Uxbridge station now sees Metropolitan line and Piccadilly line trains, although there tend to be more of the former. Although this was a miserable cold and wet morning it did brighten up later.

A 1976 view of buses between duties next to Uxbridge Station. Vehicles are, on the 98 route an AEC Swift and on the 223 an AEC Regal IV. The Regal, class RF in London Transport terms, was a very successful design entering service in 1951 and remaining in use for up to 30 years - a large number of these vehicles are preserved. The AEC Swift was less successful, entering service in 1970. Many were withdrawn as their major overhauls became due in the late 1970's. This Swift, SMS685, with withdrawn in 1978 whilst RF627 went in 1977 - 8 years of service and 26 years of service respectively.