White City tube station

This article is about the present-day White City Central line station. For the former White City Metropolitan line station, seeWood Lane (Metropolitan line) tube station.For other stations in the area, seeStations around Shepherd's Bush.

White City
Station entrance in 2008
White City Location of White City in Greater London
Location	White City
Local authority	Hammersmith and Fulham
Managed by	London Underground
Number of platforms	4 (facing 3 tracks)
Fare zone	2
OSI	Wood Lane
London Underground annual entry and exit
2018	8.12 million
2019	9.56 million
2020	4.01 million
2021	4.62 million
2022	7.39 million
Railway companies
Original company	London Passenger Transport Board
Key dates
3 August 1920	Line opened
23 November 1947	Station opened
Other information
External links	TfL station info page
Coordinates	51.512083°N 0.224583°W/51.512083; -0.224583
London transport portal

White Cityis aLondon Undergroundstation onWood LaneinWhite City,westLondon,England, on theCentral linebetweenShepherds BushandEast Actonstations inTravelcard Zone 2.The station is in a deep brick-sided cutting – and is designed in a similar way toHarrow-on-the-Hill station.

History

The station was opened on 23 November 1947, replacing the earlierWood Lane station.Its construction started after 1938 and had been scheduled for completion by 1940, but theSecond World Wardelayed its opening for another seven years. The architectural design of the station won an award at theFestival of Britainand a commemorative plaque recording this is attached to the building to the left of the main entrance.

The station today

Stations in Shepherd's Bush
Central linetoEast Acton West London Line toWillesden Junction right-hand running starts A40(Westway) White City H&CandCirclelines toLatimer Road Wood Lane Shepherd's Bush Market Shepherd's Bush(MR) right-hand running ends White City Depot Shepherd's Bush Shepherd's Bush Goldhawk Road Central line toHolland Park H&CandCirclelines toHammersmith West London Line toKensington (Olympia)

An interesting feature of the station is that the line adopts right-hand running through the station rather than the conventional left-hand running. This is a historical consequence of the reversal of the tracks in the tunnels of the anti-clockwise loop track built for the now-disused Wood Lane station, situated a short distance to the south of White City which was opened in 1908 as the then western terminus of the Central London Railway. The two tracks return to their normal left-hand orientation by a surface fly-over roughly halfway between White City and East Acton stations.

The station's running layout has three tracks, with the centre track having platforms on each side meaning that it can handle trains running in either direction. A siding between the running lines to the north of the station allows trains from Central London to be reversed and run back eastwards. Trains going out of service can return to the below-groundWhite City depotto the south of the station via sidings between the running lines.

The nearbyWood Lanestation on theCircleandHammersmith & Citylines provides an interchange between the lines.

This station is also directly opposite theBBC Television Centreand is within walking distance ofLoftus Road,home ofQueens Park Rangers F.C.andWestfield London.

The station received a certificate of merit in the 2009 National Railway Heritage Awards, London Regional category, for the modernisation (completed in 2008) that took care to retain heritage and architectural features.

Similarly named station

An earlierWood Lanestation on theMetropolitan linewas located a short distance to the south and was also known asWhite Cityfrom 23 November 1947 until its closure in 1959.

Connections

London Busesroutes72,95,220,228,272and night routeN72serve the station directly.White City bus stationis a few minutes walk south of the station.

External links

• London Transport Museum Photographic Archive
  • White City Station in 1951.
• Shepherd's Bush and White City development

Preceding station	London Underground			Following station
East Acton towardsEaling BroadwayorWest Ruislip		Central line		Shepherd's Bush towardsEpping,HainaultorWoodfordviaNewbury Park
Former route
North Acton towardsEaling BroadwayorWest Ruislip		Central line		Wood Lane towardsEpping,HainaultorWoodfordviaNewbury Park