West Drayton railway station

West Drayton railway station is a railway station serving West Drayton, a western suburb of London, England. The station is served by local services operated by First Great Western from to Reading stations.

History
West Drayton station is on the original line of the Great Western Railway, and was opened on 4 June 1838 at the same time as the line. However the original station was located slightly to the west of the current station, and was relocated to its current position from 9 August 1884 when the branch to Staines was opened. From 1 March 1883, the station was served by District Railway services running between and Windsor. The service was discontinued as uneconomic after 30 September 1885.

West Drayton was the junction station for both the Staines branch, and an earlier branch to Uxbridge Vine Street that opened in 1856. The Uxbridge branch closed to passengers in 1962, but part of the line was retained for freight traffic until 1979. The Staines branch closed to passengers in 1965, but the section of the line as far as Colnbrook remains open to freight traffic, latterly for the delivery of materials for the construction of Heathrow Airport's new terminal 5.

From 1895 the station was named West Drayton and Yiewsley; it reverted to the original name West Drayton on 6 May 1974.

Transports Links
London bus route 222, 350, U1, U3, U5 and school route 698.

Description
West Drayton station is situated to the north of the centre of West Drayton and immediately to the south of the Grand Union Canal, in the London Borough of Hillingdon.

The station has five platform faces. From south to north there is a platform on the down (away from London) fast line, an island platform with faces on the up fast line and the down relief (slow) line, and an island platform with faces on the up relief line and on a loop line to the north of the up relief originally used by trains on the two branch lines. The platforms on the fast lines see little use, other than when the slow lines are closed for maintenance. Access between the platforms is via steps and a pedestrian underpass. Stockley Park is a large business estate located between Hayes and West Drayton, and is shown on the platform signage.

Ticket facilities
As of October 2008, Oyster "pay as you go" can be used for journeys originating or ending at West Drayton.

Services
West Drayton station is served by stopping services run by First Great Western between and Reading as well as two trains per hour to Oxford. These services run seven days a week with 4 trains hourly — two from Reading and two from Oxford. Typical journey times are just over 20 minutes to Paddington, and just under 40 minutes to Reading.

Gallery
Station West Drayton