Feltham railway station explained

Feltham
Symbol:rail
Manager:South Western Railway
Owner:Network Rail
Locale:Feltham
Borough:London Borough of Hounslow
Platforms:2
Fare Zone:6
Railcode:FEL
Dft Category:C2
Access:yes
Coordinates:51.4481°N -0.4088°W
Events1:Opened
Railexits0405:1.864
Railexits0506: 1.967
Railexits0607: 3.014
Railexits0708: 3.459
Railexits0809: 3.201
Railexits0910: 3.131
Railexits1011: 3.406
Railexits1112: 3.699
Railexits1213: 3.882
Railexits1314: 4.027
Railexits1415: 4.295
Railexits1516: 4.392
Railexits1617: 4.315
Railexits1718: 4.321 -->
Railexits1819: 4.316
Railexits1920: 3.923
Railexits2021: 1.110
Railexits2122: 2.575
Railexits2223: 3.077

Feltham railway station serves Feltham in the London Borough of Hounslow, west London. It was opened on 22 August 1848 by the Windsor, Staines and South Western Railway (later the London and South Western Railway).

It is 14chain68chain down the line from and is in Travelcard Zone 6. Two regular bus routes run from the main road, to its east, to and from differing parts of Heathrow Airport.

Facilities

A central, internal footbridge with stairs and lifts connects the platforms. To the west nearby is a footbridge and beyond that another that allows crossing by ramps and connects part of the town's 21st-century shopping/restaurants plaza to the eastbound side and a small part of Feltham, beyond which is Bedfont. The high street of Feltham starts 100 metres south and somewhat more, east.

A small shop, ticket machines and seating area are in the booking hall before the ticket barriers on the northern platform (1, eastbound or 'up'). Covered seating, vending machines, toilets and a coffee kiosk serve the platform.

The southern platform (2, westbound, or 'Down') hosts the bulk of the original station house. Two near-adjoining entrances, a small shop, automatic ticket machines and covered seating serve the platform. The mid-19th century former house is at the northern extremity of Feltham's principal architectural conservation area, taking in Hanworth Road, lined primarily with detached late Victorian houses.[1]

The southern forecourt hosts a taxi rank, small car park and bays for courtesy buses to local employers (and if any track is closed, rail replacement bus services).

History

Before World War II a main station entrance was built on the road bridge carrying Hounslow Road across the line – this and a footbridge were demolished in the early 1990s. A former Red Star Parcels office is vacant space in the southerly station house.

Adjacent land, once used in the rail sector, has become a supermarket and a private sports centre; to the east of the station was Feltham marshalling yard, one of the largest marshalling yards in the British Isles (1917 - 67) and a motive power depot.

Construction of the booking hall, internal bridge, their accessways and most facilities on the northern side dates to the 1990s. This was built under the SWELTRAC partnership between local authorities, Heathrow Airport Ltd (part of BAA), and the rail industry to boost public transport, including easy rail/bus interchange. Its apron/forecourt, for buses, fronts the southwestern part of New Road (and it fronts Bedfont Lane, with semi-open pavements to both).

Until March 2019, there was a level crossing at the station's west end, carrying part of Bedfont Lane; the crossing was closed altogether and the road split in two that year.[2]

Services

All services at Feltham are operated by South Western Railway.

The typical off-peak service in trains per hour is:

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

On Sundays, the stopping services between Weybridge and London Waterloo are reduced to hourly and westbound trains run to and from instead of Weybridge.

Connections

London Buses routes 90, 117, 235, 285, 490, H25 and H26 serve the station.[3]

Proposals

The station's track lay in the now abandoned Heathrow Airtrack plan proposed by BAA. Railways, for passenger trains, would have splayed out from Heathrow Terminal 5 to, and Guildford, replacing express bus services, and the first listed of these running directly via (calling at) Feltham. BAA withdrew the Airtrack plan in 2011.[4]

Smaller proposals have followed. Hounslow Council, in 2016, consulted on a direct railway, with passenger services, between the line and Terminal 5 of Heathrow.[5] The plan was again disbanded.

Notes and References

  1. https://lbhounslow.sharepoint.com/sites/InternetLinks/cc/Shared%20Documents/Forms/AllItems.aspx?id=%2Fsites%2FInternetLinks%2Fcc%2FShared%20Documents%2FWebsite%20documents%2FConservation%20Area%20Appraisals%2FFeltham%20Green%20Town%20Centre%20Conservation%20Area%20Appraisal%20April%202018%2Epdf&parent=%2Fsites%2FInternetLinks%2Fcc%2FShared%20Documents%2FWebsite%20documents%2FConservation%20Area%20Appraisals&p=true&originalPath=aHR0cHM6Ly9sYmhvdW5zbG93LnNoYXJlcG9pbnQuY29tLzpiOi9zL0ludGVybmV0TGlua3MvY2MvRVc2eFl3QWFFeEJWcmp0V3ZYYmZHWWdCbUI4aU1PUkJ3bVlwNkloZFM5VUxfQT9ydGltZT1iWDM2T0FoMTJVZw FELTHAM GREEN & TOWN CENTRE Conservation Area Appraisal, April 2018
  2. https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/UKHOUNSLOW/bulletins/233fac7 Feltham Update: Permanent closure of level crossing, 6 March 2019
  3. Web site: Buses from Feltham. Transport for London. 27 April 2024.
  4. Heathrow's vision for future rail access . 11 April 2011 . BAA . 18 January 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120702192823/http://mediacentre.heathrowairport.com/Press-releases/Heathrow-s-vision-for-future-rail-access-10f.aspx . 2 July 2012.
  5. Web site: Heathrow Southern Rail Access Consultation. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304192825/https://www.hounslow.gov.uk/index/council_and_democracy/consultations/heathrow_southern_rail_consult.htm. London Borough of Hounslow. 4 March 2016.