Osterley tube station explained

Osterley
Symbol:underground
Manager:London Underground
Locale:Osterley
Borough:London Borough of Hounslow
Platforms:2
Fare Zone:4
Coordinates:51.4814°N -0.3522°W
Original:District Railway
Years1:25 March 1934
Years2:9 October 1964
Events1:Opened
Events2:District line service ceased
Tubeexits06:1.946
Tubeexits07: 2.056
Tubeexits08: 2.060
Tubeexits09: 2.06-->
Listing Grade:II
Listing Start:26 May 1987
Listing Entry:1240806
Access:Yes

Osterley is a London Underground station in Osterley in west London. The station is on the Heathrow branch of the Piccadilly line, between Boston Manor and Hounslow East. The station is located on Great West Road (A4) close to the National Trust-owned Osterley Park. It is in Travelcard Zone 4.

History

Osterley station opened on 25 March 1934.[1] A station at Osterley had first opened in 1883 at Osterley & Spring Grove, located about 300m to the east on Thornbury Road. In June 1931, it had been decided to relocate the station to the west, to a site adjacent to the new Great West Road which had opened in 1925. Upon opening, the Osterley & Spring Grove station was closed, although the station building remained.[2]

Designed in the modern European style used elsewhere on the Piccadilly line by Charles Holden, the station was designed by architect Stanley Heaps following a preliminary plan by Holden.[3] [4] The design uses brick, reinforced concrete and large areas of glass. The station also features a brick tower topped with a concrete "obelisk",[5] possibly inspired by De Telegraaf Building in Amsterdam, which Holden visited as part of a study trip to the Netherlands.[6] The Chief Executive of London Transport Frank Pick felt that stations designed by others that followed Holden's style lacked attention to detail – with Pick dubbing them 'Holdenesque'.[7] The station was awarded listed building status in 1987, at Grade II.Osterley station was a replacement for an earlier station, "Osterley & Spring Grove", located about 300m to the east on Thornbury Road, which was closed when Osterley opened. The old station buildings and platforms remain.

The station was served from its opening by trains from the District and Piccadilly lines, although District line services were withdrawn on 9 October 1964.[8]

Step-free access

In 2009, because of financial constraints, Transport for London decided to stop work on a project to provide step-free access at Osterley on the grounds that it was a relatively quiet station and within one or two stops of an existing step-free station,[9] Hounslow East where step-free access has been available since 2005.[10]

In 2017, TfL announced that Osterley station would receive funding for step-free access, with work commencing in 2018.[11] In October 2021, Osterley became the 89th step-free Tube station, following completion of works at the station to install two lifts.[12] [13]

Connections

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Railway Passenger Stations in Great Britain – A Chronology. Railway and Canal Historical Society. 2019. 329.
  2. Book: Connor, J. E.. London's disused underground stations. 2001. Capital Transport. 1-85414-250-X. 2nd. London. 57630283.
  3. Book: Day . John R. . Reed . John . The Story of London's Underground . Capital Transport . 1963 . 2008 . 114 . The LPTB Takes Over . 978-1-85414-316-7 .
  4. Book: Ovenden, Mark. London Underground by design. 2013. 978-0-14-199150-4. London. 1120769116.
  5. Book: David, Lawrence. Bright Underground spaces – the railway stations of Charles Holden.. Capital Transport Publishing. 2008. 978-1-85414-320-4. 1023173864.
  6. Book: Day, John Robert. The story of London's underground. 2008. Capital Transport. John Reed. 978-1-85414-316-7. 10th. Harrow. 99. 926181246.
  7. Web site: 2011-05-04. V&A + RIBA Architecture Partnership exhibitions / Underground Journeys / 'Holdenesque'. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110504024905/http://www.architecture.com/LibraryDrawingsAndPhotographs/Exhibitionsandloans/VARIBAArchitecturePartnershipexhibitions/UndergroundJourneys/Holdenesque/Holdenesque.aspx. 4 May 2011. 2021-10-11. RIBA.
  8. Book: Rose, Douglas . The London Underground, A Diagrammatic History . 1999 . 1980 . 7th . Douglas Rose/Capital Transport . 1-85414-219-4 .
  9. Web site: Disability and Deaf Equality Scheme (DES) 2009-2012 . DOC . TfL . https://web.archive.org/web/20120425101603/http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/corporate/Disability-and-deaf-equality-scheme-accessible-version-2009-12.doc . 2012-04-25 . live .
  10. Web site: Hounslow East wins top rail station award . TfL . https://web.archive.org/web/20120425181512/http://www.tfl.gov.uk/static/corporate/media/newscentre/archive/3643.html . 2012-04-25 . live .
  11. Web site: Next six Underground stations to go step-free . Transport for London . en.
  12. Web site: 8 October 2021. Osterley becomes London's 89th step-free Tube station. 2021-10-11. Transport for London. en-GB.
  13. Web site: Roberts. Matt. 11 October 2021. Osterley becomes 89th step-free London Underground station. 2021-10-11. Rail Technology Magazine. en.
  14. Web site: Sky Bus . apphub.bskyb.com . 28 December 2018.