The roundel sign at the present-day Shepherd's Bush tube station

Shepherd's Bush is an area of west London, England, which has been served by a number of London Underground and commuter rail stations over the past 150 years, many of which have had similar names. The names Shepherd's Bush, Wood Lane and White City have each been used by several separate stations around the Shepherd's Bush district, following a number of station renamings and closures.

Former stations

Stations in the Shepherd's Bush area
1911 diagram of West London railways

The first Shepherd's Bush station was opened in 1864 by the Metropolitan Railway and Great Western Railway (GWR) on the Hammersmith & City Railway (now part of the Hammersmith & City line), adjacent to Shepherd's Bush Market. It was closed in 1914 and replaced by two new stations: one to the north, also called Shepherd's Bush (now named Shepherd's Bush Market), and one to the south named Goldhawk Road.

A station called Uxbridge Road opened on the West London Railway in 1869. This was on the GWR Middle Circle route that ran from Paddington through Shepherd's Bush to Earl's Court. In about 1905 this route became a branch of the Metropolitan Railway, terminating at Kensington (Addison Road) (now Kensington Olympia). It was also served by London & North Western Railway Outer Circle trains from Broad Street to Mansion House, but by 1914 this became an Earl's Court to Willesden Junction shuttle. Uxbridge Road station was located at the eastern end of Shepherd's Bush Green, close to the start of Holland Park Avenue. It closed in 1940.

The London and South Western Railway (L&SWR) opened its Shepherd's Bush station in 1869 on a loop line that connected the West London Line to the Hammersmith & City line and the L&SWR's tracks to Richmond (now the District line). The station was located on the west side of Shepherd's Bush Road (A219) at the junction with Sulgrave Road. It closed in 1916.

The Central London Railway (CLR) opened its subterranean Shepherd's Bush station in 1900, with its entrance overlooking Shepherd's Bush Green, next to the MR's Uxbridge Road station.

The Franco-British Exhibition and the 1908 Summer Olympics brought about the development of the exhibition and events area known as the White City, and two new Underground stations opened to serve these major international events, both named Wood Lane: the CLR Wood Lane station was a sub-surface station located on the eponymous lane, while the Wood Lane Metropolitan station was situated on a viaduct on its Hammersmith branch nearby. The CLR station closed in 1947 and lay derelict until 2008 when it was demolished to make way for the White City bus station. The Metropolitan station was renamed White City in 1947 and finally closed in 1959.

Current stations

vteStations in Shepherd's Bush
Central line to East Acton West London Lineto Willesden Junction right-hand running starts A40Westway Central line (London Underground) White City H&C and Circle linesto Latimer Road Circle line (London Underground) Hammersmith & City line Wood Lane Circle line (London Underground) Hammersmith & City line Shepherd's Bush Market Shepherd's Bush (MR) right-hand running ends White City Depot Central line (London Underground) Shepherd's Bush Shepherd's Bush West London line National Rail Circle line (London Underground) Hammersmith & City line Goldhawk Road Central lineto Holland Park H&C and Circle linesto Hammersmith West London Lineto Kensington (Olympia)
Central line to East ActonWest London Lineto Willesden Junction
West London Line
to Willesden Junction
right-hand running starts
A40Westway
A40
Westway
Central line (London Underground) White CityH&C and Circle linesto Latimer Road
H&C and Circle lines
to Latimer Road
Circle line (London Underground) Hammersmith & City line Wood Lane
Circle line (London Underground) Hammersmith & City line Shepherd's Bush Market
Shepherd's Bush (MR)
right-hand running endsWhite City Depot
Central line (London Underground) Shepherd's BushShepherd's Bush West London line National Rail
Circle line (London Underground) Hammersmith & City line Goldhawk RoadCentral lineto Holland Park
Central line
to Holland Park
H&C and Circle linesto HammersmithWest London Lineto Kensington (Olympia)
H&C and Circle lines
to Hammersmith
West London Line
to Kensington (Olympia)
vteLondon Overground network route diagram
Cheshunt National Rail Theobalds Grove Enfield TownTurkey StreetRomford National Rail Elizabeth line Bush Hill ParkSouthburyEmerson Park Upminster National Rail London Underground National Rail Edmonton Green Silver StreetChingford White Hart LaneHighams Park Watford Junction National RailBruce GroveWood Street WatfordSeven Sisters National Rail London UndergroundWalthamstow Central London Underground High StreetHarringayBlackhorse Road London UndergroundWalthamstow Queen's Road Bushey National RailGreen Lanes Carpenders ParkCrouch HillSouth TottenhamSt. JamesLeyton Midland Road Hatch EndUpper (Archway tube station)Stamford HillStreetLeytonstone Headstone LaneHollowayStoke NewingtonClaptonHigh Road Harrow & National RailKentish Town WestRectory RoadWanstead Park (Forest Gate railway station) WealdstoneGospel OakCamden Road (Camden Town tube station)Hackney National RailWoodgrange Park (Manor Park railway station) Kenton London Underground (Northwick Park tube station)Caledonian RoadCanonburyDalston KingslandDownsBarking National Rail London Underground South Kenton London Underground& BarnsburyBarking Riverside (Barking Riverside Pier) North London UndergroundNational Rail London Underground Highbury & IslingtonHackney Central WembleyHampstead HeathDalston Wembley National RailFinchley Road & Frognal (Finchley Road tube station)JunctionLondon Fields CentralWest Hampstead (West Hampstead Thameslink railway station West Hampstead tube station)HaggerstonCambridgeHomerton Stonebridge London UndergroundBrondesburyHoxtonHeathHackney Wick ParkBrondesbury ParkShoreditch High StreetBethnal GreenStratford National Rail Elizabeth line London Underground Docklands Light Railway Harlesden London UndergroundKensal Rise Kensal Green London UndergroundNational Rail Elizabeth line London Underground LiverpoolWhitechapel Elizabeth line London Underground Willesden London UndergroundQueen's Park London UndergroundStreetShadwell (Shadwell DLR station) JunctionKilburn High RoadWapping South HampsteadRotherhithe Shepherd's Bush National Rail (Shepherd's Bush tube station)Euston National Rail London Underground (Euston Square tube station)Canada Water London Underground Kensington (Olympia) National Rail London UndergroundSurrey Quays West Brompton National Rail London UndergroundBattersea Park National Rail Imperial Wharf National Rail (Chelsea Harbour Pier)(limited service)New Cross National Rail National Rail ClaphamNational Rail Queens Road PeckhamNew Cross Gate National Rail JunctionNational Rail Thameslink Peckham RyeBrockley National Rail Acton CentralWandsworth RoadNational Rail Thameslink Denmark HillHonor Oak Park National Rail South Acton(Clapham North tube station) ClaphamForest Hill National Rail Gunnersbury London UndergroundHigh StreetSydenham National Rail Kew Gardens London Underground Richmond National RailNational Rail Crystal PalacePenge West Anerley Norwood Junction National Rail Thameslink West Croydon National Rail (West Croydon station)
Cheshunt National Rail
Theobalds Grove
Enfield TownTurkey StreetRomford National Rail Elizabeth line
Bush Hill ParkSouthburyEmerson Park
Upminster National Rail London Underground
National Rail Edmonton Green
Silver StreetChingford
White Hart LaneHighams Park
Watford Junction National RailBruce GroveWood Street
WatfordSeven Sisters National Rail London UndergroundWalthamstow Central London Underground
High StreetHarringayBlackhorse Road London UndergroundWalthamstow Queen's Road
Bushey National RailGreen Lanes
Carpenders ParkCrouch HillSouth TottenhamSt. JamesLeyton Midland Road
Hatch EndUpper (Archway tube station)Stamford HillStreetLeytonstone
Headstone LaneHollowayStoke NewingtonClaptonHigh Road
Harrow & National RailKentish Town WestRectory RoadWanstead Park (Forest Gate railway station)
WealdstoneGospel OakCamden Road (Camden Town tube station)Hackney National RailWoodgrange Park (Manor Park railway station)
Kenton London Underground (Northwick Park tube station)Caledonian RoadCanonburyDalston KingslandDownsBarking National Rail London Underground
South Kenton London Underground& BarnsburyBarking Riverside (Barking Riverside Pier)
North London UndergroundNational Rail London Underground Highbury & IslingtonHackney Central
WembleyHampstead HeathDalston
Wembley National RailFinchley Road & Frognal (Finchley Road tube station)JunctionLondon Fields
CentralWest Hampstead (West Hampstead Thameslink railway station West Hampstead tube station)HaggerstonCambridgeHomerton
Stonebridge London UndergroundBrondesburyHoxtonHeathHackney Wick
ParkBrondesbury ParkShoreditch High StreetBethnal GreenStratford National Rail Elizabeth line London Underground Docklands Light Railway
Harlesden London UndergroundKensal Rise
Kensal Green London UndergroundNational Rail Elizabeth line London Underground LiverpoolWhitechapel Elizabeth line London Underground
Willesden London UndergroundQueen's Park London UndergroundStreetShadwell (Shadwell DLR station)
JunctionKilburn High RoadWapping
South HampsteadRotherhithe
Shepherd's Bush National Rail (Shepherd's Bush tube station)Euston National Rail London Underground (Euston Square tube station)Canada Water London Underground
Kensington (Olympia) National Rail London UndergroundSurrey Quays
West Brompton National Rail London UndergroundBattersea Park National Rail
Imperial Wharf National Rail (Chelsea Harbour Pier)(limited service)New Cross National Rail
National Rail ClaphamNational Rail Queens Road PeckhamNew Cross Gate National Rail
JunctionNational Rail Thameslink Peckham RyeBrockley National Rail
Acton CentralWandsworth RoadNational Rail Thameslink Denmark HillHonor Oak Park National Rail
South Acton(Clapham North tube station) ClaphamForest Hill National Rail
Gunnersbury London UndergroundHigh StreetSydenham National Rail
Kew Gardens London Underground
Richmond National RailNational Rail Crystal PalacePenge West
Anerley
Norwood Junction National Rail Thameslink
West Croydon National Rail (West Croydon station)
Legend
StationNational RailNational RailLiberty line Accessible stationThameslinkThameslinkLioness line Interchange stationElizabeth lineElizabeth lineMildmay line Accessible interchangeDocklands Light RailwayDocklands Light RailwaySuffragette line Internal interchangeLondon UndergroundLondon UndergroundWeaver line Out-of-station interchangeTramlinkLondon TramsWindrush line ()Nearby interchangeLondon River ServicesLondon River Services
StationNational RailNational RailLiberty line
Accessible stationThameslinkThameslinkLioness line
Interchange stationElizabeth lineElizabeth lineMildmay line
Accessible interchangeDocklands Light RailwayDocklands Light RailwaySuffragette line
Internal interchangeLondon UndergroundLondon UndergroundWeaver line
Out-of-station interchangeTramlinkLondon TramsWindrush line
()Nearby interchangeLondon River ServicesLondon River Services

In 2008 the arrangement of Shepherd's Bush stations changed when two new stations were opened, Shepherd's Bush on the West London Line (close to the location of the former Uxbridge Road Metropolitan line station) and Wood Lane station on the Hammersmith & City line (situated near the former Wood Lane/White City Metropolitan line station). Today, two stations bear the name Shepherd's Bush: Shepherd's Bush station, on the Central line, and the West London Line Shepherd's Bush station. The two present-day Shepherd's Bush stations are in close proximity and form an interchange between London Underground and National Rail.

With the addition of another station bearing the name Shepherd's Bush, it was decided to rename the Shepherd's Bush station on the Hammersmith & City line (the old 1914 Metropolitan line Shepherd's Bush station) to Shepherd's Bush Market to avoid confusion with the Overground and Central line stations.

None of the 1908 White City exhibition stations now survive and all the stations in the Wood Lane area are newer constructions: the present Central line White City Underground station (opened in 1947 to replace the former Wood Lane station) and the 2008 Wood Lane Hammersmith & City line station.

List of stations

StationLineOpenedClosedLocation
Goldhawk RoadHammersmith & City line Circle line1914openLocated on Goldhawk Road, south-west of Shepherd's Bush Green. Opened when original Metropolitan line Shepherd's Bush station was relocated.
Shepherd's BushMetropolitan line18641914South of Uxbridge Road on the Hammersmith branch (now Hammersmith & City line); moved to present Shepherd's Bush Market site 1914
Shepherd's BushL&SWR18741916Shepherd's Bush Road, north of Sulgrave Road
Shepherd's BushCentral line1900openShepherd's Bush Green east end
Shepherd's Bush MarketHammersmith & City line Circle line1914openUxbridge Road: originally named Shepherd's Bush (1914–2008) and moved from original 1864 site in 1914
Shepherd's BushWest London Line2008openShepherd's Bush Green east end
Uxbridge RoadMetropolitan line18691940Middle Circle branch (now part of the West London Line)
White CityCentral line1947openWood Lane, opposite BBC Television Centre
Wood LaneCentral line19081947Wood Lane, site now under White City bus station
Wood Lane (White City)Metropolitan line19081959North of present Wood Lane station on the Hammersmith branch (now Hammersmith & City line); originally named Wood Lane (1908–1947)
Wood LaneHammersmith & City line Circle line2008openWood Lane, on viaduct
  • Present-day stations: visual identifier
  • Shepherd's Bush Central line
  • Shepherd's Bush Overground
  • Shepherd's Bush Market Hammersmith & City/Circle
  • White City Central line
  • Wood Lane Hammersmith & City/Circle

See also

Rose, Douglas (1999). The London Underground: a Diagrammatic History (7thed.). Capital Transport Publishing. ISBN1-85414-219-4.

External links