Just to let you know, I'm no longer updating this page. This entry is a work in progress, and this tag will be removed if work resumes.

This Entry is part of the epic Stations of the London Underground project.

Once the District line passes west of South Kensington station, strange things begin to happen. This is due to the fact that, unlike the Jubilee line, the District line was not carefully planned, but is instead a collection of old branches and so forth. This section of the guide begins at South kensington and heads westward - for the rest of the stations and a history of the line, see the District Line: East of South Kensington section of this guide.

South Kensington

A long subway to the north leads out of this station and provides easier access to the Science Museum, Royal Albert Hall and Imperial College London. A ghost train is said to have once stopped here.

Gloucester Road

Earl's Court

This station serves several different branches of the District line as well as the Piccadilly line. The original station opened in 1871 just to the east of the current one, but was too close to a junction, causing trains to navigate a tight bend on the run-up to the station. The station was replaced by the current one further away from the junction in 1878. The current station was the first to have escalators installed in 1911. The station features a board on each platform which lists various possible destinations, with the next train's destination being lit up.

Wimbledon Branch

The Wimbledon branch leaves the main line west of Earl's Court, and is also used by trains continuing south after starting at High Street Kensington. The line runs through a short tunnel section in East Putney and crosses the Thames at Putney Bridge before terminating in Wimbledon.

West Brompton

Fulham Broadway

Fulham Broadway is the nearest tube to Stamford Bridge, home of Chelsea FC, and lies nowhere near to the ground of Fulham FC despite the station's name.

Parsons Green

Putney Bridge

Putney Bridge is the nearest tube stop to Craven Cottage, home of Fulham FC, lying about 15 minutes along the river Thames from the ground.

East Putney

Southfields

This station is at it's busiest during the fortnight of the Wimbledon Championships as this is the closest to the All England Tennis and Croquet Club. There is a connecting shuttle bus from the station to the tennis for the fortnight.

Wimbledon Park

Wimbledon

A District line terminus with national rail and tram services. On exiting the underground platforms you will find public conveniences to your left before ascending the stairs to access the national rail station. The Centre Court you can see from the paltforms is not the home of English Tennis it is in fact a shopping mall which obviously derives its name from the famous court that hosts The Championship Finals.

The Kensington (Olympia) and Edgware Road Branches

Due to the history of the sub-surface Underground lines, the District line still retains two short branches which head north from Earl's Court. The shorter of the two runs for just one stop up to Kensington (Olympia) and used to link up with the Hammersmith & City line, while the other branch rejoins the Circle line to run north to a terminus at Edgware Road.

Kensington (Olympia)

Now one of the most bizzarely placed stations on the London Underground, as although trains used to run from here towards Latimer Road on the Hammersmith & City line via a stop at Uxbridge Road, the link was shut after being hit by a bomb during World War II. Trains to Kensington (Olympia) usually run as a shuttle to and from High Street Kensington, with the shuttle not operating during early mornings and late evenings. The station is connected to a stop on the West London line between Clapham Junction and Willesden Junction, which will become part of the London Overground in November 2007.

High Street Kensington

Notting Hill Gate

Bayswater

Paddington

See the Bakerloo Line section of this guide.

Edgware Road

Nowhere near Edgware station, and actually two stations. The District and Circle line section is seperate from the Bakerloo line section. The District line terminates here.

Earl's Court to Turnham Green

The west branch from Earl's Court runs to Turnham Green and then splits into two branches, one leading off towards Richmond and the other towards Ealing Broadway.

West Kensington

Barons Court

Hammersmith

This station consists of two elements. The first is the set of platforms serving the District and Piccadilly lines, and is an very simple station to find your way around. The other is the Hammersmith & City part, which is in fact a different station altogether.

Ravenscourt Park

Stamford Brook

Turnham Green

This station is served by the Piccadilly line in the early morning and late evening. The line to the west bifurcates into the Ealing Broadway and Richmond branches just after this station.

The Richmond Branch

The stations on the branch towards Richmond from Turnham Green are also served by the western end of the North London line, which will become part of the London Overground in November 2007.

Gunnersbury

Kew Gardens

Richmond

The Ealing Broadway Branch

The Ealing Broadway branch calls at Chiswick Park and then meets the Piccadilly line at Acton Park, running on the same tracks until a point north of Ealing Common where the District line leaves the Piccadilly, curving west to join the Central line at its Ealing Broadway terminus. Between 1883 and 1885, the District line would run past Ealing Broadway to reach stations as far as Windsor, and between 1889 and 1959 a short branch existed from Acton Town to South Acton station - see Abandoned Lines and Stations for more details on both disused lines.

Chiswick Park

Acton Town

See the Piccadilly Line: West of Leicester Square section of the guide.

Ealing Common

See the Piccadilly Line: West of Leicester Square Square section of the guide.

Ealing Broadway

The Hounslow West Branch

The section of the London Underground between Acton Town and Hounslow West was originally served by the District line, but is now served by Piccadilly line trains, with the exception of two stations which are closed on the District line, but were never served by Piccadilly line trains. The first is Northfields & Little Ealing station, and the second is Hounslow Town, with both of these and the relocation of Hounslow West being covered in Abandoned Lines and Stations. The order of stations on the disused line, excluding the branch to Hounslow Town, was:

• South Ealing
• Northfields
• Northfields & Little Ealing
• Boston Manor
• Osterley & Spring Grove¹
• Osterley
• Hounslow East
• Hounslow Central
• Hounslow West