25/270 - Greenford

I start this blog with an anecdote. A few months ago I went to a pub quiz and there was a London Underground round - huge pressure when you are a massive tube geek! The question was 3 Central line stations that relate to the following three clues:

• Harry Potter
• Green space for the smallest people in Europe
• Incline

You may be wondering what this has to do with Greenford, but I will reveal the 'answers' at the end of the blog. 

Greenford is a Central line station on the West Ruislip branch. There has been a national rail station at Greenford since 1904, but the present Central line station opened in June 1947 and was built adjacent to the national rail station. The national rail station closed in 1963, although a bay platform for national rail services is sandwiched between the Central line platforms. This platform serves the Greenford branch operated by Great Western Railway. A new 'ghost train' operated by Chiltern Railway uses the Greenford branch for their once a day 11:02 service from South Ruislip to West Ealing. 

Greenford was the first London Underground station above street level to have escalators up to platforms. Greenford was the only station to have such escalators until platform 3A on the Central line at Stratford opened in 2010 providing improved connectivity between westbound Central line services and the Jubilee line and DLR. Until 2014, Greenford was the final station to have a wooden-treaded escalator in service. 

Greenford station became step-free in October 2015 when an innovative and unique incline lift was installed. The incline lift or 'inclinator' was one of the first of its kind in any railway station in the UK. Another example of an inclinator in London is on the northern side of the Millennium bridge in central London. There are also plans for Farringdon and Liverpool Street to receive incline lifts as part of Crossrail.

The semaphore signals on the National Rail line at Greenford are well worth looking for if you visit the station. These signals are one of the last remaining examples in London. This section of railway never replaced its semaphore signals as the decline in rail traffic did not justify the costs of modernisation. 

Greenford is a unique station and is well worth a visit. Riding the incline lift or inclinator is a particular highlight, as well as visiting the first escalator from street level to London Underground platforms. 

Finally, back to the pub quiz! 

1. Wandstead 
2. Holland Park (an earlier question in the quiz revealed that the population of Netherlands is on average the smallest in Europe in terms of height) 
3. Bank (It was a play on words and not a clue making reference to the first incline lift on the London Underground)