31/270 - East Acton

Today, 3rd August 2020, marks 100 year since the opening of East Acton station. Now situated on the Central line, the station was opened as part of the Central London Railway's extension which initially opened for freight only in 1917. A classic pub quiz question relates to East Acton in what is the only place name on the London Underground map to feature all four compass points in station names? The answer is, if you hadn't already guessed, is Acton. 

In 1905 the Great Western Railway (GWR) had plans that were approved by Parliament to construct a line connecting Ealing Broadway and GWR's mainline to the Shepherd's Bush area. The plans would see the line pass close by to the Central London Railway's depot at Wood Lane, not to be confused with the modern day Wood Lane station on the Circle and Hammersmith & City lines. Construction did not take place once GWR gained parliamentary permission and in 1911 the Central London Railway and GWR agreed services on a line from Wood Lane to Ealing Broadway. The GWR constructed the line which was initially opened for freight only in 1917.  

The opening of passenger services on this line were delayed by the First World War and finally opened on 3rd August 1920. The only intermediate station between Ealing Broadway and Wood Lane was East Acton. West Acton and North Acton stations opened on 5th November 1923. Wood Lane station was closed in 1947 to be replaced by the nearby modern day White City station. The modern day Wood Lane station opened in 2008 on the Hammersmith & City line, Circle line services started calling here in December 2009 as part of the expansion to Hammersmith. The changing stations in the Shepherd's Bush area is slightly complex so I will revisit in a future blog post. 

As East Acton was built by the Great Western Railway it has a unique style. As the Central London Railway was electrified and exclusively for passenger services the GWR built two dedicated freight tracks in 1938. These tracks were closed in 1964, now overgrown, but still visible to the north of the station. Despite being named East Acton, the station is not located near the neighborhood of East Acton. I am glad that it is still named East Acton or else I would not be able to be open this piece with a fact that could crop up in a pub quiz.