With one of the most impressive station building's on the network, Uxbridge station is also the most used terminus station on both the Metropolitan and Piccadilly lines. A station has served Uxbridge since July 1904, however, the striking Charles Holden building opened in December 1938. Uxbridge is located in zone 6 and is the most used station in the zone.
The station building was designed by Charles Holden. Holden designed 47 London Underground stations, predominantly in Art Deco design, with 26 of the stations being located on the Piccadilly line. Make sure to take in the impressive stained glass windows created by Hungarian artist Erwin Bossanyi. Uxbridge is similar in design to Cockfosters, the terminating station at the other end of the Piccadilly line. Cockfosters station opened in 1933 and serves the Cockfosters area in the borough of Barnet, however the station is actually located across the borough boundary in Enfield.
Whilst Uxbridge is served by the Metropolitan and Piccadilly lines, it receive more trains on the Metropolitan line. 8 Metropolitan trains per hour terminate at Uxbridge during off-peak services, compared to just 3 on the Piccadilly line. All Piccadilly line trains leaving Uxbridge terminate at Cockfosters and not Heathrow. During peak services, some Metropolitan line trains terminate at Baker Street, the rest run all the way to Aldgate.
The area outside of the station entrance now blends in with the rest of the High Street and the intu shopping center, but it was originally designed for something else. This space is shaped in a semi circle to provide a turning circle for trolleybuses, which replaced the trams here in 1936. This space is now predominantly used by pedestrians with a few taxi ranks being the only vehicles to mainly use it.
The rest of the Uxbridge branch features interesting stations. Hillingdon station, for example, is one of the most unique stations on the network. The station was resited in 1992 and won the London Underground station of the year in 1994. The majority of the station is housed under a dominating roof and make sure to keep an eye out of the 'Hillingdon (Swakeleys)' roundels.
I also regard Ruislip station building as one of the most charming on the network. Ruislip was originally the only intermediate station on the Uxbridge branch. Eastcote is another example on this branch of Charles Holden's influence on the tube network. The station opened as Eastcote Halt in 1906 and the current station building was built between 1937 and 1939.
When it is safe to travel on public transport for leisure, I highly recommend a trip out to Uxbridge and taking the time to visit some of the other stations on an interesting branch. The branch has a mixture of Metropolitan Railway and Art Deco designs and travelling the branch by contrasting S8 and 1973 stock trains is a joy.
The rest of the Uxbridge branch features interesting stations. Hillingdon station, for example, is one of the most unique stations on the network. The station was resited in 1992 and won the London Underground station of the year in 1994. The majority of the station is housed under a dominating roof and make sure to keep an eye out of the 'Hillingdon (Swakeleys)' roundels.
I also regard Ruislip station building as one of the most charming on the network. Ruislip was originally the only intermediate station on the Uxbridge branch. Eastcote is another example on this branch of Charles Holden's influence on the tube network. The station opened as Eastcote Halt in 1906 and the current station building was built between 1937 and 1939.When it is safe to travel on public transport for leisure, I highly recommend a trip out to Uxbridge and taking the time to visit some of the other stations on an interesting branch. The branch has a mixture of Metropolitan Railway and Art Deco designs and travelling the branch by contrasting S8 and 1973 stock trains is a joy.
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