White City tube station

This article is about the present-day White City Central line station. For the former White City Metropolitan line station, see Wood Lane (Metropolitan line) tube station. For other stations in the area, see Stations around Shepherd's Bush.

White City
Station entrance in 2008
White City Location of White City in Greater London
Location	White City
Local authority	Hammersmith and Fulham
Managed by	London Underground
Number of platforms	4 (facing 3 tracks)
Fare zone	2
OSI	Wood Lane
London Underground annual entry and exit
2011	7.74 million
2012	7.53 million
2013	7.22 million
2014	7.51 million
Railway companies
Original company	London Passenger Transport Board
Key dates
3 August 1920	Line opened
23 November 1947	Station opened
Other information
Lists of stations	DLR Underground National Rail Tramlink
London Transport portal

White City is a London Underground station situated on Wood Lane in White City in west London. The station is on the Central line, between Shepherds Bush and East Acton stations, in Travelcard Zone 2.

History

The station was opened on 23 November 1947, replacing the earlier Wood Lane station. Its construction started after 1938 and had been scheduled for completion by 1940, but the Second World War delayed its opening for another seven years. The architectural design of the station won an award at the Festival of Britain and a commemorative plaque recording this is attached to the building to the left of the main entrance.

The station today

Stations in Shepherd's Bush (present)
Legend Central line to East Acton to Willesden Junction right-hand running starts Westway (A40) White City Wood Lane to Latimer Road Shepherd's Bush Market right-hand running ends White City depot Shepherd's Bush  Central |  National Rail Goldhawk Road to Holland Park to Hammersmith to Kensington (Olympia) Hammersmith & City, Circle lines West London Line

White City is the innermost surface station on the western leg of the Central line, and eastbound trains enter tube tunnels immediately to the south of the station. An interesting feature is that the line adopts right-hand running through the station rather than the conventional left-hand running. This is a historical consequence of the reversal of the tracks in the tunnels of the anti-clockwise loop track built for the now-disused Wood Lane station, situated a short distance to the south of White City which was opened in 1908 as the then western terminus of the Central London Railway. The two tracks return to their normal left-hand orientation by a surface fly-over roughly half way between White City and East Acton stations.

The station's running layout has three tracks, with the centre track having platforms on each side meaning that it can handle trains running in either direction. A siding between the running lines to the north of the station allows trains from Central London to be reversed and run back eastwards. Trains going out of service can return to the below ground White City depot to the south of the station via sidings between the running lines.

The nearby Wood Lane station on the Hammersmith & City line provides a convenient interchange between the lines.

This station is also directly opposite the now closed BBC Television Centre and is within walking distance of Loftus Road, home of Queens Park Rangers F.C. It is also within walking distance of Westfield London.

The station received a certificate of merit in the 2009 National Railway Heritage Awards, London Regional category, for the modernisation (completed in 2008) that took care to retain heritage and architectural features.

Similarly named station

An earlier Wood Lane station on the Hammersmith & City line was located a short distance to the south and was also known as White City from 23 November 1947 until its closure in 1959.

Gallery

• 

  Eastbound through platform looking west

• 

  Centre terminating track looking east

• 

  Platform roundel

Connections

London Buses routes 31, 49, 72, 95, 148, 207, 220, 228, 237, 260, 272, 283, 316 and 607 serve the station.

External links

• London Transport Museum Photographic Archive White City Station in 1951.
• Shepherd's Bush and White City development

Preceding station		London Underground		Following station
East Acton towards Ealing Broadway or West Ruislip		Central line		Shepherd's Bush towards Epping, Hainault or Woodford (via Hainault)
	Former route
Preceding station		London Underground		Following station
East Acton towards Ealing Broadway or West Ruislip		Central line		Wood Lane towards Epping, Hainault or Woodford (via Hainault)