Wood Lane (Metropolitan Line) tube station

Wood Lane was a station in west London on the Metropolitan Railway (now London Underground's Metropolitan Line). It was located on the Hammersmith & City Line viaduct adjacent to the bridge over Wood Lane and close to a similarly named station on the Central London Railway. The stations each side were Shepherd's Bush (which was then situated further south than today) and Latimer Road.

The two stations were opened in 1908 to serve the Franco-British Exhibition in the area that was to become known as White City. Wood Lane (Metropolitan Line) opened on 1 May 1908 and Wood Lane (Central Line) opened on 14 May 1908. Both stations were intended to be temporary and to be closed after the exhibition. Wood Lane (Metropolitan Line) was closed on 31 October 1914, shortly after the outbreak of World War I.

The station was brought back into use on 5 May 1920, but was open only when an exhibition was being staged.

The Wood Lane station on the Central Line was closed and replaced by White City station to the north on 23 November 1947 and the Metropolitan Line station changed its name to White City on the same date.

Following a fire, in which one of the wooden platforms was destroyed, the station closed on 24 October 1959. The station at viaduct level was demolished completely and little is left of it today. The original ticket office at ground level still remains, although it has been repainted.

New station

As part of the plans for the redevelopment of White City, a new station is being built for the Hammersmith & City Line. Due to be opened in 2008, it will be located on the east side of Wood Lane close to the site of the former station and will be known by the original station name of "Wood Lane". When the redevelopment work started, the remains of the old Wood Lane station were demolished at an early stage. [http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/press-centre/press-releases/press-releases-content.asp?prID=941] .

Former Services

ee also

*Shepherd's Bush stations

External links

* Wood Lane station, circa 1910
* [http://www.alwaystouchout.com/project/24 Details of new transport infrastructure]
* [http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/white-city-development.pdf Transport for London article (PDF) on new station]