Greenford

 

The original Greenford station was opened by the Great Western Railway on 1 October 1904 on the joint New North Main Line. The present station, adjacent to the original, was built in the Central line extension of the 1935-40 New Works Programme of the London Passenger Transport Board. It opened on 30 June 1947 after delay due to World War II. Service at the original ("main-line") station was gradually reduced and it was closed in 1963. The old station for the New North Main Line can still be seen through the window of a Central line train. Greenford is considered to be birthplace of the modern organic chemical industry, as it was at William Perkin's chemical factory in North Greenford, by the Grand Union Canal, that the world's first aniline dye was discovered in March 1856. Perkin called his amazing discovery 'mauveine'.

 

The name is first recorded in 848 as Grenan forda. It is formed from the Old English 'grēne' and 'ford' and means 'place at the green ford'. Greenford was known as Great Greenford in order to distinguish it from Little Greenford, which is now known as Perivale. The affixes 'Magna' and 'Parva' have also been used to denote the difference. Greenford station is above ground level with an island platform for the Central line. A bay platform facing south-east between the Underground platforms serves the Greenford branch service operated by First Great Western. The branch line then continues south and joins the Great Western Main Line at West Ealing. Platform 1 is for London Underground trains away from London, usually to West Ruislip, and platform 3 for trains towards central London and beyond, where platform 2 serves the Paddington branch line. An innovative glass lift incline will provide step-free access (when finally completed). The station has cash machines, Euro cash machines, payphones, escalators and a waiting room.

 

Connections: National Rail; London Buses routes 92, 105, 395 and E6 serve the station.

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