Feltham railway station
{{Short description|National Rail station in London, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2012}}
{{Infobox London station
| name = Feltham
| symbol = rail
| alt_name =
| manager = South Western Railway
| owner = Network Rail
| locale = Feltham
| borough = London Borough of Hounslow
| platforms = 2
| fare_zone = 6
| railcode = FEL
| dft_category = C2
| access = yes
| image_name = Feltham station westbound.JPG
| coordinates = {{coord|51.4481|-0.4088|type:railwaystation_region:GB|display=inline,title}}
| map_type =
| years1 = {{start date text|22 August 1848}}
| events1 = Opened
| railexits1920 = {{decrease}} 3.923
| railexits2021 = {{decrease}} 1.110
| railexits2122 = {{increase}} 2.575
| railexits2223 = {{increase}} 3.077
| railexits2324 = {{increase}} 3.249
}}
Feltham railway station serves Feltham in the London Borough of Hounslow, west London. It was opened on 22 August 1848 by the Windsor, Staines and South Western Railway (later the London and South Western Railway).
It is {{convert|14|mi|68|chain|km}} down the line from {{stn|London Waterloo}} and is in Travelcard Zone 6. Two regular bus routes run from the main road, to its east, to and from differing parts of Heathrow Airport.
Facilities
A central, internal footbridge with stairs and lifts connects the platforms. To the west nearby is a footbridge and beyond that another that allows crossing by ramps and connects part of the town's 21st-century shopping/restaurants plaza to the eastbound side and a small part of Feltham, beyond which is Bedfont. The high street of Feltham starts 100 metres south and somewhat more, east.
A small shop, ticket machines and seating area are in the booking hall before the ticket barriers on the northern platform (1, eastbound or 'up'). Covered seating, vending machines, toilets and a coffee kiosk serve the platform.
The southern platform (2, westbound, or 'Down') hosts the bulk of the original station house. Two near-adjoining entrances, a small shop, automatic ticket machines and covered seating serve the platform. The mid-19th century former house is at the northern extremity of Feltham's principal architectural conservation area, taking in Hanworth Road, lined primarily with detached late Victorian houses.[https://lbhounslow.sharepoint.com/sites/InternetLinks/cc/Shared%20Documents/Forms/AllItems.aspx?id=%2Fsites%2FInternetLinks%2Fcc%2FShared%20Documents%2FWebsite%20documents%2FConservation%20Area%20Appraisals%2FFeltham%20Green%20Town%20Centre%20Conservation%20Area%20Appraisal%20April%202018%2Epdf&parent=%2Fsites%2FInternetLinks%2Fcc%2FShared%20Documents%2FWebsite%20documents%2FConservation%20Area%20Appraisals&p=true&originalPath=aHR0cHM6Ly9sYmhvdW5zbG93LnNoYXJlcG9pbnQuY29tLzpiOi9zL0ludGVybmV0TGlua3MvY2MvRVc2eFl3QWFFeEJWcmp0V3ZYYmZHWWdCbUI4aU1PUkJ3bVlwNkloZFM5VUxfQT9ydGltZT1iWDM2T0FoMTJVZw FELTHAM GREEN & TOWN CENTRE Conservation Area Appraisal, April 2018], by the London Borough of Hounslow.
The southern forecourt hosts a taxi rank, small car park and bays for courtesy buses to local employers (and if any track is closed, rail replacement bus services).
History
File:Feltham railway station.jpg
Before World War II a main station entrance was built on the road bridge carrying Hounslow Road across the line – this and a footbridge were demolished in the early 1990s. A former Red Star Parcels office is vacant space in the southerly station house.
Adjacent land, once used in the rail sector, has become a supermarket and a private sports centre; to the east of the station was Feltham marshalling yard, one of the largest marshalling yards in the British Isles (1917–67) and a motive power depot.
Construction of the booking hall, internal bridge, their accessways and most facilities on the northern side dates to the 1990s. This was built under the SWELTRAC partnership between local authorities, Heathrow Airport Ltd (part of BAA), and the rail industry to boost public transport, including easy rail/bus interchange. Its apron/forecourt, for buses, fronts the southwestern part of New Road (and it fronts Bedfont Lane, with semi-open pavements to both).
Until March 2019, there was a level crossing at the station's west end, carrying part of Bedfont Lane; the crossing was closed altogether and the road split in two that year.[https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/UKHOUNSLOW/bulletins/233fac7 Feltham Update: Permanent closure of level crossing, 6 March 2019] London Borough of Hounslow.
Services
All services at Feltham are operated by South Western Railway.
The typical off-peak service in trains per hour (tph) is:{{NRtimes|December 2023|149}}
- 6 tph to {{stn|London Waterloo}} (2 of these are stopping services via {{stnlnk|Hounslow}} and 4 are semi-fast via {{stn|Richmond||London}})
- 2 tph to {{stnlnk|Weybridge}}
- 2 tph to {{stnlnk|Reading}} via {{stnlnk|Bracknell}}
- 2 tph to {{stnlnk|Windsor & Eton Riverside}}
Additional services, including trains to and from {{stnlnk|Camberley}} and {{stnlnk|Aldershot}} call at the station during the peak hours.
On Sundays, the stopping services between Weybridge and London Waterloo are reduced to hourly and westbound trains run to and from {{stnlnk|Woking}} instead of Weybridge. The service to Windsor & Eton Riverside is also reduced to 1 tph on its regular service pattern, with the extra service instead calling at all stations via Richmond.
{{rail start}}
{{rail line two to one|previous1={{stnlnk|Whitton}} or {{stnlnk|Twickenham}}|previous2={{stnlnk|Hounslow}}|next={{stnlnk|Ashford|Surrey}} or {{stnlnk|Staines}}|route1=South Western Railway
{{smalldiv|Waterloo to Reading Line}}|route2=South Western Railway
{{smalldiv|Hounslow Loop Line}}|col={{SWR colour}} }}
{{s-rail-next|title=Historical}}
{{s-rail-national|status=Historical|previous=Brentford|next=Staines|toc=AR|route={{smalldiv|London Crosslink}}}}
{{end}}
Connections
Proposals
The station's track lay in the now abandoned Heathrow Airtrack plan proposed by BAA. Railways, for passenger trains, would have splayed out from Heathrow Terminal 5 to {{stnlnk|London Waterloo}}, {{stnlnk|Reading}} and Guildford, replacing express bus services, and the first listed of these running directly via (calling at) Feltham. BAA withdrew the Airtrack plan in 2011.{{cite press release
|url = http://mediacentre.heathrowairport.com/Press-releases/Heathrow-s-vision-for-future-rail-access-10f.aspx
|date = 11 April 2011
|title = Heathrow's vision for future rail access
|publisher = BAA
|access-date = 18 January 2013
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120702192823/http://mediacentre.heathrowairport.com/Press-releases/Heathrow-s-vision-for-future-rail-access-10f.aspx
|archive-date = 2 July 2012
}}
Smaller proposals have followed. Hounslow Council, in 2016, consulted on a direct railway, with passenger services, between the line and Terminal 5 of Heathrow.{{cite web| url=http://www.hounslow.gov.uk/index/council_and_democracy/consultations/heathrow_southern_rail_consult.htm| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304192825/https://www.hounslow.gov.uk/index/council_and_democracy/consultations/heathrow_southern_rail_consult.htm| title=Heathrow Southern Rail Access Consultation| website=London Borough of Hounslow| archive-date=4 March 2016}} The plan was again disbanded.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|Feltham railway station}}
{{stn art lnk|FEL|TW134BZ}}
{{Transport in London}}
{{SWT Stations|Hounslow=y|Windsor=y|Reading=y|IL None=y|Main line None=y}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Feltham Railway Station}}
Category:Railway stations in the London Borough of Hounslow
Category:Former London and South Western Railway stations
Category:Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1848
Category:Railway stations served by South Western Railway