Greenford branch line

{{Infobox rail line

| name = Greenford branch line

| color =

| logo =

| image = GWR 165 121 at Greenford station, 2021.jpg

| caption = A GWR {{brc|165}} for {{rws|West Ealing}} at {{rws|Greenford}}.

| type = Suburban rail

| system = National Rail

| status = Operational

| locale = Greater London

| start = Greenford

| end = {{stnlnk|West Ealing}}

| stations = 5

| routes = 1

| daily_ridership =

| open = 1903

| close =

| owner = Network Rail

| operator = Great Western Railway
Chiltern Railways

| character =

| depot = Reading TMD

| stock = Class 165 "Turbo"

| linelength =

| tracklength = {{convert|2|mi|40|chain|km}}

| tracks = 2

| gauge = {{track gauge|uksg|allk=on}}

| electrification =

| speed =

| elevation =

| map = 280px
(Click to expand)

| map_state = uncollapsed

}}

The Greenford branch line is a {{convert|2|mi|40|chain|km}} Network Rail suburban railway line in west London, England. It runs northerly from a triangular junction with the Great Western Main Line west of West Ealing to a central bay platform at Greenford station, where it has cross-platform interchanges to the London Underground's Central line. A triangular junction near Greenford connects to the Acton–Northolt line (formerly the New North Main Line). The line serves mainly the suburbs of Ealing and Greenford.

History

File:19880827-Paddington-Class121.jpg for the Greenford service (1988).]]

The opening of the line in 1903 coincided with the opening of a station at Park Royal on the Acton–Northolt line to serve the Royal Agricultural Show held in the grounds of part of the Twyford Abbey Estate.{{Cite web|url=http://www.brent-heritage.co.uk/twyford_park_royal.htm|title=Twyford and Park Royal, Brent, London|website=www.brent-heritage.co.uk|access-date=19 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160725055113/http://www.brent-heritage.co.uk/twyford_park_royal.htm|archive-date=25 July 2016|url-status=live}} The Show ran from 15 June 1903 to 4 July 1903 during which period trains operated a circular service to and from Paddington via Park Royal and Ealing. Normal services started on 2 May 1904 and the links to Greenford station were put in on 1 October 1904.

The loop formed by the GWML, the branch and the ANL is sometimes used for turning trains for operational reasons such as balancing wheel wear. On weekends in 2008 during engineering works on the West Coast Main Line the line was used by Virgin Trains' Euston-Birmingham International "Blockade Buster" service which ran to Euston via Willesden, Acton Main Line, Ealing Broadway, Greenford, High Wycombe, Banbury and Coventry using pairs of 5-car Voyager sets. On two Sundays in February 2010, Chiltern and Wrexham & Shropshire trains were diverted to Paddington via the line while engineering work blocked the route to Marylebone.

Locally the service is called the 'Push-and-pull', a term which dates from the days of steam, when the engine could not change ends at Greenford and so the locomotive pulled the carriages one way and pushed them on the return run (see GWR Autocoach).{{citation needed|date=April 2010}} In the 1950s the service frequently ran with two auto-trailers, one either side of the engine.

During the 1960s and 1970s the service was normally operated by a {{brc|121}} 'Bubble Car' two-carriage diesel railcar, although this was later reduced to a single carriage.

As {{Stnlnk|Drayton Green}}, {{Stnlnk|Castle Bar Park}} and {{Stnlnk|South Greenford}} have short platforms the maximum length of train that can be used is two cars.{{Cite web|url=https://www.trackmaps.co.uk/trackmaps/railway-track-diagrams/book-3-western/|title=Quail Track Diagrams by TRACKmaps – Railway Track {{!}} Book 3 Western|website=www.trackmaps.co.uk|language=en-GB|access-date=19 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202002337/https://www.trackmaps.co.uk/trackmaps/railway-track-diagrams/book-3-western/|archive-date=2 February 2017|url-status=dead}}

In preparation for Crossrail, a new platform 5 was constructed at West Ealing, and most services now terminate there.

Current service

The passenger service is provided by Great Western Railway. Trains on the branch run between Greenford and West Ealing, except for one service from Paddington at the start of the day, and to Paddington at the end of the day. {{NRtimes|December 2022|116}}

There was a parliamentary service operated by Chiltern Railways from 10 December 2018 that, on weekdays, started from South Ruislip and ran non-stop along the line to West Ealing, before returning to West Ruislip. It previously operated to High Wycombe, but was later curtailed. It then became unidirectional from West Ealing to West Ruislip, running once a week on Wednesday mornings. It was then replaced by a bus service operated by Metroline in 2022.{{Cite news |date=16 January 2024 |title=Chiltern Railways' 'ghost bus': Is this Britain's most bizarre route? |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-67955990 |access-date=20 November 2024 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}

All services are operated with two-car Class 165 Turbo diesel trains. There is no Sunday service.

Future

= Introduction of battery-powered rolling stock =

In February 2022, GWR announced plans to test fast-charge battery technology on the route. As electrification on the route was low-priority, the only realistic alternative option to replace diesel-powered rolling stock was with battery power. The test will see the existing Class 165 units replaced by {{brc|230}} battery-electric multiple unit trains produced by Vivarail, with the company's fast-charge equipment installed in the bay platform at West Ealing. This will entail the installation of a conductor rail that becomes live only when a train is above it. This is then used to charge the lithium-ion batteries on the train, a process that would take about ten minutes.{{cite web |author= |date=15 February 2022 |title=Battery train and fast charger to be tested in London |url=https://www.railwaygazette.com/uk/battery-train-and-fast-charger-to-be-tested-in-london/60967.article |access-date=16 February 2022 |website=Railway Gazette |publisher= |quote=}}{{Cite web |date=16 February 2022 |title=GWR and Vivarail to trial battery train |url=https://www.railjournal.com/fleet/gwr-and-vivarail-to-trial-battery-train/ |access-date=18 February 2022 |website=International Railway Journal |language=en}}

In March 2024, following delivery of unit 230001 to GWR, trial running began of the new battery-powered train and fast-charge technology on the line. The trials demonstrated a charging time of 3½ minutes at West Ealing, using a bank of batteries installed adjacent to the platform to prevent power surging. GWR aim to build mileage on the technology to consider its introduction on other branch lines, such as the Windsor branch line, the Marlow branch line and the Henley branch line.{{Cite web |date=21 March 2024 |title=GWR starts west London trials of a battery-powered train to replace diesels |url=https://www.ianvisits.co.uk/articles/gwr-starts-west-london-trials-of-a-battery-powered-train-to-replace-diesels-71075/ |access-date=25 March 2024 |website=ianVisits}}{{Cite web |date=19 March 2024 |title=Battery train begins trial in West London |url=https://www.railadvent.co.uk/2024/03/battery-train-begins-trial-in-west-london.html |access-date=25 March 2024 |website=RailAdvent}}

Passenger volume

These are statistics of passenger usage on the National Rail network along the Greenford branch line from the year beginning April 2002 to the year beginning April 2023.

{{GBsta-u |

{{GBsta-u A|stn=Greenford|u1={{n/a|No data}}|u2={{n/a|No data}}|u3={{n/a|No data}}|u4=85,234|u5=90,343|u6=74,196|u7=105,452|u8=152,542|u9=173,868|u10=190,658|u11=195,998|u12=232,160|u13=260,132|u14=229,870|u15=150,800|u16=152,698|u17=170,436|u18=58,534|u19=100,278|u20=126,052|u21=122,596}}

{{GBsta-u A|stn=South Greenford|u1=7,018|u2=5,804|u3=6,106|u4=14,207|u5=16,059|u6=14,524|u7=16,480|u8=31,888|u9=31,292|u10=38,360|u11=41,338|u12=47,324|u13=62,184|u14=53,110|u15=26,502|u16=28,084|u17=28,382|u18=8,810|u19=13,462|u20=20,706|u21=38,330}}

{{GBsta-u A|stn=Castle Bar Park|u1=40,678|u2=13,522|u3=19,893|u4=97,363|u5=100,705|u6=92,768|u7=84,868|u8=124,492|u9=124,364|u10=144,182|u11=158,806|u12=180,504|u13=188,120|u14=151,942|u15=80,386|u16=79,866|u17=81,088|u18=26,778|u19=41,128|u20=66,670|u21=101,564}}

{{GBsta-u A|stn=Drayton Green|u1=6,039|u2=6,597|u3=5,254|u4=75,414|u5=80,235|u6=66,908|u7=67,552|u8=104,732|u9=106,874|u10=123,038|u11=137,600|u12=152,710|u13=153,146|u14=102,372|u15=33,578|u16=29,228|u17=31,610|u18=7,146|u19=10,846|u20=16,082|u21=20,198}}

{{GBsta-u A|stn=West Ealing|u1=646,608|u2=384,890|u3=371,096|u4=1,078,954|u5=1,264,480|u6=895,372|u7=759,796|u8=1,069,164|u9=1,109,636|u10=1,170,790|u11=1,302,320|u12=1,347,024|u13=989,068|u14=923,710|u15=1,034,658|u16=1,077,698|u17=1,182,062|u18=340,254|u19=774,424|u20=1,261,474|u21=2,256,266}}

}}

Connections

At Greenford: London Underground Central line.
At {{Stnlnk|West Ealing}}: Elizabeth line to Paddington, Heathrow Airport, and {{Rws|Hayes & Harlington}}.