Feltham railway station

Coordinates: 51°26′53″N 0°24′32″W / 51.4481°N 0.4088°W / 51.4481; -0.4088
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Feltham National Rail
Feltham is located in Greater London
Feltham
Feltham
Location of Feltham in Greater London
LocationFeltham
Local authorityLondon Borough of Hounslow
Managed bySouth Western Railway
OwnerNetwork Rail
Station codeFEL
DfT categoryC2
Number of platforms2
AccessibleYes
Fare zone6
National Rail annual entry and exit
2018–19Decrease 4.316 million[1]
2019–20Decrease 3.923 million[1]
2020–21Decrease 1.110 million[1]
2021–22Increase 2.575 million[1]
2022–23Increase 3.077 million[1]
Key dates
22 August 1848 (1848-08-22)Opened
Other information
External links
WGS8451°26′53″N 0°24′32″W / 51.4481°N 0.4088°W / 51.4481; -0.4088
 London transport portal

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 14 miles 68 chains (23.9 km) down the line from 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[edit]

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.[2] 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.[2]

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).

Main entrance on the westbound side
Entrance on the London-bound side

History[edit]

Feltham railway station in 1905

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.[3]

Services[edit]

The typical hourly off-peak weekday service from the station is:[4]

On Sundays the typical hourly service is:

  • 5 to London Waterloo, of which:
    • 3 call at Whitton, Twickenham, Richmond, Putney, Clapham Junction, and Vauxhall.
    • 1 calls at all stations via Richmond.
    • 1 calls at all stations on the Hounslow Loop.
  • 2 tph to Windsor & Eton Riverside, of which:
  • 1 tph to Woking, calling at all intermediate stations.
  • 2 tph to Reading calling at Staines then all stations.
Preceding station National Rail National Rail Following station
Twickenham
or Whitton
  South Western Railway
Waterloo to Reading
  Staines
Whitton   South Western Railway
Waterloo to Windsor
  Ashford (Surrey)
Hounslow   South Western Railway
Waterloo to Chertsey via Hounslow
 
  Historical railways  
Staines   Anglia Railways
London Crosslink
  Brentford

Connections[edit]

Map of Heathrow rail links
Heathrow area rail services
from Paddington
enlarge…
0-00
Paddington Bakerloo Line Circle line (London Underground) District Line Hammersmith & City Line Elizabeth Line Heathrow Express National Rail
Old Oak Common
under
construction
4-21
Acton Main Line Elizabeth Line
5-56
Ealing Broadway Central line (London Underground) District Line Elizabeth Line
6-46
West Ealing Elizabeth Line Greenford line
7-28
Hanwell Elizabeth Line
9-06
Southall Elizabeth Line
10-71
Hayes & Harlington Elizabeth Line
11-10
Airport Junction
Hatton Cross Piccadilly Line
Heathrow Junction closed 1998
Airport interchange Heathrow Airport:
Terminal 4
Piccadilly Line Airport interchange
16-30
Terminal 4
Elizabeth Line Airport interchange
Terminals 2 & 3 Piccadilly Line Airport interchange
14-40
Terminals 2 & 3 Elizabeth Line Heathrow Express Airport interchange
16-20
Terminal 5 Piccadilly Line Elizabeth Line Heathrow Express Airport interchange

Heathrow Airport[edit]

Feltham is one of the nearest rail stations to Heathrow Airport, especially to Terminal 4, and it is identified as a connection for the airport both by signs at the station, and in timetables. Route 285 links directly to the airport's Central Bus Station, which is between terminals 2 and 3; while Route 490 runs to terminals 4 and 5. (There is no terminal 1.)

A high street and suburb-serving bus, Route H25, greets the London-bound platform's forecourt (immediately outside of Platform 1) which thus assists passengers who need any assistance to reach the main choice of bus stops a few hundred yards to the east and north-east.[5]

Since March 2008's opening of the newest terminal, route 490 has been extended, westerly, to Heathrow Terminal 5.[6]

The two routes serve the same local stops up until Hatton Cross.[7]

Historic express buses[edit]

A shuttle (express) bus fleet served the airport from 1999: Route T123 for the Central Bus Station, and route T4 for terminal 4. In 2000 T4 was withdrawn and the frequency of T123 cut.[8] Until 2008 their replacement was the existing route 285 which until 2020 had a traffic-light junction detour;[9] passengers for terminal 4 were advised to change at Hatton Cross (with free rail services, underground, to the four active terminals).

Local buses[edit]

All are London Buses. Route H25 serves the station immediately.

The main street, which is to the east and more importantly, as to stops, north-east is served by routes 90, 117, 235, 285, 490 and H26.

Proposals[edit]

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 London Waterloo, 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.[10]

Smaller proposals have followed. Hounslow Council, in 2016, consulted on a direct railway, with passenger services, between the line and Terminal 5 of Heathrow.[11] The plan was again disbanded.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e "Estimates of station usage". Rail statistics. Office of Rail Regulation. Please note: Some methodology may vary year on year.
  2. ^ a b FELTHAM GREEN & TOWN CENTRE Conservation Area Appraisal, April 2018, by the London Borough of Hounslow.
  3. ^ Feltham Update: Permanent closure of level crossing, 6 March 2019 London Borough of Hounslow.
  4. ^ Table 149 National Rail timetable, May 2016
  5. ^ "H25 bus route".
  6. ^ "490 bus route".
  7. ^ "Airport rail links and connections". SouthWest Trains. Archived from the original on 13 March 2010. Retrieved 18 January 2013.
  8. ^ "Transport Plans for the London Area". Archived from the original on 27 October 2009.
  9. ^ "285 bus route".
  10. ^ "Heathrow's vision for future rail access" (Press release). BAA. 11 April 2011. Archived from the original on 2 July 2012. Retrieved 18 January 2013.
  11. ^ "Heathrow Southern Rail Access Consultation". London Borough of Hounslow. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.

External links[edit]