North Ealing tube station

North Ealing station stands in west London on the Piccadilly line’s Uxbridge branch, between Park Royal and Ealing Common. It sits on Station Road near the junction of Queen’s Drive and the North Circular Road. The station is in fare zone three, with West Acton on the Central line half a kilometre to the east. The areas around it—Gurnell, Pitshanger, Montpelier and Hanger Hill—are often grouped under the name North Ealing. A local primary school even bears the same title. The station opened in 1903 when the District Railway extended its tracks from Ealing Common to Park Royal. This stretch became the first part of the Underground’s surface lines to run electric trains instead of steam. Unlike other stations on the branch, North Ealing kept its original character and was never rebuilt in the 1930s to the standard Piccadilly line design. Beside the eastbound platform stands a 1930s substation built in brick and concrete. In 1932 the Piccadilly line took over the route west of Hammersmith, replacing District line services beyond Ealing Common. Today the station sees twelve trains an hour to Cockfosters at peak times and six each to Rayners Lane and Uxbridge. Off-peak services drop to six and three trains respectively. Day and night buses link the station to surrounding areas. The platforms still carry a slightly rural feel, a reminder of the line’s early years.