View source for West Ruislip station

{{short description|London Underground and railway station}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2012}}
{{Infobox London station
| name             = West Ruislip
| image_name       = West Ruislip stn building.JPG
| caption          = West Ruislip station
| manager          = [[London Underground]]
| owner = [[Transport for London]]
| fare_zone        = 6
| locale           = [[Ruislip]]
| symbol           = underground
| symbol2          = rail
| borough          = [[London Borough of Hillingdon]]
| years1           = 2 April 1906
| years2           = 21 November 1948
| events1          = Opened (GWR/GCR)
| events2          = Opened (Central line)
| platforms        = 4
| railcode         = WRU
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| coordinates      = {{coord|51.5696|-0.4373|type:railwaystation_region:GB|display=inline,title}}
| interchange      = [[Ickenham tube station|Ickenham]] {{rail-interchange|london|underground}}
| dft_category     = F1
}}

'''West Ruislip''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|w|ɛ|s|t|_|ˈ|r|aɪ|s|l|ɪ|p}}) is an [[interchange station]] on Ickenham High Road on the borders of [[Ickenham]] and western [[Ruislip]] in the [[London Borough of Hillingdon]] in [[Greater London]], England, formerly in the county of [[Middlesex]]. It is served by [[London Underground]] and [[National Rail]]. On the London Underground, the station is the western terminus of its branch of the [[Central line (London Underground)|Central line]] and the next station towards east is [[Ruislip Gardens tube station|Ruislip Gardens]]. It is also on the [[Chiltern Railways]] of the National Rail. The Central line and Chiltern Railways platforms and ticket office hall are managed by LU.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://nationalrail.co.uk/stations/wru/details.html| website=National Rail Enquiries| title=Station facilities for West Ruislip| access-date=14 April 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.tfl.gov.uk/gettingaround/stations/1000267.aspx| title=Keeping London moving| author=Transport for London| website=Transport for London| access-date=14 April 2018| archive-date=11 February 2014| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140211193959/http://www.tfl.gov.uk/gettingaround/stations/1000267.aspx| url-status=dead}}</ref> 

The closest station on the [[Metropolitan line|Metropolitan]] and [[Piccadilly line|Piccadilly]] lines is [[Ickenham tube station|Ickenham]], {{convert|1.1|mi|km}} from this station.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/West+Ruislip,+United+Kingdom/Ickenham,+United+Kingdom/@51.5661101,-0.4367168,15z/data=!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x48766c44dbd35391:0xa2bd6dd16638b98e!2m2!1d-0.43775!2d51.56976!1m5!1m1!1s0x48766c4eaf750afd:0xefd8c752153491cf!2m2!1d-0.44198!2d51.56199!3e2| title=Google Maps| website=Google Maps| access-date=14 April 2018}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Harrow, Neasden, Northholt & Northholt Road RJD 145.jpg|thumb|left|A 1914 [[Railway Clearing House]] map of railways in the vicinity of West Ruislip (shown here as ''Ruislip & Ickenham'')]]

The station was opened on 2 April 1906 as Ruislip & Ickenham by the [[Great Western and Great Central Joint Railway]] (GW&GCJR).<ref name="Bowlt">{{cite book |title=Ickenham & Harefield Past |last=Bowlt |first=Eileen. M. |year=1996 |publisher=Historical Publications |isbn=0-948667-36-2 |url=https://archive.org/details/ickenhamharefiel0000bowl| url-access=registration}}</ref>{{page needed|date=May 2020}} The GW&GCJR connected London and the [[English Midlands|Midlands]] via [[High Wycombe]] and provided an alternative route to the Great Central Railway's (GCR's) main line through [[Aylesbury]], [[Harrow, London|Harrow]] and [[Wembley]] which shared its route with the [[Metropolitan Railway]].

Prior to the Second World War plans had been made for a number of extensions to the Central line. The [[London Passenger Transport Board]]'s (LPTB's) 1935-40 New Works programme included the extension of the Central line to run alongside the Great Western Railway (GWR) tracks from [[North Acton tube station|North Acton]] to [[South Ruislip station|South Ruislip]] and the GW&GCJR tracks from there as far as [[Denham railway station|Denham]]; the post-war introduction of the [[Metropolitan Green Belt]] caused the extension to be cut back to West Ruislip. Had the Central line extension been completed as planned, the next station would have been [[Harefield Road tube station|Harefield Road]]. Preparatory work on this section had started just before the war and a section of trackbed constructed for the extension can be seen to the west of the road overbridge, beyond the buffer stops of the Central line tracks alongside the National Rail line.

The additional tracks were constructed by the GWR on behalf of the LPTB and on 30 June 1947, the first section of the western extension opened from [[North Acton tube station|North Acton]] to [[Greenford station|Greenford]]. On the same date the station name was changed to '''West Ruislip (for Ickenham)'''.

Central line services began running from West Ruislip on 21 November 1948.

The station building was built by [[British Railways]] for London Underground and was not completed until the 1960s At about the same time the sub-title was omitted from the station name. Some Central line stations with older signage still show the longer name on the line diagrams on their platforms.

The station was transferred from the [[Western Region of British Railways|Western Region of British Rail]] to the [[London Midland Region of British Railways|London Midland Region]] on 24 March 1974.<ref>{{cite journal |editor1-first=J.N. |editor1-last=Slater |date=May 1974 |title=Notes and News: Transfer of Marylebone-Banbury services |journal=[[The Railway Magazine|Railway Magazine]] |volume=120 |issue=877 |publisher=IPC Transport Press Ltd |location=London |issn=0033-8923 |page=248 }}</ref>

The [[London Borough of Hillingdon]] announced in June 2011 that it would be lobbying Transport for London to have the Central line extended from West Ruislip to [[Uxbridge tube station|Uxbridge]]. Such a project would require a business case approved by TfL and the completion of signal upgrade work on the [[Metropolitan line]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Extending Central Line to Uxbridge will cut traffic |last=Coombs |first=Dan |url=http://www.uxbridgegazette.co.uk/west-london-news/local-uxbridge-news/2011/06/17/extending-central-line-to-uxbridge-will-cut-traffic-113046-28897325/| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110630174353/http://www.uxbridgegazette.co.uk/west-london-news/local-uxbridge-news/2011/06/17/extending-central-line-to-uxbridge-will-cut-traffic-113046-28897325/| archive-date=30 June 2011| newspaper=Uxbridge Gazette |date=17 June 2011 |access-date=17 June 2011}}</ref>

==Services==
===National Rail===
[[National Rail]] services at West Ruislip are operated by [[Chiltern Railways]].

The station's weekday off-peak service pattern is unusual in that it's served by trains at different frequencies in each direction. The station is served by one train per hour to [[Marylebone station|London Marylebone]] and one train every two hours to {{stnlnk|High Wycombe}}. Services to and from London operate as stopping services calling at most stations. Additional services call at the station during the peak hours.<ref>{{NRtimes|May 2023|115}}</ref>

On weekends, the service is increased to hourly in each direction and northbound services are extended beyond High Wycombe to and from {{stnlnk|Aylesbury}} via {{stnlnk|Princes Risborough}}.

===London Underground===
On the [[London Underground]], West Ruislip station is the western terminus of its branch of the [[Central line (London Underground)|Central line]] and the next station is [[Ruislip Gardens tube station|Ruislip Gardens]] to the east. The typical off-peak London Underground service on the Central line is 9 trains per hour to and from [[Epping tube station|Epping]]. During the peak hours, this is increased to up to 12 trains per hour to and from [[Debden tube station|Debden]], with up to 7 tph continuing to and from Epping.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tfl.gov.uk/tube/timetable/central/|title=Central Line Timetable|work=[[Transport for London]]|access-date=14 September 2023}}</ref>

{{rail start}}
{{s-rail-national|previous=Denham|next=South Ruislip|toc=Chiltern Railways|route={{smalldiv|[[Chiltern Main Line]]}}}}
{{s-rail-next|title=London Underground{{!}}LUL}}
{{rail line|next=[[Ruislip Gardens tube station|Ruislip Gardens]] <br/> {{smalldiv|''towards [[Epping tube station|Epping]], [[Hainault tube station|Hainault]] or <br>[[Woodford tube station|Woodford]] via [[Newbury Park tube station|Newbury Park]]''}}|route=[[Central line (London Underground)|Central line]]|col={{rcr|LUL|Central}} }}
{{Historical Rail Insert}}
{{s-rail-national|rows1=2|rows2=2|status=Historical|previous=South Harefield Halt|next=Ruislip Gardens|toc=GWGC|note={{smalldiv|Line open, station closed}}|note2={{smalldiv|Line and station open}}}}
{{s-rail-national|hide1=yes|hide2=yes|status=Disused|previous=South Harefield Halt|next=Ruislip Gardens|toc=GWR|route={{smalldiv|[[Uxbridge High Street railway station|Uxbridge High Street Branch]]}}}}
{{rail end}}

==Present day==
West Ruislip station is aligned approximately east–west with the main station buildings on the road overbridge across the lines at the western end of the station. The station has four platforms; two each for London Underground and National Rail services. The London Underground tracks are south of the National Rail ones and operate from an island platform whilst the National Rail platforms are outside of their tracks. The National Rail platforms are also served by a separate station building north of the tracks and adjacent to the car park. In a legacy of the original scheme to continue the extension to Denham, the Central line tracks continue for a short distance beyond the station before ending at buffers. The intended alignment of the unbuilt tracks can be seen from the width of the unused railway land south of the existing tracks.

The Central line's Ruislip depot is east of West Ruislip station, and has a connection via a shunting neck to the Network Rail westbound track west of the station to allow rolling stock and material deliveries. The depot also has a connection to the [[Uxbridge tube station|Uxbridge]] branch tracks of the [[Metropolitan line|Metropolitan]] and [[Piccadilly line|Piccadilly]] Lines which pass under the Central line east of West Ruislip; it is used only for empty stock movements and works train access.  Two sidings west of the station to the north of the running lines provide layover facilities for works trains.

There are [[turnstile|ticket barriers]] at the main entrance to the station, controlling access to the Central line platforms from the public highway and the pedestrian walkway linking the car park to the station.  The Chiltern platforms can be reached from the car park walkway without tickets.

==Connections==
[[London Buses]] routes [[London Buses route 278|278]], [[London Buses route U1|U1]] and [[London Buses route U10|U10]] serve the station.

==Nearby places==
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Denham Map Mockup2.png|thumb|right|How the Central line extension to Harefield Road and Denham would have appeared on the [[London Underground Map]] today if it had been constructed]] -->
* [[Ruislip]]
* [[Ickenham]]
* Adjacent to the station is the former site of [[RAF West Ruislip]], which until 2006 was a co-located [[United States Navy]] facility and elementary school, leased from the [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]]. This has been redeveloped for residential use.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book|title=Paddington to the Mersey|first1=R. Preston|last1=Hendry|first2=R. Powell|last2=Hendry|pages=22–23|publisher=Oxford Publishing Company|year=1992|isbn=9780860934424|oclc=877729237}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
{{stn art lnk|WRU|HA47DW}}

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{{Transport in London}}
{{Railway Stations served by Chiltern Railways}}
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[[Category:Central line (London Underground) stations]]
[[Category:Railway stations in the London Borough of Hillingdon]]
[[Category:Tube stations in the London Borough of Hillingdon]]
[[Category:Former Great Western and Great Central Joint Railway stations]]
[[Category:Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1906]]
[[Category:Railway stations served by Chiltern Railways]]