West London Railway
of Euston Station, London
West London Railway, 2.25 miles long, was a short railway linking Clapham Junction in the south to Willesden Junction in the north. It was built to enable trains to cross London. [1]. The West London Railway was originally called the Birmingham, Bristol and Thames Junction Railway, authorised in 1836 to run from the London and Birmingham Railway across the proposed route of the Great Western Railway, to the Kensington Canal Basin.
The railway was originally built as an Atmospheric Railway running between Wormwood Scrubs and Shepherds Bush opening in 1840. Later converted to an orthodox railway it came to prominence as an avoiding line facilitating through-running on the west side of London, especially for freight.
1840 The company was incorporated under this title. The engineer, William Hosking, resigned and was succeeded by Robert Stephenson.
1844 The line opened to traffic but was not profitable and passenger traffic ceased within a few months.
An Act of 1845 authorised the Great Western and the London and Birmingham to take out a joint lease of the West London line.
1859 The West London Extension Railway, (consisting of the London and North Western Railway, the Great Western Railway, the London and South Western Railway and the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway Companies) acquired the undertaking. [2]
After 1923 it was jointly owned by the Great Western Railway and the London, Midland and Scottish Railway