Trains at South Ruislip (CML) - 29/10/2024

The 249th video of my train spotting adventures.
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This video takes us up from West Ealing, changing at Greenford on the Central Line, heading up to South Ruislip railway station. A small, 4-platform DfT Category F1 "Small unstaffed" train and Underground station, it was first constructed back in 1908, originally known as "Northolt Junction"; the station became "South Ruislip & Northolt Junction" from September 1932 and received its present name on 30 June 1947.
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The GWR/GCR Joint line to High Wycombe carried services from both Paddington and Marylebone. They met at Northolt Junction, situated slightly to the east of the station, from where four tracks ran westwards to Ruislip Gardens and West Ruislip; there the route shrank to two tracks only.
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The station was designed by Brian Lewis and F.F.C. Curtis and first served by Central line trains on 21 November 1948 when the Central line extension from London towards West Ruislip was completed after being delayed by World War II. The rounded booking hall was not completed until 1960. The concrete, glass and granite chip frieze in the booking hall is one of the earliest public works by glass artist, Henry Haig.
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In late 1973 and early 1974 the track layout was simplified and the manual signal box was removed in early 1990, along with other manual signal boxes on this line, and its function replaced by colour light signalling and power operated points, both controlled from Marylebone. The track alignments were improved to allow higher speed running at the junction for the services from Marylebone, and the pointwork which had allowed trains from Paddington to call at the westbound Chiltern station platform was removed; as of 2025, the connection beyond Northolt to Old Oak Common/the GWML has been severed due to HS2 works.
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All eastbound services were moved to the former through road; the eastbound road, which had formerly extended from the platform road at West Ruislip, was closed and lifted, and the eastbound platform widened. The alignment of the turnout towards Marylebone was improved to allow higher-speed running. Fragments of the old trackwork can still be seen to the north of the line at this point.
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A large West London Waste Authority bulk rubbish handling depot lies to the east of the station which sees a daily waste train in operation. The lines to Marylebone formerly passed either side of West Waste. As part of Chiltern Railways' Evergreen 3 route improvements works, Northolt Junction was remodelled and included provision to the north of the waste transfer depot of a new down main line alongside the existing up main to allow services to be accelerated. The new down main line has a line speed limit of 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) compared with the former 60 miles per hour (97 km/h). The existing down main was remodelled to become the down loop line, used by trains stopping at South Ruislip station.
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The bridge outside which carries the lines over Station Approach is lower than others locally at 11 feet 9 inches (3.58 m) and is often hit by high vehicles. Either side of it, false deck beams have been installed so the danger of any impacts causing damage to the bridge itself has been lessened.
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Filmed on the:
Chiltern Main Line
London Underground Central Line
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Services seen:
CR) Services towards Wembley Stadium, London Marylebone, West Ruislip, Gerrard's Cross, High Wycombe, Princes Risborough, Haddenham & Thame Parkway, Bicester Village, Oxford Parkway, Oxford, Bicester North, Banbury, Leamington Spa, and onwards to Warwick, Birmingham and Stourbridge.
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LU) Central Line services towards West Ruislip, or Epping via White City and Stratford (Regional).
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Trains seen:
CR) Class 165 Networker Turbo, Class 168 Clubman
LU) 1992 Stock, 1962 Stock (Rail Adhesion Train)
DC) Class 60
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