Acton Main Line - Least Used TfL Rail Station

TfL Rail and it's #PurpleTrain services run a service to the east of London and to the west out of Paddington, which is where I found myself to go to Zone 3 to Acton Main Line - the least used station on TfL Rail.
The station is currently being rebuilt with many improvements, but it's far from finished yet!
Here's the playlist with all the other stations in this series: kzbin.info?list...

[@waseemmohamed8122]

Maybe Geoff should do a video on visiting all the stations in Acton. All of them. Maybe call it "All the Actons"

[@SouthPaw1805]

With "All the Ealings" as a follow-up series, of course.

[@londontransport6586]

And then “All the Ruislips”

[@andrewholloway231]

And perhaps "All the Harrows"

[@FrancescoBellringer]

All the Claphams

[@GrahamOMara]

Acton's Stations, surely? :P

[@firefly24601]

Nice piano arrangement for "MMMbop" at the end!

[@SOSOwner]

Mmmpur... ple train

[@raphaelnikolaus0486]

I do concur! :)

[@kbtred51]

Took me a minute to realise the worm

[@D600Active]

Wouldn't be surprised if it was The Tim Traveller playing that :)

[@caw25sha]

The bin bags aren't purple. That's rubbish.

[@Cpr1234]

I see a pun in here somewhere

[@takem82.02]

Cpr1234 öh

[@Adam-do8ny]

caw25sha that pun was garbage

[@teklusahle2743]

Ha ha ha ha ha ha 🤨

[@Keithbarber]

I ref-use to laugh at it

[@DonMethodMan]

Acton is a busy area. A lot goes on here. Reasons for it being a quiet station (as someone who lives near Acton Main Line) is because we have the Central Line (North Acton Station), we have the over ground (Acton Central Station) and other underground lines such as East Acton and West Acton. We are spoilt for choice. Plus the 30 minute waiting time for each train makes it even worse. I guess with the new Elizabeth Line going into central London the station will become much less quiet.

[@crrntvntsnthnlnftnsscmmnty]

It would be nice if they interchanged Acton Central and Acton Mainline. They're not that close, but also not as far as they initially appear. I have walked between them.

[@geofftech2]

"Mmmbop, ba duba dop, Bbdu bop, ba duba dop, ba du bop, ba duba dop ba du, yeah-e-yeah; mmmbop, ba duba dop, ba du bop, ba duba dop ba du bop, ba duba dop, ba du, yeah-e-yeah"

[@28481k]

And this station is actually quite accessible to the town centre, just that the service has always been lacklustred

[@FrancescoBellringer]

Geoff Marshall what?

[@FrancescoBellringer]

Geoff Marshall oh wait i get it it’s the song you mentioned aha

[@kevskevs]

Oh sh*t, we might be in the same age group. And no thanks for the earworm!

[@FrancescoBellringer]

Armi144 ??? wdym

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

That's a lot of Acton stations! All the Actons, all of them. I see steps! The equivalent of a 15 storey building

[@finnleystaub5936]

*Ok foamer.*

[@iamaduckquack]

Ready. Set. ACTON!

[@2themoon863]

I was half expecting Prince somewhere in here with all the purple...!

[@callumltfc]

Acton Mainline- The Place us trainspotters Love due to the freight depot nearby 👍😊

[@Dave58282]

Yes, I've spent time there photographing!

[@NovioSites]

Even known by train photographers from the Netherlands ;-)

[@TvTriangel]

Please be careful when trainspotting ! I live near a trainspotting sight where you can get a clean shot of public transport trains below the pedestrian / car bridge and a clean shot at industrial trains including the trains of the new elongated silk road (I'm from Germany where it now ends) on the neighboring bridge. There have been many time when people think trainspotters are jumpers because they get as close as they can to the edge or they walk backwards and nearly onto a busy road to get a wide shot of the trains.

[@gilles111]

Thank you Geoff, now I have to sing MmmBop very loudly on my way home. If there's a item at the news of a guy thrown off a bridge somewhere in The Netherlands then you know it was me...

[@geofftech2]

"Mmmbop, ba duba dop Ba du bop, ba duba dop Ba du bop, ba duba dop Ba du, yeah-e-yeah Mmmbop, ba duba dop Ba du bop, ba duba dop Ba du bop, ba duba dop Ba du, yeah-e-yeah"

[@gilles111]

LALALALALALA I survived my way home; now on with lesson 23 of "how to irritate my neighbours". Mmmbop, ba duba dop...

[@neiljackson3133]

Thanks Geoff for explaining to me why I get stuck at those temporary traffic lights for ages every time I get the bus from Acton. One of the reasons the station is not used so much is that the factories over the road all started closing down in the 1980s. There used to be a Wall's Ice Cream factory on the opposite corner. It's always been an odd desolate station.

[@makelisanotwar]

So excited to see my closest station on your channel! As someone who uses it once in a while, I can say that I was very dissapointed that the connection only goes twice an hour. It's by far the fastest way to get to Paddington/the city, but if you miss a train you're royally screwed. Thus I think a lot of people chose to take longer, but more frequently running routes by bus/tube. If the TFL rail would frequent the stop more often, it would definitely be my (and I think a lot more people that live around here) go to option to head into town!

[@CrawfordGrimaldi]

It is cool that you live in Acton, My ancestors lived on Allison road for over hundred years and I always look at videos about Acton :)

[@LeoStarrenburg]

"You will have too" 01:04 No mate not me I thought. Till the end of the video that was .. Mmmbop, ba duba dop Ba du bop, ba duba dop Ba du bop, ba duba dop Ba du, yeah-e-yeah (repeat ad infinitum)

[@johnstilljohn3181]

Additional fact - original GWR spear fencing still in place...

[@5052Kevin]

Takes me back to going to school on a BR DMU, via Acton Main Line station to Westbourne Park station and then walk to my secondary school off Ladbroke Grove. As a younger child I remember here were railings above the westbound main line tracks, where we could watch Kings and Castles that would burst through the road bridge on thier way to the west. Happy memories.

[@BlaiddLlwyd]

Thanks for this Geoff. I've travelled through Acton Main Line on the GWR services so many times, particularly in the mid 90's, but never actually got around to getting a stopping train and having a look.

[@2H80vids]

Love the Hanson cover at the end; stuck with that in my head for a while now.

[@musicgarryj]

I remember Acton Main Line being in a similar state of desolate reconstruction in 1971 when me and a friend were on an express train from Paddington which made an unscheduled stop there for about 10 minutes due to signals. We were on holiday travelling around the Western Region for a week using Rail Rover tickets...... for some weird reason Acton Main Line has always stuck in my memory: happy days! lol :)

[@adamsphotography3499]

I always come here! What a brilliant station for seeing the freight in the yard and the passing 800s

[@robburgess4556]

I feel like I'm being Rickrolled by Hanson!

[@johnkeepin7527]

Interesting to see what it looks like now around Acton Main Line. It reminded me of a bit of work I did around 35 years ago re a substantial layout/signalling alteration when it was controlled from Old Oak Common.

[@BirbarianHomeGuard]

What a lovely series. Thank you, Geoff!

[@garyhardwick8489]

Nice touch at the end,the Hanson tune played on piano. I've now got it in my head!

[@stevenjlovelace]

Haha. I laughed at the end music. Did Steven Francis do that for you?

[@Stormwatch153]

Hah great video! In the late 90's (1996, 1997, 1998...) there was a much smaller Dot Matrix indicator that was constantly showing just one line - "This is a default closed Notice".

[@stevekaye5536]

A cool little series of Least Used Geoff - I really enjoyed it - thanks buddy:

[@McRocket]

I like the purple colour - it's somewhat soothing.

[@driver1coach]

Hi Geoff, Very interesting as always, you did not mention it can be a very busy station for Rail freight Enthusiasts who stand right at the very top of Acton Main Line, when I visit London I spend many a fine few hours collecting the new wagons which are slowly appearing on the system

[@JISJ1964]

Great new film, made my evening so far.

[@shadylady4829]

Enjoying these videos - thank you. Like the piano at the end too lol

[@demarkay5262]

Lovely to see a video about the train station round the corner from me!

[@ClarinoI]

That piano arrangement of Mmm Bop at the end is actually quite lovely.

[@jezzaqc]

Impressive bit of filming/editing at 6:40 with the train doors. I like that!

[@roboftherock]

I thought it was the best bit of the report!

[@szabiboga]

Oh man, I just live 5 minutes from here. Only used once so far, I like it cause it takes me quickly to West London.

[@amethyst7084]

I can remember seeing Westbourne Park signified as a British Rail station on a map in the 1980s. That Hanson tune is in my head now! Brrrrr!!

[@andybrown1900]

If you ever have time to waste at Paddington and fancy sitting in the first class lounge you can by a single first class ticket to Acton Mine Line and access the 1st class lounge at Paddington.

[@28481k]

Andy Brown I didn’t know you can get a first class ticket to Acton Main Line. lol

[@caw25sha]

How much would that cost?

[@andybrown1900]

@@caw25sha having looked it up it no longer seems possible... used to be able to grab it for a few quid! Maybe they wised up to it!

[@kbtred51]

No 1st class on LizPurp

[@petermichaelgreen]

@@caw25sha £6.90 according to www.brfares.com/#!fares?orig=PAD&dest=AML

[@Keefa24]

Thank you very much Geoff! I thought I had forgotten that damn song years ago! Thanx for the excellent video though. Cheers!

[@amethyst7084]

I can remember a large format South-Eat rail map in the 1980s which showed Westbourne Park (Hammersmith & City and Circle lines) which was at the time on the Metropolitan Line, had a mainline rail interchange.

[@ianmcclavin]

I notice that, like Meridian Water, Northumberland Park and Tottenham Hale, where Platform 1 no longer exists (or never existed in the case of MW), similar arrangement have applied at Acton Main Line for some years, with no Platforms 1 or 2, only 3 and 4. Yes, I remember the National Rail platforms at Westbourne Park, I used them once during their last few weeks of existence, the passageway there from the Underground booking hall used to also lead off to the right to serve them, now sealed off of course.

[@Rog5446]

I remember when Westbourne Park was the first GWR stop outside Paddington. It had platforms on both the up and down fast and slow lines. That was probably the least used station on the GWR

[@wesleyjohnclarke7657]

Hi Geoff thanks you for the tune of Hanson I have added it to Spotify playlist have you thought of doing the list of Britain's most loved and lost railways

[@444mrjimmy]

God damn it Geoff it’s gonna be stuck in my head all day now

[@playstationcentral782]

Love you vids keep them up Geoff!!

[@AaronJaunty]

I used this train on a Saturday afternoon for years travelling to Hanwell 😤 I was the only one at the station including all platforms and hardly anyone got off at Acton. I used to be worried that the train would forget to stop!

[@EmmyGuitarxGirlBird]

Thanks Geoff I’m gonna have that song stuck in my head all night!

[@johnhaines4163]

Geoff, you mentioned service pattern. When Crossrail started talking about journey times it was implied that all trains would stop at all stops. The geographical pattern of stations is very non-uniform. For example, there's a big gap each side of Paddington but some very close spacing elsewhere. For example, the gaps between Seven Kings, Goodmayes and Chadwell Heath are less than a mile. All existing stations were/are being modernised for Crossrail but it would make sense if not all stations have the full service to keep journey times down. Fun fact, the weight limit signs for the bridge used to be different! Now 18T from both directions, it used to be 17T from the west. You can still see this on Google streetview. Go back to 2012 which was around the time I looked at some urban realm ideas for Crossrail.

[@AbandonedCityCamoCrewExplorers]

Watching you right now on national tv ,you just popped up on channel five s scotlands scenic railways

[@davideast5987]

Hi Geoff love the least used series. Will there be a most used series as well? Could be fun.

[@yellowcupgal5188]

Thanks Geoff for Hanson-rolling us.

[@davekirwin]

Nice touch with the end music. :)

[@bridgetmclaughlin251]

Loving the closing music.

[@MontytheHorse]

Thanks, Geoff, for putting THAT song in my head! :-D

[@imaginox9]

I've never been to the UK but I know this station quite well since it's on Train Sim World, and as far as I know, out of all the services and scenari available, you only stop at Acton Main Line on the very first scenario if you choose to drive the local GWR service to Hayes & Harlington

[@michaelwadie5681]

Nice touch with the Hansen piano at the end

[@gregsherlock5119]

There is an N Gauge model railway that was built to represent Acton Main Line as it was in NSE days. I can't remember the name of the model club that built it but it was sold by them in (I think) the late 1990s. Following another sale it was bought by a man living near Scunthorpe, who renamed the layout "Dragonby". It came back onto the exhibition circuit in the early 2000s and as far as I know it still is. However, its Acton Main Line roots are unmistakable.

[@SouthWestGrizzle]

RIP bunkining the train at Acton Mainline

[@raphaelnikolaus0486]

Thank you for this video!

[@legojenn]

Nice outro. Well played Sir.

[@dwayner901]

Shout out to Geoff about the Westbourne Park mention. When I was 7 I used to take the train from Greenford to Westbourne Park, I was gutted when they removed the stopping service there.

[@tommercer1406]

Don't forget the least used stop for every single bus line

[@QALibrary]

Geoff, you need to ride the bus in Milton Keynes it only runs on the 5th week of the month on a Thursday

[@caw25sha]

That's because the concrete cows keep getting in the way.

[@cujimmy1366]

@@caw25sha Pull the Udder one.

[@superdave186]

You're round-a-bout right. But it runs on the 6th week...

[@gymnasiast90]

“... and _yours_!” Geoff has become slightly evil. And I love it!

[@mckenzie403]

I’m sure Acton Main Line had no Sunday service until TfL trains took over the routes. I stayed in the Holiday Inn in North Acton a few times. You can get good views from the station and all the GWR trains that wiz through. 😄. If you pick one of the upper rooms facing the A40.

[@fribbleblib]

We will be visiting all these least used stations on our next trip to London. Using a variation of Calling All Stations rules, embarking each station via the line they are the least used after passing through the barrier (so no leaving Blackhorse Road via the Overground) Looking like an 11 hour day as we will also be doing the Waterloo City & Emirates lines

[@joshuaf14life]

Thanks Geoff I now have that song stuck in my head

[@JamesHomer-Boyd]

Was that The Tim Traveller doing the piano? Hanson's best song was Where's The Love.

[@AchyutChaudhary]

Not to forget the 'NEW' LEAST USED STATION in LONDON, since Angel Road is now long Abandoned and Shut?

[@1258-Eckhart]

So that's presumably Emerson Park on the Overground (which Geoff has done).

[@stephenholt4670]

@@1258-Eckhart nope, it's actually South Greenford, which even had fewer than Angel Road (which was still open) in the 2017/18 period, the most recent for which there's data. See dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/usage/estimates-of-station-usage/ Emerson Park is 24th least used.

[@nathanw9770]

@@stephenholt4670 And if we count all rail transport the least used station/stop would be Avenue Road on the tram.

[@brad4057]

Bom bop...been in my head all day now ...nice one lol

[@caw25sha]

I think I am going to open a book on how many people say "you ought to do the least used Waterloo & City Line station". 2:1 favourite is 35

[@chriswood5205]

But did you know that Hanson (the company, not the band) was once a bus company. When I was a kid, the house I lived in had a Hanson bus pass the front door every half hour. The guy who founded the bus company had a son (later to be known as Lord Hanson) who took the money the company got in the 1970s for selling its bus routes to West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive, and used it to create the huge business empire that was the Hanson Group. That empire has mostly been split up since Lord Hanson's death, but the name still lives on in their aggregates business. Perhaps one day you could do the least used ex-Hanson bus route. And use to pass on even more earworms to your viewers. Great video, btw.

[@johnyossarian1397]

I pass through Acton every time I visit family in the south of England. One day my train will stop there and I will get out. Yes, one day...

[@ChrisKitVeedubber]

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm BOP! 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰 Geoff, you just made my day infinitely happier now

[@roboftherock]

I take it that the name Hanson, as well as applying to the well-known cement company, also refers to that group of positively mediocre ne'er-do-wells who were trying - unsuccessfully - to engender some enthusiasm for that noise they were creating? I won't suffer from that earworm others have complained about. I enjoyed the rest of the railway related content, thanks for that much, Geoff

[@groundhoppinguk]

Geoff r u going to the Warrington west station opening on Sunday?? Hope u do!

[@SteveMorton]

Nice editing Geoff

[@benmalone7659]

I did not watch this to get that fecking song stuck in my head!!!! Thanks for that 😂

[@simonwest9450]

1:20 Cheers Geoff

[@Zhoron]

you should check out winnersh triangle station, its built on a wooden scaffold, the whole platform shakes when the fast service comes through

[@olivergray1367]

More to the point. The corridor from the central line to Monument station at bank has been closed off!! Had to go up to the northern line and then along that way!

[@wierdalien1]

I didnt read this as the Action man line. Nope

[@stevieinselby]

Please, PLEASE, can someone make some stickers to put on the TfL maps for this!

[@peterturner8766]

I did - but I am dyslexic.

[@waterside13]

Geoff, In the 50's & 60's Acton Station was District Line & Piccadilly Line, Acton Station had a single track branch line to Acton Town run by the District Line. Just a one Carriage Unit to and from all day. Correct me if I am wrong on these details, Cheers.

[@norbitonflyer5625]

The District/Piccadilly station was, and still is, Acton Town. The shuttle service ran to South Acton (on what is now the Overground) and closed in 1959.

[@waterside13]

@@norbitonflyer5625 Thanks

[@shiftingsands8866]

Dec 2020 and not a lot has changed construction-wise. But we've had direct trains to LHR from Paddington stopping here every 30mins (now cancelled -presumably because few people are flying from Heathrow due to COVID). Let's hope that in 2021 we will see progress resume.

[@silewis4762]

Don’t forget to mention Haste Hill! As least used stations go, its fairly solid!👌😀

[@Hammondfreak]

This could well be the spark of a Hanson revival !

[@harleancarpenter8043]

Went through there at speed many times in distant past, but never stopped there when I lived in Newbury for a couple of years. Looked a bit more beaten up at turn of century, mind

[@shzeikh]

Geoff, do a video on the Elizabeth Line to the west timing for 15 December as I am confused.

[@TPhype-Discovery]

I am happy the class 345 is here. When are the 222 trains going? What is replacing them?

[@pacmanseven2544]

Geoff do you not have the new T10 timetable that is out which will show services on this line from December 15?

[@jayja45]

I went there on a purple train last February.

[@igorlukin]

Hi mite, I'm looking for Sydney Transport Link station at Canary Wharf or maybe in London area if no there from 5 of June, do you know one? I got some options Newcastle to Sydney for three hours, but do not want spend extra cash for another city, because of not much time in London?

[@Bicton07]

Surely this can be divided into the eastern and western sections of TFL rail? I assume once the full #purpletrain service runs it would be the least used TfL rail station in the TfL network?

[@businessbuilding1]

Doooo wop wop wop doooo wop. Another great video Geoff!

[@londonexpert9936]

An unrelated question, how come they changed the Font for Tottenham Court Road - dean steeet entrance?

[@copwatchuk4637]

Aghhhhhh that song...I be singing it whilst on the metline....also ain't the met line purple?

[@malcolmtucker8611]

Geoff as a recent viewer I would like to know what brand and model camera you mainly use?

[@clairejones7878]

Hi Geoff. Could TfL alter the name of the Elizabeth Line to Elizabeth Rail? It’s a halfway between Crossrail and Elizabeth Line.

[@Claire-ue2oe]

Ahh damn it.. I was waiting for least used cable car station...😢😢

[@stuartoswald1268]

Are you going to travel on the new Azuma Highland cheiftan service to Inverness

[@s125ish]

Stuart Oswald 314 farewell next week

[@jamesc1199]

It's finally HERE!!

[@adamunterwalcher5094]

Will these numbers, which is the least used station on which line, not change as soon as TFL has been completed on its whole route?

[@PlanetoftheDeaf]

I imagine the relatively infrequent service from this station, plus the inconvenient Paddington terminus have contributed to the poor passenger numbers, with people using the Central or Piccadilly Lines to get into town instead. Why catch a half hourly train to Paddington when most people will still need to change to the Tube or bus anyway?

[@caw25sha]

That's a very good point. Why use Acton Main Line when you have six others to choose from?

[@kbtred51]

It's why the enhancements are being made, why go to the tube when you can get a LizPurp a/c direct to town.

[@Mullerology]

Can’t wait for the least used station on the Heathrow Express! My guess is Terminal 4, (literally a guess).