Gone but not forgotten. That’s the Uxbridge Vine Street story. Uxbridge Vine Street station opened in 1856. It was the first of three railway stations in Uxbridge. This station was the northern terminus of the Great Western Railway’s Uxbridge branch. The line ran from the main line at West Drayton. South of Uxbridge town centre the line was near Whitehall Road and Cleveland Road.
An ambitious plan in 1863 aimed to extend the line north to Watford Junction. This connection would use the Watford and Rickmansworth Railway. The Great Western Railway however withdrew funding. The plan never happened. In 1885 another line opened. The Staines West branch shared a section of the Vine Street branch. A station opened at Cowley in 1904.
British Rail ran the Uxbridge Branch until 1962. Passenger service from West Drayton was stopped. Uxbridge Vine Street station closed to passengers. Goods traffic stopped two years later. An exception was the line south of the Grand Union Canal. Freight services went to the Middlesex Oil and Chemical Works in Yiewsley until 1979. The station was demolished in 1969. Hillingdon Road now covers the site.
Uxbridge Vine Street station may be gone. Its memory remains however. It represents an important chapter in Uxbridge’s history. The station played a vital role in transportation. It connects the past to the present. The story of Uxbridge Vine Street station is more than just bricks and mortar. It is a tale of progress. It is a tale of change. It is a tale of a forgotten railway station. It’s a reminder that even when things disappear their story lives on.