Time travelling back to the late 19th century, imagine standing near Dudding Hill station. This station, though no longer here, was once a bustling hub on the Dudding Hill Line.
Dudding Hill Line is a railway line in west and north-west London. It runs from Acton to Cricklewood. The line spans roughly 4 miles. Its speed limit is 30 miles per hour.
Opened initially for freight on October 1, 1868, Dudding Hill station began passenger services on August 3, 1875. The station featured two platforms. A brick building stood on the ‘down’ side. A simple wooden shelter was on the ‘up’ side. Steps from Dudden Hill Lane provided access to the ‘up’ platform.
Originally, the station was named Willesden & Dudden Hill. It was renamed Dudding Hill in late 1875. Company timetables showed the station as Dudding Hill for Church End Willesden. This was from February 1, 1876, until May 1, 1878. It later reverted to plain Dudding Hill.
The Dudding Hill Line connected the Midland Main Line to the North London Line. It linked Cricklewood goods yard to Acton Wells. The line had junctions at Harlesden and Neasden.
From 1878 to 1880, the line formed part of the Midland Railway’s Super Outer Circle. This ran from St Pancras to Earl’s Court via Cricklewood and Acton. Passenger demand was low. Regular passenger traffic ceased in 1902.
Interestingly, the geographical area is usually called Dudden Hill. Dudden Hill is named after a Saxon settler called Dodda. The earliest record dates from 1544 as Dodynghill. Dudding Hill was historically regarded as the more genteel spelling.
Ticket sales remained low. In 1876, only 6,145 tickets were issued at Dudding Hill. Receipts in 1887 totalled just £7. Despite a brief resurgence, passenger service was withdrawn completely from July 1, 1888. The line remained open for freight.
The Midland Railway made another attempt at passenger service. The two stations reopened on March 1, 1893. Trains ran between Child’s Hill and Stonebridge Park. From January 1, 1894, they extended south to Gunnersbury.
Passenger numbers gradually improved. Still, the line was uneconomic. Passenger service was withdrawn again from October 1, 1902. Dudding Hill station had taken just £1,996 in fares. This was during its entire existence. Its rural surroundings contributed to this.
After closing to passengers, the station remained open for goods. In 1920, part of the building became a house for railway staff. The goods yard handled local goods and coal into the 1950s. It finally closed on July 6, 1964.
A signal box served the station. It closed on May 10, 1887, and was replaced by a ground frame. A new box was constructed and used from March 23, 1923.
The main building survived. Part of it was used as a goods office until the yard closed. Later, it served as a workshop but remained derelict. The platforms were demolished in the early 1970s. The station building was eventually demolished in 1989.
Today, the Dudding Hill Line is primarily a freight line. It sees about a dozen trains daily in each direction. The main traffic includes aggregates and household waste. The line is still authorized for passenger services. Chartered passenger trains occasionally use it.
The line wasn’t electrified. It has a 30 mph speed limit with semaphore signalling. Several development proposals have considered reusing the line for passenger services. These include Crossrail and the West London Orbital Railway.
As we stand here, where Dudding Hill station once stood, we remember its brief but colourful history. It reminds us of ambitious railway schemes and changing transport needs.