Bayswater tube station
Circle line and District line · Zone 1 · City of Westminster
About Bayswater station
Digging a railway through a district that was already built up was a messy business, and Bayswater shows how it was done. The steam-worked Metropolitan Railway opened the station on 1 October 1868 on its southern extension to South Kensington, cutting a trench 42 feet deep between brick retaining walls and roofing it with brick arches so that building could resume above. The platforms were laid in that trench under a glazed roof, and a short stretch just west of the station was left open so smoke and steam could escape. Landowners received large compensation, and in nearby Leinster Gardens the fronts of two demolished houses were rebuilt as a façade to keep the terrace looking whole.
Electric trains replaced steam on 1 July 1905, after months of disruption caused by the Metropolitan’s poor coordination with the District. The name has wandered more than the trains: plain Bayswater until 1923, then Bayswater (Queen’s Road) & Westbourne Grove, then Bayswater (Queen’s Road) from 1933, and Bayswater (Queensway) from 1946, a suffix that was gradually dropped. Since 1926 District trains between Edgware Road and Putney Bridge have also called here, alongside what became the Circle line. Metronet refurbished the station in 2006.
First and last trains from Bayswater
| Line and direction | Mon–Thu first – last | Friday first – last | Saturday first – last | Sunday first – last |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Circle towards Hammersmith (Circle and H&C lines), Aldgate or High Street Kensington | 05:12 to Gloucester Road – 00:35 to High Street Kensington | 05:12 to Gloucester Road – 00:35 to High Street Kensington | 05:12 to Gloucester Road – 00:35 to High Street Kensington | 07:11 to Aldgate – 00:06 to South Kensington |
| Circle towards Edgware Road (Circle line) | 05:46 – 00:37 | 05:46 – 00:37 | 05:46 – 00:37 | 07:33 – 00:29 to Baker Street |
| District towards Wimbledon or Ealing Broadway | 06:03 – 00:25 | 06:03 – 00:25 | 06:03 – 00:25 | 07:23 – 00:13 to Earl's Court |
| District towards Edgware Road (Circle line) | 05:42 – 00:09 | 05:42 – 00:09 | 05:42 – 00:09 | 07:03 – 23:55 |
Times are TfL’s published timetable departures from this station; on Saturday the list follows TfL’s “Saturdays and public holidays” timetable.
At the busiest hour on a weekday there are up to 7 Circle trains an hour per direction and 7 District trains an hour per direction from Bayswater, counting both directions separately.
Next stations from Bayswater
Running times between Bayswater and the adjoining stations, from TfL’s timetable.
| Line | Next station | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Circle | Notting Hill Gate | 1.7 min |
| Circle | Paddington | 1.9 min |
| District | Notting Hill Gate | 1.9 min |
| District | Paddington | 1.8 min |
Connections
- Tube: change here between the Circle line and District line.
Station facilities
What is near Bayswater station
Bayswater sits on Queensway, a few metres from Bayswater Road, and less than 100 m from Queensway station on the Central line. Queensway Market is about 140 m away. The fake house fronts of Leinster Gardens are about 300 m from the station, as is Paddington Children’s Library, and garden squares lie all around: Kensington Gardens Square Garden (250 m), Prince’s Square Gardens (320 m) and Leinster Square Gardens (370 m). The station is also used for Kensington Gardens, Westbourne Grove, St Sophia’s Greek Orthodox Cathedral and Queens ice rink and bowling centre, and Portobello Market is a short walk.
| Place | Walk from the station |
|---|---|
| Leinster Square Gardens | 370 m |
| Queensway Market | 140 m |
| Kensington Gardens Square Garden | 250 m |
| Fake houses | 300 m |
| Paddington Children's Library | 300 m |
| Prince's Square Gardens | 320 m |
| Brigham Young University London Centre | 340 m |
| Corringham Garden | 380 m |
Frequently asked questions
When the Metropolitan Railway dug its cut-and-cover line through Bayswater in the 1860s, two houses in Leinster Gardens were demolished to make way for it. Their frontages were reconstructed so the terrace still looked complete. The fake houses are about 300 m from Bayswater station.
It opened in 1868 as Bayswater. From 1923 it was Bayswater (Queen’s Road) & Westbourne Grove, from 1933 Bayswater (Queen’s Road), and in 1946 it became Bayswater (Queensway), with the suffix gradually dropped to leave the name it carries today.