West Kensington tube station
District line · Zone 2 · Hammersmith and Fulham
About West Kensington station
When the District Railway opened its extension from Earl’s Court to Hammersmith on 9 September 1874, this station was called North End (Fulham), and the next stop west was Hammersmith itself, since Barons Court only arrived in 1905. The West Kensington name was adopted in 1877, even though the station stands in Hammersmith and Fulham. From 5 May 1878 the Midland Railway ran a roundabout ‘Super Outer Circle’ from St Pancras to Earl’s Court via Cricklewood and South Acton; it was not a success and ended on 30 September 1880.
The entrance building was rebuilt in 1927 to a design by Charles Holden, using materials and finishes similar to those of his stations on the Northern line’s Morden extension, opened the year before. The platforms lie in a cutting, with the ticket office at street level. A project to add step-free access was halted in 2009 for financial reasons after £5.05 million had been spent, on the grounds that the station was relatively quiet and that step-free Earl’s Court was one stop east and Hammersmith two stops west.
First and last trains from West Kensington
| Line and direction | Mon–Thu first – last | Friday first – last | Saturday first – last | Sunday first – last |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District towards Ealing Broadway or Richmond | 05:22 to Richmond – 00:58 | 05:22 to Richmond – 00:58 | 05:22 to Richmond – 00:58 | 06:41 – 00:18 |
| District towards Upminster, Barking or Tower Hill | 05:11 – 01:09 to High Street Kensington | 05:11 – 01:09 to High Street Kensington | 05:11 – 01:09 to High Street Kensington | 06:26 to Earl's Court – 00:13 to High Street Kensington |
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 17 District trains an hour per direction from West Kensington, counting both directions separately.
Next stations from West Kensington
Running times between West Kensington and the adjoining stations, from TfL’s timetable.
| Line | Next station | Time |
|---|---|---|
| District | Barons Court | 1.6 min |
| District | Earl's Court | 2.8 min |
Connections
West Kensington is served by the District line only; there is no interchange with other rail lines here.
Station facilities
What is near West Kensington station
The station is on North End Road (B317), close to its junction with West Cromwell Road and Talgarth Road, the A4. Its nearest named neighbour is Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, an arts centre about 80 m away; Gwendwr Gardens lies roughly 170 m off and Avonmore Library about 240 m. Day and night bus routes also serve the station, and Earl’s Court, one stop east, is the closest step-free interchange.
| Place | Walk from the station |
|---|---|
| Gwendwr Gardens | 170 m |
| Avonmore Library | 240 m |
Frequently asked questions
North End (Fulham). It opened under that name on 9 September 1874 and was renamed West Kensington in 1877. Despite the new name, the station lies in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham rather than in Kensington.
Charles Holden. The entrance building was rebuilt in 1927, and Holden used materials and finishes similar to those of his Northern line stations on the Morden extension, which had opened in 1926. Below the building the platforms sit in a cutting.