Hounslow Central tube station
Piccadilly line · Zone 4 · Hounslow
About Hounslow Central station
Hounslow Central owes its existence to a closure. The District Railway shut its original Hounslow Town terminus on 31 March 1886 and opened this stop, then called Heston Hounslow, as its replacement the very next day, on 1 April 1886, on the single-track branch to Hounslow Barracks. A tangle of experiments followed: Hounslow Town reopened in 1903, and after electrification in 1905 trains ran via a loop to Hounslow Town, reversed, and came back through here. That arrangement failed, and on 2 May 1909 the direct line to Osterley was restored for good.
New station buildings opened on 19 October 1912, and on 1 December 1925 the present name was adopted together with new names for Hounslow West and Hounslow East. Piccadilly line trains arrived on 13 March 1933 and shared the branch with the District until District services ended on 9 October 1964. Passengers reach a single island platform by stairs, and there are toilets inside the ticket gates.
First and last trains from Hounslow Central
| Line and direction | Mon–Thu first – last | Friday first – last | Saturday first – last | Sunday first – last |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Piccadilly towards Heathrow Terminal 5, Heathrow Terminal 4 or Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3 | 04:52 to Heathrow Terminal 4 – 01:10 to Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3 | 04:52 to Heathrow Terminal 4 – all night | 24 hours | all night – 00:16 to Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3 |
| Piccadilly towards Cockfosters, Arnos Grove or Oakwood | 05:19 – 00:30 to Acton Town | 05:19 – all night | 24 hours | all night – 00:04 to Acton Town |
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 12 Piccadilly trains an hour per direction from Hounslow Central, counting both directions separately.
Next stations from Hounslow Central
Running times between Hounslow Central and the adjoining stations, from TfL’s timetable.
| Line | Next station | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Piccadilly | Hounslow East | 1.5 min |
| Piccadilly | Hounslow West | 2.7 min |
Connections
Hounslow Central is served by the Piccadilly line only; there is no interchange with other rail lines here.
Station facilities
What is near Hounslow Central station
The station stands on Lampton Road, about 500 m north of Hounslow High Street and close to Lampton Park, making it the stop for the town’s civic and shopping core. Hounslow House, the council’s town hall, is about 300 m away, with Hounslow Library at roughly 320 m, a Cineworld cinema at about 330 m and a TK Maxx store at around 340 m. Bus routes 120 and H20 call outside, and trains run west towards Hounslow West and Heathrow.
| Place | Walk from the station |
|---|---|
| Hounslow House | 300 m |
| Hounslow Library | 320 m |
| Cineworld | 330 m |
| TK Maxx | 340 m |
Frequently asked questions
It opened on 1 April 1886 as Heston Hounslow, a replacement for the closed Hounslow Town terminus. It kept that name until 1 December 1925, when it became Hounslow Central on the same day that its neighbours were renamed Hounslow West and Hounslow East.
The station has one island platform serving both directions, and it is reached by stairs from the ticket hall. Male and female toilets are provided inside the ticket gateline. The station buildings themselves date from 19 October 1912.