The London Underground boasts a long and complex history.
It’s now more than 160 years old, meaning it has undergone countless transformations since the ‘Metropolitan Railway’ first launched between Paddington and Farringdon back in 1863.
The dawn of the 20th century saw the birth of numerous new stations, including one in North West London within the Wembley area.
That station is one you’d recognise today as Preston Road, a Metropolitan line stop situated between Northwick Park and Wembley Park. However, when it first welcomed passengers back in 1908, it bore a vastly different – and sillier – name.
It was, believe it or not, called Preston Road Halt for Uxendon and Kenton. Unsurprisingly, this was eventually abbreviated to the far more practical name it carries to this day.
That said, it’s not the only station to have experienced a name change.
Bank, for instance, that absolute maze, was formerly known as City, while Euston Square was Gower Street, Acton Town was Mill Hill Park, and Fulham Broadway was Walham Green.
Charing Cross, meanwhile, was Trafalgar Square, which actually appears more appropriate, while Marylebone was Great Central, though that presumably proved a touch too ambiguous.
The strangest one, though, has to be St Paul’s (named for obvious reasons). It was called Post Office.
Yes, seriously.
Chiswick Park was also renamed to make the map less confusing for those unacquainted with West London.
Acton boasts a total of eight stations: five Tube stations, two Overground and one Elizabeth line station. One existing Tube station in the area, which opened in 1878, was named Acton Green after the nearby common of the same name.
However, Acton Green is no more. It was renamed to Chiswick Park and Acton Green in March 1887.
Later, ‘Acton Green’ was dropped and it is now simply known as Chiswick Park. It’s likely for the best that the name was changed, given the abundance of stations still called Acton.
Adding to the confusion, Chiswick Park station is actually nearer to Turnham Green than Turnham Green station itself.
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