Stations › London termini › Paddington

Paddington

The Great Western Railway’s London terminus: Brunel’s train shed of 1851–54, with a fourth span added in 1913–16, hidden from the street behind the former Great Western Royal Hotel.

Paddington: section looking out from the buffer stops (schematic)12Class 800 (size not in our data: a typical train drawn)Class 800 (size not in our data: a typical train drawn)3456Class 800 (size not in our data: a typical train drawn)Class 800 (size not in our data: a typical train drawn)Class 800 (size not in our data: a typical train drawn)Class 800 (size not in our data: a typical train drawn)78Class 345Class 345910111214Class 345Class 345Class 345Class 345Class 345Class 345Class 345Elizabeth lineposition and depth indicative54 ft 7 in (16.6 m)Span 4 (1916)68 ft (20.7 m)68 ft (20.7 m)102 ft 6 in (31.2 m)102 ft 6 in (31.2 m)70 ft (21.3 m)70 ft (21.3 m)
Looking west from the buffer stops. Brunel’s three spans are drawn from Walmisley’s Iron Roofs (1888) and Network Rail: 68 ft, 102 ft 6 in and 70 ft between column centres, the centre 54 ft 7 in high. The fourth span (1913–16) has no width in an authoritative source, so it’s drawn faint. The Elizabeth line’s platforms below are indicative. Where the platforms sit is schematic. 5 px per metre.
12 or 13Platforms
1838Opened
69.9 millionEntries and exits (2024-25)
3rdBusiest station in Britain (2024-25)

Facts

Opened
4 June 1838, by the Great Western Railway, at a temporary station west of today’s
Platforms
Numbered 1 to 12 and 14: there’s no 13, since 12 and 13 were merged into one longer platform in 2016. Network Rail counts 12. The Elizabeth line’s A and B are below
Routes
Great Western Main Line; the Elizabeth line’s surface services to Reading and Heathrow; the Heathrow branch (Heathrow Express)
Operators
Great Western Railway, Heathrow Express, Elizabeth line
Underground
Bakerloo Circle District Hammersmith & City (and the Elizabeth line, platforms A and B)
Train shed
Three wrought-iron and glass spans, 68 ft, 102 ft 6 in and 70 ft, crossed by two transepts, 1851–54; a fourth, steel span on the north side, 1913–16, over platforms 9 to 12
Architect
Isambard Kingdom Brunel (engineer) and Sir Matthew Digby Wyatt (architect); Sir Charles Fox (contractor); decoration with Owen Jones. The fourth span by W. Armstrong
Listed
Grade I (Historic England, entry 1066881), its title naming “the Lawn”
The Lawn
The concourse and shops at the London end, between the ends of the platforms and the former Great Western Royal Hotel. Network Rail says it’s named after the garden of the stationmaster’s cottage that once stood on the site
Interchanges
3.85 million (2024-25)
Managed by
Network Rail

unverified Some of these figures haven’t yet been checked against an official source or a published history. What’s in doubt ↓

Where trains go

Where trains from Paddington go The 13 London termini at their real positions, with each terminus's routes following the railway out of London and then splitting to the parts of the country they serve, set out by compass direction. N Clapham JunctionClapham Junction StratfordStratford Finsbury ParkFinsbury Park Willesden JunctionWillesden Junction LewishamLewisham Elephant & CastleElephant & Castle WimbledonWimbledon River Thames Paddington to Oxford and the Cotswolds: GWR Paddington to Bristol and South Wales: GWR, Heathrow Express, Elizabeth line Paddington to The West Country: GWR Paddington Oxford and the Cotswolds High Wycombe, Oxford, Worcester,Hereford Bristol and South Wales Heathrow, Reading, Bristol,Cardiff, Swansea The West Country Exeter, Plymouth, Penzance MaryleboneMarylebone EustonEuston St PancrasSt Pancras King's CrossKing's Cross Liverpool StreetLiverpool Street Fenchurch StreetFenchurch Street Cannon StreetCannon Street BlackfriarsBlackfriars London BridgeLondon Bridge Charing CrossCharing Cross WaterlooWaterloo VictoriaVictoria Paddington

Paddington’s routes follow the railway out of London, then split to the parts of the country they reach, set at their compass bearings; point at a line to see who runs it. The other termini are the small dots; select one to open its page. Distances are true at the circle’s edge, 6 miles (10 km) out, and stretched towards the middle so the termini have room. The route colour is the map’s own: not official, and not any operator’s livery. All 13 together: the map on the Maps page.

Platforms 12 or 13

Platform plan, to scale from OpenStreetMap12345678910111214Platform 1. About 1,060 ft (322 m) long, off OpenStreetMapPlatform 2. About 920 ft (279 m) long, off OpenStreetMapPlatform 3. About 920 ft (280 m) long, off OpenStreetMapPlatform 4. About 850 ft (259 m) long, off OpenStreetMapPlatform 5. About 850 ft (259 m) long, off OpenStreetMapPlatform 6. About 850 ft (258 m) long, off OpenStreetMapPlatform 7. About 850 ft (259 m) long, off OpenStreetMapPlatform 8. About 850 ft (260 m) long, off OpenStreetMapPlatform 9. About 850 ft (260 m) long, off OpenStreetMapPlatform 10. About 860 ft (262 m) long, off OpenStreetMapPlatform 11. About 950 ft (291 m) long, off OpenStreetMapPlatform 12. About 1,080 ft (328 m) long, off OpenStreetMapPlatform 14. About 390 ft (119 m) long, off OpenStreetMapBelow ground: the Elizabeth line’s platforms A and B. Same scale, in line with the plan aboveABN100 ft (30 m)Platforms, tracks and outline © OpenStreetMap contributors

Seen from above, to scale: the platforms, tracks and the station building’s outline (the grey line) from OpenStreetMap, the buffer stops on the left (north is marked top left). The Elizabeth line’s platforms A and B, below ground, are drawn in the strip underneath. The Lawn is at the buffer-stop end (see Facts).

Trains

The Class 387’s and Class 166’s records name Paddington. The Class 345 is the Elizabeth line’s whole fleet. GWR’s Class 800 and 802 are listed by operator, as their records don’t yet name Paddington.

History 6

  1. The Great Western Railway opens a temporary station west of today’s.
  2. Brunel’s station is built, and opens in 1854.
  3. A fourth span is added on the north side (Historic England gives 1914–16).
  4. Listed, now Grade I.
  5. Platforms 12 and 13 are merged into one longer platform 12.
  6. The Elizabeth line opens, its trains running from its new station beneath Paddington to Abbey Wood.

Sources 12

Show the 12 sources from Network Rail, Transport for London, Historic England and 4 more

Where the sources disagree:

  • Platform count: Network Rail's station page says 12. London Reconnections gives numbering 1–12 plus 14 (13 merged into 12 in 2016), which would be 13. Wikipedia (lead only) says 14 platforms numbered 1–14. Count left null.
  • Span 4 date: Historic England says 1914–16; Network Rail's history page says 1913–16; a 2009 Network Rail press release says 1911–16.
  • Span 4 width: 109 ft (33 m) appears only in Wikipedia/secondary results, so it is left null.
  • Shed length: 699 ft / 699 ft (213 m; Wikipedia) and 700 ft (urban75) found only in non-authoritative sources, so it is left null. Height not found.
  • Span 4's platforms: the record keeps 9-12 (a 2009 Network Rail release: 'the section of roof above platforms 9 to 12'); Network Rail's history page says 'Today this covers platforms 9 to 16', which cannot be literal against the station's own platform list (1 to 12 and 14).
Top