Calls Grow for Full Elizabeth Line Service at Acton Main Line

Online petition gains over 1,000 signatures

Acton Main Line Station. Picture: Change.org

September 24, 2025

A growing number of Acton residents are calling on Transport for London (TfL) to expand Elizabeth line services at Acton Main Line station, citing persistent overcrowding, long wait times, and weekend closures that leave the community disconnected from the capital’s flagship rail network.

Currently, only trains bound for Heathrow Terminal 4 stop at Acton Main Line, while services to Terminal 5, Maidenhead, and Reading bypass the station entirely. This limited service pattern has led to peak-hour congestion, with passengers frequently unable to board packed trains and forced to wait up to 15 minutes for the next service—often with no guarantee of space.

The issue is compounded on Sundays, when the station is regularly closed for engineering works, even as Elizabeth line trains continue to run on adjacent tracks. Residents say this leaves them cut off from essential services, family visits, and wider London connections.

Acton Main Line underwent a major upgrade as part of the Crossrail project and reopened with step-free access in 2021. Despite the investment, the station remains one of the few on the western section of the Elizabeth line without a full stopping service.

The original rationale for this limited pattern was based on operational efficiency. TfL and Network Rail sought to balance journey times for long-distance passengers travelling to Reading and Maidenhead with the need to maintain throughput on the relief lines. By skipping intermediate stops like Acton, services could run faster and avoid conflicts with freight and Great Western Railway (GWR) services on the fast lines. Freight trains operate to and from Acton Yard and Paddington New Yard, which are both in the vicinity of Acton Main Line and which must be accommodated between Elizabeth line services.

However, critics argue that this approach has left Acton disproportionately underserved, especially as neighbouring stations such as Ealing Broadway and Southall benefit from six trains per hour. Acton Main Line, by contrast, receives just two trains per hour during off-peak periods, and only from one branch of the Heathrow service.

The petition, launched by local residents and supported by community groups, highlights the impact on working families, vulnerable passengers, and those living in newly built housing developments near the station. With Acton’s population rising and TfL currently reviewing service patterns across the Elizabeth line, campaigners say now is the time to act. At the time of writing it had attracted over 1,400 signatures.

“If the current situation continues, our growing population will face worsening overcrowding and longer journey times,” the petition states. “The infrastructure is already in place—this is a cost-effective operational change, not a major capital project.”

Campaigners also warn of environmental consequences, with some residents opting for private cars due to unreliable rail access, undermining London’s climate and modal shift goals.

TfL has not yet confirmed whether Acton Main Line will be included in future service expansions. However, the station’s strategic location—just west of Paddington and adjacent to major development zones—makes it a candidate for improved connectivity if operational constraints can be addressed.

The petition calls for all westbound Elizabeth line services to stop at Acton Main Line, including those to Terminal 5, Maidenhead, and Reading. Supporters argue that such a change would not only benefit Acton but help distribute passenger loads more evenly across the network.

A TfL spokesperson said, “Since TfL began operating Elizabeth line services at Acton Main Line, we have doubled the all-day frequency at the station and added two extra trains towards central London during the high peak hour. We welcome all feedback on our services and continue to work alongside industry partners to review future options for the timetable, which is developed in conjunction with Network Rail and shared with other passenger and freight operators.

“Alongside this, we have introduced various activities to mitigate any difficulties boarding trains at Acton Main Line, including a campaign to encourage customers to move down inside the carriage and remove their backpacks. A new microphone system also enables staff members to encourage customers to disperse along the length of the platform, and information is now provided on screens in the ticket hall about how busy each carriage is.

“Looking further to the future, TfL has placed an order for ten additional Elizabeth line trains which will serve the new station at Old Oak Common when it opens, as well as enable additional services to cater for demand and growth on the Elizabeth line.”