TheOuter Circle was aLondon & North Western Railway service in London that operated from 1872 to 1908. The route was from theDistrict Railway station at Mansion House to Earl's Court, then via theWest London Railway to Willesden Junction and then via theNorth London Railway toBroad Street. Although not a complete circuit, it was one of several 'circle' routes around London that opened at the same time, such as the 'inner circle' that is today'sCircle line.^[1] Trains would run once every 30 minutes. In 1908 the service was cut back to run from Earl's Court to Broad Street.

TheMidland Railway operated a kind ofSuper Outer Circle fromSt Pancras to Earl's Court for two years from 1878 to 1880, via theDudding Hill freight line.

On 1 February 1872 theLondon & North Western Railway (L&NWR) began a railway service betweenBroad Street and theDistrict Railway station atMansion House via theNorth London Railway,Willesden Junction, theWest London Railway andEarl's Court,^[2] replacing a service that had run along much of the same route toLondon Victoria.^[3] This service became known as the 'outer circle' and was worked with L&NWR locomotives and carriages and there was a train every thirty minutes.^[2] When the District electrified in 1905, it built electric locomotives to haul the carriages between Earl's Court and Mansion House.^[4] The service appears on the 1908 'London Underground' map between Earl's Court and Uxbridge Road as a District Railway service.^[5]

The service ceased to run east of Earl's Court from 1 January 1909.^[4] The L&NWR electrified the West London Railway and an electric service between Willesden Junction and Earl's Court on started 1 May 1914.^[4] This was initially withelectric multiple units provided by the District Railway until 24 November 1914 whenLNWR electric units took over.^[6] Passenger services on the West London Railway ended on 19 October 1940 following bomb damage to the line^[7]

Uxbridge Road station closed with the line in 1940^[7] andShepherd's Bush opened on the same site in 2008.^[8] The line is currently served by theDistrict line between Mansion House and Kensington (Olympia) and then theLondon Overground to Haggerston.

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The following stations, listed anti-clockwise, were served by the Outer Circle:

v t e Super Outer Circle
Legend
Chiltern Main Line and LUMetropolitan &Jubilee Midland Main Line Harlesden Dudding Hill Watford DC line & LUBakerloo line North London Line Cricklewood Acton–Northolt line &LUCentral line Great Western Main Line West Hampstead Acton Central Outer Circle South Acton Finchley Road Metropolitan District Railway Haverstock Hill London & South Western Rly Turnham Green North & South Western Jn Rly Ravenscourt Park Kentish Town London & South Western Rly Hammersmith Camden Road Baron's Court Outer Circle West Kensington Outer Circle St Pancras Earl's Court Metropolitan District Railway

TheMidland Railway operated a kind ofSuper Outer Circle from 1878 to 1880. In 1876 the Midland had negotiated running rights over theMetropolitan District Railway from theLondon & South Western Railway atHammersmith toSouth Kensington. The Midland's main interest was supplying coal toKensington, and in 1878 it opened coal depots atKensington High Street andWest Kensington.^[9] From 1 May 1878 it also ran a passenger service fromEarl's Court toSt Pancras viaHammersmith,South Acton and theDudding Hill freight line toCricklewood. Two trains an hour ran until 30 September 1880.^[9][3] The coal depots closed in the 1960s.^[9]

• Middle Circle
• Circle line (London Underground)

• Bruce, J Graeme (1983).Steam to Silver. A history of London Transport Surface Rolling Stock. Capital Transport.ISBN 0-904711-45-5.
• Horne, Mike (2006).The District Line. Capital Transport.ISBN 1-85414-292-5.
• Lee, Charles E. (1956).The Metropolitan District Railway. The Oakwood Press.ASIN B0000CJGHS.
• Marsden, Colin J (30 January 2009).The DC Electrics. Casemate.ISBN 978-0-86093-615-2.
• Peacock, Thomas B. (1970).Great Western London Suburban Services. Oakwood Press.ASIN B0006C7PD2.

• Clive's Underground Line Guides - Circle Line

• Transport in the London Borough of Brent
• Transport in the London Borough of Camden
• Transport in the City of London
• Transport in the London Borough of Hackney
• Transport in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham
• Transport in the London Borough of Islington
• Transport in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
• Transport in the City of Westminster
• London and North Western Railway

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