Old Oak Common TMD

Former railway traction maintenance depot in West London

The depot was formerly the main facility for the storage and servicing of locomotives and multiple units from Paddington. However The 'HST' section of Old Oak Common TMD, more commonly known as 'Old Oak Common HST Depot' closed in 2018 with the removal of the InterCity 125s from services on the Great Western Main Line (GWML). This closure was to make way for the development of the HS2 project. Maintenance of the new InterCity Express Trains is carried out at North Pole IET Depot which is situated opposite the site of Old Oak Common TMD whilst the Night Riviera sleeper train was transferred to Penzance Long Rock Depot in December 2017. A new depot was built approximately a 1/4 mile to the east of the existing depot, primarily to service and stable the trains that have been ordered for the Elizabeth line part of the Crossrail project. The depot opened in May 2018 and took the name of the existing depot. The area is also where two Great Western Railway main lines divide:

In 1901, a site was acquired in South Acton, south of the Grand Union Canal and on the upside of the mainline. Taking four years to layout and build, designed by G. J. Churchward, it was the largest depot on the entire GWR system, and set the pattern for similar depots throughout the GWR including Tyseley. It had four 65 feet (20 m) undergirder turntables, under six spans of east–west aligned northern light pitched roofs. The shed covered a total area of 360 feet (110 m) (six bays of } (six bays of 74 feet (23 m)).

In May 2009, EWS vacated their site. This part of the site, together with the adjacent Coronation Carriage Sidings was fenced off due to compulsory purchase for the Crossrail project. All the remaining GWR Factory buildings and the Coronation Carriage Sidings were demolished by mid 2011, with the former northwestern shed turntable donated to the Swanage Railway. From 2014 onwards, on the former EWS site and northern part of the former Coronation Sidings, a new depot was built by Taylor Woodrow Construction as part of the Crossrail project. Opening on 10 May 2018, it is equipped with stabling and nine maintenance roads. Operated by Alstom, it provides full servicing, maintenance and storage for the Class 345 trains which from operate between Reading on the GWML and Shenfield on the Great Eastern Main Line. As a result of the development of the new HS2 station on the site, GWR phased in a closure programme for its 125 Intercity Fleet depot. In December 2017, maintenance of the Night Riviera was transferred to Penzance Long Rock Depot with the stock laying over at Reading TMD at its northern end. The last HST to run from Old Oak Common ran from OOC to London Paddington station on 8 December 2018. A headboard was attached to the front power car, 43093, which said: "81A Old Oak Common LAST HST 8th December 2018". 43093 had already been named "Old Oak Common HST Depot 1978 2018" and was in the Legends of the Great Western Railway livery, but even more was added on this date; a logo which read "Old Oak Common History Makers" and another sign which read "Last HST off Old Oak Common Depot 8th December 2018". The Heathrow Express EMU depot which had operated since 1997 maintaining the Class 332 fleet was the last part of Old Oak Common TMD to close following the withdrawal and scrapping of the Class 332 EMUs, closing in February 2021.

Old Oak Common railway station will open in 2026 as a major interchange station between the GWML, Elizabeth line, Heathrow Express and High Speed 2 line from London Euston to Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds.