London Paddington station

London Paddington is a main line and tube station complex on Praed Street, Paddington, London, which has been the main terminus for the Great Western Railway and successors since 1838. The main line station opened in 1854 and was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel. In the year ending March 2025, it was the third busiest station in Great Britain after London Liverpool Street and London Waterloo, with an estimated 69.9 million entries and exits.

Paddington is the London terminus of the Great Western Main Line; passenger services are primarily operated by Great Western Railway, which provides commuter and regional passenger services to west London and the Thames Valley region, as well as long-distance intercity services to South West England and South Wales. The station is the eastern terminus for Heathrow Express. Elizabeth line services run through Paddington westwards to Reading, Heathrow Terminal 5, and Heathrow Terminal 4, and eastwards to Abbey Wood and Shenfield. Situated in London fare zone 1, it has two separate London Underground stations: one for the Bakerloo, Circle and District lines; the other for the Circle and Hammersmith & City lines. It is one of 11 London stations managed directly by Network Rail.

The station has been perennially popular for passengers and goods, particularly milk and parcels. Major upgrades took place in the 1870s, the 1910s and the 1960s, each trying to add additional platforms and space while trying to preserve the existing services and architecture as much as possible. Paddington was first served by London Underground trains in 1863, as the original western terminus of the Metropolitan Railway, the world's first underground railway. In the 20th century, suburban and commuter services appeared at Paddington as the urban sprawl of London moved westwards. Despite the numerous upgrades and rebuilding, plus damage sustained in particular during World War II, Brunel's original design is still recognisable.