The Outer Circle was a London & North Western Railway service in London that operated from 1872 to 1908. The route was from the District Railway station at Mansion House to Earl's Court, then via the West London Railway to Willesden Junction and then via the North London Railway to Broad 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's Circle 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.

The Midland Railway operated a kind of Super Outer Circle from St Pancras to Earl's Court for two years from 1878 to 1880, via the Dudding Hill freight line.

On 1 February 1872 the London & North Western Railway (L&NWR) began a railway service between Broad Street and the District Railway station at Mansion House via the North London Railway, Willesden Junction, the West London Railway and Earl's Court,^[2] replacing a service that had run along much of the same route to London 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 with electric multiple units provided by the District Railway until 24 November 1914 when LNWR 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] and Shepherd's Bush opened on the same site in 2008.^[8] The line is currently served by the District line between Mansion House and Kensington (Olympia) and then the London Overground to Haggerston.

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

Super Outer Circle
Legend
Chiltern Main Line and LU Metropolitan & Jubilee Midland Main Line Harlesden Dudding Hill Watford DC line & LU Bakerloo line North London Line Cricklewood Acton–Northolt line & LU Central 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

The Midland Railway operated a kind of Super Outer Circle from 1878 to 1880. In 1876 the Midland had negotiated running rights over the Metropolitan District Railway from the London & South Western Railway at Hammersmith to South Kensington. The Midland's main interest was supplying coal to Kensington, and in 1878 it opened coal depots at Kensington High Street and West Kensington.^[9] From 1 May 1878 it also ran a passenger service from Earl's Court to St Pancras via Hammersmith, South Acton and the Dudding Hill freight line to Cricklewood. 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