Stood around by a housing estate near some bushes at 2am is not somewhere I felt totally comfortable. A couple were having a domestic across the road, "give me my phone. Give me my phone," the woman screamed. Followed in a slightly calmer tone by "I keep telling you, you don't eat enough." I wasn't engaging in a new hobby of spying on arguing couples, I was waiting for a chap known as Greeze, he had contacted me five months prior on instagram. He finally showed up, and we fist bumped, still in the time of covid. He introduced himself and I was glad he seemed sound. He'd already done plenty of tube, so I wasn't too worried about his suitability for this kind of action. Although telling me he'd been busted by cops pointing tazers at them earlier in the evening was a bit concerning!

After an hour of chit chat and catching up over this and that. We remembered we were here to do a job. Some graffers had discovered that an old ghost platform was still accessible for the old Wood Lane station. However, I only found out a year or so ago, when some people they'd told posted on Instagram. The rumour was that access was now gone, as the tunnel had been sealed up. However, as no pictures were in the public domain, no one believed it was true. Numerous people were interested in taking a look, and a few had also contacted me thinking I'd be interested. Knowing that explorers, including myself, lie about access to places to preserve them or keep noobs from destroying a place. I was keen to check the place out. 

Wood Lane station was built on the Central Line to provide transport to the London Olympics in 1908. The station was never quite right, and altered numerous times. In 1947 it was replaced with a simpler arrangement 50m up the tracks and called White City station. Prior to the building of the 1908 Wood Lane station, the Central Line Railway (CLR) had a large terminus depot here as of 1900. This was built over for the Westfield's Shopping Centre in 2005. The depot was moved to be underground with better access. A new Wood Lane station was opened on the Hammersmith & City Line, directly above the old station on the overhead line. Although I'd seen numerous maps and plans of the site, it took actually visiting the site and a catch-up with Zero afterwards to actually understand what was going on.

*Apologies for crude drawings, they are to give an idea of what's going on, and aren't super accurate.*
Shepherds Bush used to be the terminus for the CLR (Central Line Railway). In 1908 the Franco Exhibition and Olympics were held at White City Stadium, and the CLR added lines and platforms to the top of their depot to facilitate access to these events. The Wood Lane platforms were added as below.

In 1920, the Central Line had extended to Ealing Broadway. Because of the complicated track curve and platform arrangement, new platforms were constructed at Wood Lane. One sat on the new Westbound line to White City and on to Ealing Broadway. Another was added to the Eastbound line, south of the original platforms. 

Wood Lane station closed in 1947. Why they built new platforms with a new White City Station up the road in the 1920s isn't clear or logical. At this point Wood Lane had 4 abandoned platforms. The left hand side of Wood Lane/White City Depot has changed around quite a bit.

Getting in was tricky, as the whole area is covered with cctv, and bored people sat in security huts. We found the perfect and probably only spot, and were quickly in. However our problems didn't end there. An efficient looking female official was circling the platforms as White City. Seemingly walking up and down the full length of each platform and looking out down the tracks. We sat motionless waiting for our moment.
Our view of White City Station, visible in the top left corner.

Looking in the opposite direction, our area of interest. The dark tunnel on the left is the Westbound running tunnel, the entrance where the row of lights ends, just before the right of the picture, is the old depot tunnel. This also leads to a ghost platform. On the very right of the picture, the tracks lead off to the new White City Depot, and the Eastbound running tunnel to Shepherds Bush. Lit up above the tracks, is the Westfield shopping centre, which covers the site and the old Wood Lane Depot.

The platforms were empty, and we headed quickly over to the entrance to the old Wood Lane depot track. The gate was open, so we popped in.

Inside it was the usual affair, bits and pieces lying about from various track projects. In the centre of the picture you can see the ramp that starts the platforms.

Sadly, the way to the old platforms had been blocked off by a 35cms slab of structural concrete. Queue the sounds of explorer tears.

It was actually possible to get onto the old platforms. You can see the old tiling here.

You can also see the old lights and signs that would have been at the end of the platform. You can see them in this video (link) at 13'27".

Somewhat down on realising what we'd been told was true, we exited the gated off area.

This shows the entrance to the old depot tunnel we'd just left, and the new depot access and eastbound running tunnel (on the other side of the thick wall). You can also see the huge use of steel here, to carry the weight of the shopping centre above.

Checking the station again for signs of life, we moved to the Westbound running tunnel. You can see all the myriad of crossovers here, from all the different ways to move trains about.

All clear at the station, we walked into the Westbound running tunnel, if we were stood here during service, we'd face trains coming towards us from Shepherds Bush.

After 70 or 80 metres, we came across an open area. Another concrete wall faced us, blocking off a tunnel from 1908. Also a handy rail storage area by the looks of it.

With my back to blocked off tunnel, this looks back towards the running tunnel entrance.

Moving further down the tunnel, this was the apparent end of the blocked off section, looking back to the tunnel entrance we'd come through. The two lit dots above the tracks in the distance, are at the end of the pic above. ^

Looking towards Shepherds Bush, this looks like there used to be platforms here. All very confusing!

A shot looking back over the shot above, the camera is looking towards White City.

Walking backwards, a shot from around the corner and looking in the same direction to White City as above shot. Included mainly as I thought it looked quite good!

The open section ends with this typically round tunnel. At one point this would have led into the open air. Shepherds Bush station is the next stop.

Leaving the Westbound running tunnel, we headed over towards the Eastbound tracks. Also, entering dodgy territory, as the tracks on the left lead into the White City Depot. Depots are known in explorer world in the same way as Interceptor sewers for Drainers. Basically 'no-gos.' Whereas an Interceptor will almost always lead to a particularly unpleasant death, a Depot will almost certainly lead to General Fang sinking his teeth somewhere you don't want sharp dog's teeth to penetrate. You can also expect a collective of BTP's (British Transport Police) finest. Sadly, some people known as 'Graffers,' like to spray their crude squiggles all over trains and walls. Sort of like dogs and cats, marking their territory. 

I didn't really notice it at first, but this used to be old platform for Wood Lane station, and you can still see the platform walls and tiling. Apologies for blurred camerawork in the next few shots. We were right next to a depot entrance, and I wasn't thinking to much about raising the ISO etc while balancing a camera on the fence/pillars.

A somewhat clearer shot of the tiling. "Ooooh, tiling!"

In this shot, you can see the Eastbound road/tracks leveling off in the distance (on the right). I ran up here just in case there was anything interesting. But there wasn't. It becomes a regular running tunnel down to Shepherds Bush (although trains come from Shepherds Bush on these tracks). On the left is the entrance to White City Depot. We were  quietly and silently filling our pants at this moment, as we expected swarms of BTP officers and rabid dogs to leap out. If the camera was on a tripod, you would be able to make out stabled trains in the back of the Depot.

We pulled up right next to the Depot. You can see bounce beams blocks (they send infrared beams back and forth, and if broken sound an alarm) and a dome camera on the ceiling. There were other cameras above where I was standing and the sides etc etc. All the non-white lights on the pillars, are from rolling stock/trains.

It might surprise you to learn, that after this picture was taken, we were out of the underground and walking up Wood Lane in around 5minutes. There were no obvious signs of us being chased, and no BTP vans with the aforementioned rabid dogs straining at the leash. I was a bit disappointed to be honest, were we not important enough anti-social hooligans to be dealt with?! Thanks to Greeze.