Hammersmith (Grove Road), as it was officially named but often referred to as simply Hammersmith, was opened on 1 January 1869 by the LSWR on a new branch line from a junction with the West London Joint Railway (WLJR) north of Addison Road to Richmond via Turnham Green.

From 1 October 1877, the MR began to run trains through Hammersmith (Grove Road) to Richmond.

In 1919 the Central London Railway (CLR; today's Central line) published plans to build a tunnelled link from west of its Shepherd's Bush station to the disused tracks north of the station so that it might run trains to Richmond via Hammersmith (Grove Road) and Turnham Green.

The tracks on the loop line to the WLJR were lifted in 1932 with further demolition continuing into the 1950s with the bridge over Grove Road being demolished.

[4] Although remnants of the viaduct at the Studland Road Junction where the LSWR tracks turned north-east are still visible west of the current Hammersmith station on the District and Piccadilly lines.