[14] In the meantime, the Hammersmith and City Railway had opened from Green Lane Junction (near the present Westbourne Park) to Hammersmith on 13 June 1864, with the first stop on that route originally at Ladbroke Grove,[16] 1 mile 61 chains (2.84 km) out,[17] although one opened at Westbourne Park (1 mile 22 chains (2.05 km) out)[18] in 1866.

Under the agreement, various improvements were to be made; these included the provision of a station at Royal Oak, and the reconstruction of Westbourne Park.

[25] During the quadrupling of the Great Western Main Line (GWML) in 1878, a dive-under, known as Subway Tunnel, was constructed between Royal Oak and Westbourne Park.

[30] To avoid the need for locomotives to make the 6-mile (9.7 km) round trip from Paddington just to be turned, coaled and watered, a small maintenance facility for locomotives was constructed on the southern side of the line, directly opposite Royal Oak station, which occupied part of the site of Westbourne Lodge and its grounds.

This was strongly opposed by Westminster's main political parties,[34][35][36] given the limited capacity of Royal Oak tube station and other local transport links, and the predominantly residential nature of the area.

No firm details were published by Transport for London, but opponents of the scheme claimed that Royal Oak was the preferred site, that the scheme would occupy a 10,000 sq m site stretching from Lord's Hill Bridge (Royal Oak) to Westbourne Terrace, that a road bridge crossing the area would be closed and removed, and (in letters sent to local residents) that the tube station would have to be closed for an extended period while construction was in progress, since the coach station proposal included step-free access to the platform.

[38] The Mayor has subsequently told the London Assembly that the area of land may instead be used for other purposes such as sustainable housing and improvements to accessibility at the station.