The station is on the Uxbridge branch of both the Metropolitan line and Piccadilly line, between Ickenham and Uxbridge stations and in Travelcard Zone 6.
The Metropolitan Railway (Harrow & Uxbridge Railway) constructed the line through Hillingdon between Harrow on the Hill and Uxbridge and commenced services on 4 July 1904 with, initially, the only intermediate stop being at Ruislip. At first, services were operated by steam trains, but track electrification was completed in the subsequent months and electric trains began operating on 1 January 1905.
Progressive development in the north Middlesex area over the next two decades lead to the gradual opening of additional stations along the Uxbridge branch to encourage the growth of new residential areas. Hillingdon was the last of these stations to open on 10 December 1923 when services on the Metropolitan and District Lines first stopped at the station.
On 23 October 1933 District Line services were replaced by Piccadilly Line trains.
Between the mid 1930s and the mid 1950s the station was named as Hillingdon (Swakeleys), and shown as such on tube maps and the station name signs.
On 6 December 1992 a new station, constructed along the line to the south of the original, was opened. The new station was required to enable expansion and rerouting of the A40 (Western Avenue), which now runs through the original site. Following its opening, the station won the Underground Station of the Year, 1992.
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