The District Railway's main expansion was to the west. A small station at Earl's Court, between Gloucester Road and West Brompton, opened on 31 October 1871 with three platforms. Lillie Bridge depot, opened in 1872, was built parallel to the West London Joint Railway and initially accessed by a curve onto the West London Line. This curve allowed, from 1 February 1872, the London &amp; North Western Railway (L&amp;NWR) to run a half-hourly "outer circle" service from Broad Street to Mansion House via , Addison Road and Earls Court. From 1 October 1872, the GWR also ran a half-hourly "middle circle" service from the Met's Moorgate Street station to Mansion House via Paddington and Earl's Court.