Highgate | |
---|---|
Location | Highgate |
Local authority | London Borough of Haringey [1] |
Managed by | London Underground |
Number of platforms | 2 |
Fare zone | 3 |
London Underground annual entry and exit | |
2018 | 5.29 million [2] |
2019 | 5.65 million [3] |
2020 | 2.34 million [4] |
2021 | 2.43 million [5] |
2022 | 4.24 million [6] |
Key dates | |
22 August 1867 | Opened (surface platforms) |
19 January 1941 | Opened (Northern line platforms) |
3 July 1954 | Closed (surface platforms) |
1970 | Closed (surface tracks to all traffic) |
Other information | |
External links | |
Coordinates | 51°34′40″N0°08′45″W / 51.5777°N 0.1458°W |
London transportportal |
Highgate is a London Underground station and former railway station in Archway Road, in the London Borough of Haringey in north London. The station takes its name from nearby Highgate Village. It is on the High Barnet branch of the Northern line, between East Finchley and Archway stations, and is in Travelcard Zone 3.
The station was originally opened in 1867, on the Great Northern Railway's line between Finsbury Park and Edgware stations. As part of their only partially completed Northern Heights plan, the London Underground started serving the station in 1941, using new platforms in tunnels beneath the surface station. The platforms of the surface station remain, but were last used in 1954; the section of the line through them to Finsbury Park was closed in 1970 and lifted by 1972. One of the original 1867 station buildings still exists and is in use as a private house.
Highgate station was originally constructed by the Edgware, Highgate and London Railway in the 1860s on its line from Finsbury Park station to Edgware station. Before the line was opened, it was purchased in July 1867 by the larger Great Northern Railway (GNR), [7] whose main line from King's Cross ran through Finsbury Park on its way to Potters Bar and the north. The station opened along with the railway to Edgware on 22 August 1867. [8] [9] [n 1]
Due to the hilly terrain, the station was built in a deep cutting excavated from Highgate Hill, adjacent to Archway Road. Tunnels penetrated the hillside at each end of the station, leading towards East Finchley to the north and Crouch End to the south. When built, the station had two side platforms, with three tracks between them, and a station building on the south side. A footbridge linked the two platforms. [9]
A branch line was constructed from Highgate to Alexandra Palace by the Muswell Hill Railway (MHR) and was opened on 24 May 1873. [8] The new branch split from the original route north of the station in a wide arc around Highgate Wood. The next station on the branch line, when it opened, was Muswell Hill and an intermediate station was built later at Cranley Gardens in 1902. [8]
In the 1880s, the station was rebuilt, with two tracks flanking a central island platform instead of the two side platforms. The island platform was accessed from a ticket office in the middle of the footbridge. [9] In 1911, the MHR branch was taken over by the GNR. [8] [9] After the Railways Act 1921 created the Big Four railway companies, the GNR became part of the London & North Eastern Railway (LNER) in 1923. [10]
At the start of the 1930s, the station had around 54 trains daily from High Barnet, 43 from Alexandra Palace and a few through trains from Edgware. Services ran to Finsbury Park and then either King's Cross, Moorgate or Broad Street. [11] [n 2]
In 1935, the London Passenger Transport Board (LPTB) announced a proposal, which became known as the Northern Heights project. This was to take over the LNER lines from Finsbury Park to Edgware, High Barnet and Alexandra Palace, then link them to both the Northern line at East Finchley and the Northern City line at Finsbury Park. [n 3] The construction of the first phase of this project involved extending tube train services from the Northern line's existing terminus at Archway station (then also called Highgate), through a new section of paired tunnels under Highgate station to emerge south of East Finchley station, where track connections to the LNER line were made. [13]
To provide an interchange between the new deep-level platforms and the existing surface platforms, a subterranean concourse was constructed immediately beneath the existing station. The concourse was connected to the deep-level platforms with escalators and to the existing platforms by stairs. Street entrances to the concourse were provided from the south (Archway Road) and the north (Priory Gardens). At the same time, the buildings on the surface platforms were partly reconstructed and the footbridge was removed. Northern line services through the new tunnels to East Finchley started operating on 3 July 1939, although they did not stop at Highgate until later. [14] [15]
Following the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939, works to complete the electrification of the LNER lines were slowed or halted. The line from Finchley Central to Edgware closed for reconstruction on 11 September 1939. [16] [n 4] Northern line services were extended from East Finchley to High Barnet on 14 April 1940 [15] and started serving the deep level platforms at Highgate on 19 January 1941, though not all of the new station buildings had been completed. [15] [18] The surface platforms at Highgate continued to be served by LNER steam trains. [9]
The deep-level platforms were constructed 490 feet (150 m) long to accommodate extra-long nine-car trains, which were planned for services on the Northern line but never served Highgate, having been withdrawn at the start of the war. [19] [20] [n 5] With the interchange between LNER and Northern line services available at Highgate from January 1941, LNER trains to East Finchley ended on 2 March 1941, after which they operated between Finsbury Park and Alexandra Palace only. [17] [n 6] In 1942, LNER services through Highgate were reduced to rush hour only operations. [17] During the war, the deep-level platforms at Highgate were used, as many were, as a shelter from the bombing of London by the Luftwaffe and, later, V-1 and V-2 missiles. [23] [n 7]
After the war, plans to complete the Northern Heights project were reviewed. In early 1946, the conversion of the LNER line from Mill Hill East to Edgware was scheduled by the LPTB for completion between January 1947 and June 1948. [25] No work was carried out as maintenance works and reconstruction of war damage on the existing network had the greatest call on London Underground funds. Funds for new works were severely limited and priority was given to the completion of the western and eastern extensions of the Central line to West Ruislip, Epping and Hainault. [26] Despite being shown as under construction on Underground maps as late as 1950, [n 8] work never restarted on the unimplemented parts of the Northern Heights project. [31] [n 9]
After a temporary closure between October 1951 and January 1952, British Railways (the successor to the LNER) ran the last passenger services between Finsbury Park and Alexandra Palace on 3 July 1954. [9] British Railways freight traffic continued to pass through the station until 1964. [9] [n 10] After freight traffic ceased, the line continued to be used for occasional London Underground rolling stock transfers between Highgate depot and the Northern City line, with the stock being pulled over the unelectrified lines by battery locomotives. This ceased in 1970, due to the poor condition of some of the intermediate bridges, and the track was lifted through the surface platforms in 1972. [9]
Completion of the station buildings was delayed for many years. Designed by the architect Charles Holden, [34] the pre-war plans included a large entrance building at the top of the hill next to The Woodman public house with a pair of escalators between the entrance and the sub-surface concourse. These were to be enclosed in an inclined structure down the side of the cutting parallel with the surface tracks. Taking inspiration from the local legend, the building would have been topped by a statue of Dick Whittington and his cat. [35] [n 11] When works were finished in 1957, a single and upwards only escalator was provided to take passengers from the sub-surface ticket hall up to a simple exit at the top of the cutting. [37] [38]
One of the GNR's station buildings remains on the north side of the surface platforms: it is used as a private residence. [39] Much of the route between Finsbury Park and Alexandra Palace now forms part of the Parkland Walk, although this bypasses the station site for safety reasons. [40]
On 2 May 2023, a fire broke out in the ground-level station. [41]
The current station consists of a central subterranean ticket hall, with escalators leading down to 2 separate 9-car long platforms. There are 2 entrances to the station: one leading to Priory Gardens on the east and the Archway Road to the south. This entrance is directly opposite the Jacksons Lane Arts Centre. There is also a one-way escalator leading to a simple exit north of the station.
The station is in Travelcard Zone 3, between Archway and East Finchley stations. [42] Train frequencies vary throughout the day, but generally operate every 3–7 minutes between 06:01 and 01:01 northbound and 05:37 and 00:18 southbound (as of 2015). [43] [44]
As of 2024, London Bus routes 43, 134, 234 and night bus route N20 serve the station. [45] [46]
Current services | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Preceding station | London Underground | Following station | ||
East Finchley towards High Barnet or Mill Hill East | Northern line High Barnet branch | Archway | ||
Former services | ||||
Cranley Gardens Line and station closed | British Railways (Eastern Region) Edgware, Highgate and London Railway | Crouch End Line and station closed | ||
East Finchley Line closed, station open | British Railways (Eastern Region) Edgware, Highgate and London Railway | Crouch End Line and station closed | ||
Abandoned Northern Heights extension | ||||
Preceding station | London Underground | Following station | ||
Cranley Gardens towards Alexandra Palace | Northern line | Crouch End towards Moorgate |
The disused platforms and tunnels have sometimes been used for filming. They have appeared in several productions, including the feature film Paperhouse [47] and the television series Waking the Dead . [48]
Jerry Springer, mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio, and later a TV host, was born at Highgate tube station in 1944 during a World War II bombing raid by the Luftwaffe. [49]
The Northern line is a London Underground line that runs from North London to South London. It is printed in black on the Tube map. The Northern line is unique on the Underground network in having two different routes through central London, two southern branches and two northern branches. Despite its name, it does not serve the northernmost stations on the Underground, though it does serve the southernmost station at Morden, the terminus of one of the two southern branches.
Finsbury Park is an intermodal interchange station in North London for London Underground, National Rail and London Buses services. The station is the third busiest Underground station outside Zone 1, with over 33 million passengers using the station in 2019.
East Finchley is a London Underground station in East Finchley in the London Borough of Barnet, north London. The station is on the High Barnet branch of the Northern line, between Finchley Central and Highgate stations, and is in Travelcard Zone 3.
High Barnet is a London Underground station, and former railway station, located in Chipping Barnet, North London. The station is the northern terminus of the High Barnet branch of the Northern line and is in Travelcard Zone 5. It is situated 10.2 miles (16.4 km) north north-west of Charing Cross. The next station south is Totteridge & Whetstone.
Archway is a London Underground station at the intersection of Holloway Road, Highgate Hill, Junction Road and Archway Road in Archway, north London, directly underneath the Vantage Point building. It is on the High Barnet branch of the Northern line, between Highgate and Tufnell Park stations, in Zones 2 and 3.
Edgware is a London Underground station in Edgware, in the London Borough of Barnet, in North London. The station is the northern terminus of the Edgware branch of the Northern line and the next station towards south is Burnt Oak. It is in Travelcard Zone 5.
Mill Hill East is a London Underground station in Mill Hill in the London Borough of Barnet, north London. The station is the terminus and only station of a single-track branch of the Northern line from Finchley Central station and is in Travelcard Zone 4. It is the least used station on the Northern line with 1.41 million passengers in 2022.
Finchley Central is a London Underground station in the Church End area of Finchley, north London. The station is located on the High Barnet branch of the Northern line, between West Finchley and East Finchley stations; it is the junction for the short branch to Mill Hill East. The station is around 7 miles north-northwest of Charing Cross and is in Travelcard Zone 4.
Totteridge & Whetstone is a London Underground station in Whetstone in the London Borough of Barnet, North London. It is on the High Barnet branch of the Northern line, between High Barnet and Woodside Park stations, in Travelcard Zone 4. It was first built in 1872.
Woodside Park is a London Underground station in Woodside Park, north London.
The Edgware, Highgate and London Railway was a railway in North London, England. The railway was a precursor of parts of London Underground's Northern line and was, in the 1930s, the core of an ambitious expansion plan for that line which was thwarted by the Second World War. Parts of the line were closed in the 1950s and have since been removed.
Muswell Hill railway station was in Muswell Hill in North London, just north of the junction of Muswell Hill and Muswell Hill Place. Nothing remains of the station and Muswell Hill Primary School now occupies its former site. In the 1930s, plans were made to electrify the line and transfer the mainline service to London Underground's Northern line, but these were abandoned after the Second World War. The station closed for passengers in 1954 and goods in 1956.
Cranley Gardens railway station was a station in the Muswell Hill area of north London. It was located between Highgate and Muswell Hill stations, at the junction of Muswell Hill Road and Cranley Gardens. Nothing remains of the station today and its site is now occupied by housing and a school. In the 1930s, plans were made to electrify the line and transfer the mainline service to London Underground's Northern line, but these were abandoned after the Second World War. The station closed for passengers in 1954 and for goods in 1957.
Stroud Green railway station is a former station in the Stroud Green area of north London. It was located between Finsbury Park station and Crouch End station on a bridge over Stapleton Hall Road. The station had platforms cantilevered from the bridge structure and a wooden station building at ground level under and on either side of the bridge, with a station master's house to the north of it. The bridge still exists and now carries the Parkland Walk cycle and pedestrian path, whilst the station master's house serves as a community centre.
Crouch End railway station is a former station in the Crouch End area of north London. It was located between Stroud Green station and Highgate station on Crouch End Hill just north of its junction with Hornsey Lane. The station building was located on the road bridge over the railway but only small parts remain of the structure today.
Alexandra Palace is a closed railway station in the grounds of Alexandra Palace in the Muswell Hill area of north London. It is one of a number of stations to have held the name at various times and should not be confused with the current Alexandra Palace station which is on the East Coast Main Line to the east of the closed station.
Mill Hill (The Hale) was a station in Mill Hill in north London, on the now-removed railway between Mill Hill East station and Edgware railway station. It was located near the junction of Bunns Lane and Lyndhurst Avenue.
Edgware was a London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) station located on Station Road in Edgware, north London. It was opened in 1867 and was in use as a passenger station until 1939, then as a goods yard until 1964.
The New Works Programme of 1935–1940 was the major investment programme delivered by the London Passenger Transport Board (LPTB), commonly known as London Transport, which had been created in 1933 to coordinate underground train, tram, trolleybus and bus services in the capital and the surrounding areas. The programme was to develop many aspects of the public transport services run by the LPTB and the suburban rail services of the Great Western Railway (GWR) and London and North Eastern Railway (LNER). The investment was largely backed by government assistance as well as by the issuing of financial bonds and was estimated to cost £42,286,000 in 1936.
The transport system now known as the London Underground began in 1863 with the Metropolitan Railway, the world's first underground railway. Over the next forty years, the early sub-surface lines reached out from the urban centre of the capital into the surrounding rural margins, leading to the development of new commuter suburbs. At the turn of the nineteenth century, new technology—including electric locomotives and improvements to the tunnelling shield—enabled new companies to construct a series of "tube" lines deeper underground. Initially rivals, the tube railway companies began to co-operate in advertising and through shared branding, eventually consolidating under the single ownership of the Underground Electric Railways Company of London (UERL), with lines stretching across London.