WILLESDEN JUNCTION STATION

'Willesden Junction station' is a Network Rail station in Harlesden, north-west London; it is served by both Silverlink and London Underground Bakerloo Line trains. It is about one mile south of the original place from which it took its name but on the southern edge of the (now defunct) Borough of Willesden.

Contents

History

The station today

Services

External links

Notes and references

History

The station involves three main stages of development:-

★ The London and Birmingham Railway (now the West Coast Main Line) ran through the site from 1837. The main line station station was opened by the London & North Western Railway on 1 September 1866 but demolished after passenger services were withdrawn in 1962 in preparation for the electrification of the West Coast Main Line (WCML). Various intentions have since been announced (but so far not carried out) to restore platforms to permit outer-suburban services to call at Willesden Junction.

★ The North London Line (NLL) station built across the WCML at right angles. This underwent radical alteration and repositioning during the WCML electrification.

★ The station serving the "New Line". This "Willesden New Station" was built to the north of the main line and originally had two (outer) through platforms and two (inner) bay platforms. Bakerloo line services on the New Line began on 10 May 1915.
The original platform numbering started on the main line platforms with the high numbers continuing onto the NLL and DC line, remaining unchanged on those lines for some years after the main line platforms passed into history.

The station today

The basic two-level arrangement (now without the main line platforms) remains.
At high level (street level relative to most of the surrounding area) are platforms 4 and 5, serving the North London Line and the West London Line; trains on the latter service reverse in a siding to the east of the station on the NLL.
At low level, roughly perpendicular to the high level platforms, are platforms 1-3. These consist of an island platform, the outer faces of which are platforms 1 & 3, containing two east-facing bay platforms. One of these bay platforms is platform 2; the other is disused, and has no track, no platform number, a railing along the platform edge, and a signal for platform 2 occupying the trackbed. Platforms 1 & 3 are served by the main Bakerloo Line and Silverlink services; platform 2 is too short for Bakerloo Line trains and is used only occasionally by Silverlink services at the start and end of the day. Bakerloo line trains that terminate at Willesden Junction continue to the north of the station, where they reverse. The bay is more commonly used for empty stock transfers between the depot and the North London Line and the Gospel Oak to Barking line, which use the link from the low level station to Kensal Rise. The northern part of the island narrows considerably, with the platform faces curving inwards.
There are currently no platforms on the WCML which is separated from the low level station by the approach road to Willesden Depot which is to the immediate south-east of the station.
From November 2007 DC line services through the station will be provided by Transport for London under the banner of the London Overground.

Services

The typical off-peak train service pattern per hour comprises:

★ 3 to London Euston

★ 9 to Elephant & Castle^[1]

★ 3 to Harrow & Wealdstone¹

★ 3 to Watford Junction (via Harrow & Wealdstone)

★ 4 to Richmond

★ 4 to Stratford

★ 2 to Clapham Junction

External links

Excel file displaying National Rail station usage information for 2005/06

★ London's Transport Museum Photographic Archive

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★ Train times and station information for Willesden Junction railway station from National Rail (Station code: WIJ)

Notes and references

1. Bakerloo line frequencies are variable and specific timetables are not listed.

'Current Arrangement'


'Future Arrangement after Shepherd's Bush opens
and London Overground services start'