West Hampstead Thameslink railway station
West Hampstead Thameslink  | |
|---|---|
 New station building which opened in November 2011 | |
| Location | West Hampstead |
| Local authority | London Borough of Camden |
| Managed by | First Capital Connect |
| Station code(s) | WHP |
| Number of platforms | 4 |
| Accessible | Yes |
| Fare zone | 2 |
| OSI | West Hampstead LU West Hampstead NR[1] |
| National Rail annual entry and exit | |
| 2004–05 |  0.484 million[2] |
| 2005–06 | 0.594 million[2] |
| 2006–07 | 3.049 million[2] |
| 2007–08 |  2.721 million[2] |
| 2008–09 | 2.318 million[2] |
| – interchange | 0.139 million[2] |
| 2010–11 | 2.576 million[2] |
| – interchange | 0.413 million[2] |
| 2011–12 | 2.778 million[2] |
| – interchange | 0.533 million[2] |
| Railway companies | |
| Original company | Midland Railway |
| Pre-grouping | Midland Railway |
| Post-grouping | London, Midland and Scottish Railway |
| Key dates | |
| 1 March 1871 | Opened as West End for Kilburn and Hampstead |
| 1 July 1903 | Renamed West End |
| 1 April 1904 | Renamed West End and Brondesbury |
| 1 September 1905 | Renamed West Hampstead |
| 25 September 1950 | Renamed West Hampstead Midland |
| 16 May 1988 | Renamed West Hampstead Thameslink |
| Other information | |
| External links | |
 London transport portal | |
West Hampstead Thameslink is a National Rail station on the Midland Main Line and is served by First Capital Connect trains as part of the Thameslink Line service between Kentish Town and Cricklewood. The station is in Travelcard Zone 2. East Midlands Trains InterCity services from Leeds, Sheffield and Leicester run through at high speed, but do not stop. Interchange with InterCity services can be made at Luton and St Pancras International.
History
The station was built by the Midland Railway on its extension to St. Pancras, to serve the newly-developed area around the hamlet of West End. It opened on 1 March 1871, and was originally named West End for Kilburn and Hampstead.[3]
For a short period from 1878 the station formed part of the Super Outer Circle, Midland trains running through from St Pancras to Earl's Court via Acton Central and Turnham Green.[4]
It was renamed several times: to West End on 1 July 1903; to West End and Brondesbury on 1 April 1904; to West Hampstead on 1 September 1905; West Hampstead Midland on 25 September 1950; and finally West Hampstead Thameslink on 16 May 1988.[3] It was popular for many years for people taking a day out on Hampstead Heath and those visiting the chalybeate springs in Hampstead itself.[5]
Oyster Pay as you go was introduced in late 2007.
From March 2009, Southeastern and First Capital Connect began running some peak hour trains from Sevenoaks to Luton,[6] though in the off-peak these services turn back at Kentish Town.
Current developments
As part of the Thameslink Programme the platforms have been extended to allow trains of twelve carriages and also a new larger enclosed station footbridge with lifts to all platforms accessible from Iverson Road to the south. A new ticket office has been constructed, which opened in December 2011, and the pavement along Iverson Road and onto West End Lane has been widened with the removal of pedestrian pinch-points. The original Black Path access point that connects to the original footbridge, reopened on Monday 30 January 2012 with a new ticket gate enclosure to make the station more secure.
Stations in West Hampstead | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Proposed developments
West Hampstead station linkage
The present arrangement of three separate stations (Thameslink, Overground and Jubilee line) means that passengers wishing to change lines must walk along or cross West End Lane, a busy main road. A redevelopment proposal was put forward in 2004 by Chiltern Railways which would link the three West Hampstead stations with subterranean walkways. New platforms would be built for the Chiltern Main Line, and possibly also for the Metropolitan line, and the Thameslink and London Overground (formerly Silverlink) stations would be relocated on the east side of West End Lane.[7] The redevelopment would involve demolishing existing buildings and the redevelopment of West End Lane as "a tree-lined boulevard".[8][9] The plans were put on hold in 2007 due to uncertainty over the North London Line rail franchise.[10]
Additional Thameslink services
Additional trains from destinations across the larger Thameslink network may call at the station from 2018.[11]
Transport links
London bus route 139, 328 and C11.
Services
The station is currently only served by First Capital Connect trains from Sutton to St Albans and Luton.
Trains between Bedford and Brighton and Inter-city trains operated by East Midlands Trains regularly rush through the station but do not stop.
| Preceding station |  National Rail
|
Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Pancras International or Kentish Town |
First Capital Connect Thameslink |
St Albans City or Cricklewood | ||
| Historical railways | ||||
| Cricklewood | Midland Railway Dudding Hill Line |
Finchley Road | ||
References
- ^ "Out-of-Station Interchanges" (Microsoft Excel). Transport for London. 2 January 2016. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Estimates of station usage". Rail statistics. Office of Rail Regulation. Please note: Some methodology may vary year on year.
- ^ a b Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations. Yeovil: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 245. ISBN 1-85260-508-1. R508.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - ^ "Circle Line". Clive's UndergrounD Line Guides. Retrieved 30 December 2009.
- ^ Radford, B., (1983) Midland Line Memories: a Pictorial History of the Midland Railway Main Line Between London (St Pancras) & Derby London: Bloomsbury Books
- ^ Train Times - Thameslink Route (PDF). First Capital Connect. 2009. p. 52. Retrieved 16 March 2009.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - ^ "Planning Framework for West Hampstead Interchange Area Appendix 2". London Borough of Camden. 19 April 2005. p. 25. Retrieved 29 July 2008.
- ^ "West Hampstead Interchange". AlwaysTouchOut.com. 11 January 2006. Retrieved 29 July 2008.
- ^ "West Hampstead Interchange Draft Planning Framework". London Borough of Camden. 19 April 2005. Retrieved 29 July 2008.
- ^ "Station interchange plans put on hold". Camden New Journal. 15 March 2007. Retrieved 29 July 2008.
- ^ Thameslink Programme: FAQs
