Harrow & Wealdstone station

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Harrow & Wealdstone
Location
Place	Wealdstone
Local authority	London Borough of Harrow
Operations
Managed by	Silverlink
Platforms in use	6
National Rail
Station code	HRW
Annual entry/exit	1.424 million *
Transport for London
Zone	5
Annual entry/exit	4.141 million †
History
1837 1890 1917 1952 1964 1982 1984	Opened (L&BR) Opened Stanmore branch (L&NwR) Started (Bakerloo Line) Train Crash Closed Stanmore branch (BR) Ended (Bakerloo Line) Restarted as terminus (Bakerloo Line)
Transport for London List of London stations: Underground | National Rail
† Data from Transport for London [1]
* based on sales of tickets in 2004/05 financial year which end or originate at this station. Disclaimer (PDF)
Tube Portal
BR Portal

Harrow & Wealdstone is a Network Rail station in Wealdstone, Greater London. It is served by National Rail and London Underground Bakerloo Line services. The station is located at the southern end of High Street, Wealdstone.

[edit] History

The station was opened by the London and Birmingham Railway (L&BR) as Harrow on 20 July 1837 in what was then rural Middlesex. At the time the station was built, the area was fields and the nearest large settlement was at Harrow-on-the-Hill about 1.5 miles to the south. Wealdstone was a collection of houses at the north end of what is now Wealdstone High Street, about 1 mile north of the station. The station buildings on the south-west (Harrow) side of the station are the older part of the station, located beside what were the fast lines until the platforms were used for the later Euston to Watford DC Line and the main line tracks were re-routed through the previous slow line platforms and newer platforms to the North-West; a newer station building was also erected on the Wealdstone side of the station. The station footbridge was originally constructed with a full-height central barrier with passengers using the "London" side and railway and postal staff using the "Country" side to move goods and mails via lifts which were removed in the early 1970s leaving two parcels elevators serving the DC line platforms for the remaining postal traffic.

On 18 December 1890, a short branch line was opened by the London & North Western Railway (L&NWR, successor to the L&BR) northwards to Belmont and Stanmore. Services to Belmont on the train known affectionately as the "Belmont Rattler".

By the end of the 19th century Wealdstone had developed in size and the station was given its current name on 1 May 1897 to more accurately reflect its location.

On 16 April 1917, Bakerloo Line services were extended from Willesden Junction to Watford Junction running on the newly electrified local tracks (the "New Lines", which were originally steam-worked) and calling at Harrow & Wealdstone from that date.

On 8 October 1952, the station was the site of a major rail accident in which 112 people were killed and 340 were injured when a Scottish express train collided with the rear of a local train stopped at platform 4. Seconds later a northbound express hauled by two locomotives collided with the wreckage causing further injury and demolished one span of the footbridge and the northern end of platforms 2 and 3. A memorial plaque was placed above the main entrance on the eastern side of the station to mark the 50th anniversary in 2002.

On 6 July 1964, the branch line was closed as part of the cuts of the Beeching Axe. The tracks were removed but the disused platform 7 on the eastern side of the station remains.

On 24 September 1982, Bakerloo Line services to Harrow & Wealdstone ended when operations on the line were withdrawn north of Stonebridge Park. The closure was short-lived, and the Bakerloo Line service to Harrow & Wealdstone was reinstated on 4 June 1984 with the station acting as the terminus.

[edit] The station today

Harrow and Wealdstone station with Virgin Pendolinos trains present due to a weekend with engineering works on the West Coast Main Line

The station has undergone several improvements in recent years, with the footbridge improved by removal of the central barrier to allow use of the full width, new lifts for the use of disabled persons, and newly painted and brightly illuminated waiting rooms. In recent years the two-track reversing siding (used for turning Bakerloo Line trains) located between the tracks of the DC line on the Watford side of the station have been replaced by a single siding and the curve at the Watford end of the Up DC platform was eased.

The station footbridge links both entrances and all platforms.

[edit] Future

The station will be managed by London Underground from November 2007. It will remain the property of Network Rail. ^[1] Passenger services currently operated by Silverlink will become part of the new London Overground.

[edit] Transport Connections

Bus routes 140 (24 hour), 182, 186, 258, 340, H9, H10 and night bus route N18 serve the station. All the buses that serve the station also serve Harrow Bus Station and Harrow on the Hill tube station but not all as direct services.

[edit] References

1. ^ Transport for London - Safety boost as London Underground to take control of eleven Silverlink Stations

[edit] External links

• London's Transport Museum Photographic Archive
  • Harrow & Wealdstone station, Harrow building at original main entry to station, 1925
  • Harrow & Wealdstone station, Wealdstone building, 1928
  • Harrow & Wealdstone station, Wealdstone building, 1930
  • Harrow & Wealdstone station, Wealdstone building, 1956
• Europe's history of rail disasters (BBC)
• Harrow and Wealdstone Disaster
• Train times and station information for Harrow and Wealdstone railway station from National Rail (Station code: HRW)

• Maps and aerial photos Coordinates: 51.592748° -0.335598°
  • Satellite image from WikiMapia or Google Map
  • Street map from Multimap or GlobalGuide
  • Aerial image from TerraServer