West Finchley tube station
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
West Finchley | |
Location | |
---|---|
Place | Finchley |
Local authority | London Borough of Barnet |
Operations | |
Managed by | London Underground |
Platforms in use | 2 |
Annual entry/exit | 1.083 million |
Transport for London | |
Zone | 4 |
History | |
1933 1940 1941 |
Opened (LNER) Started (Northern Line) Ended (LNER) |
Transport for London List of London stations: Underground | National Rail |
West Finchley tube station is a London Underground station in the Finchley area of north London in the London Borough of Barnet.
The station is on the High Barnet branch of the Northern Line, between Finchley Central and Woodside Park stations, and in Travelcard Zone 4.
Contents |
[edit] History
The station was opened by the London & North Eastern Railway (LNER) in 1933 on the company's existing branch line to High Barnet. It opened to serve new housing developing in the area and was built with only modest station structures from the outset. The section of the High Barnet branch north of East Finchley was incorporated into the London Underground network through the "Northern Heights" project begun in the late 1930s. West Finchley station was first served by Northern Line trains in April 1940.
[edit] Transport links
No bus route serves the station directly but London bus route 326 bus goes quite near. This has encouraged use of the station, which was formerly under-used. Route 221 bus stops about 10 minutes walk from West Finchley Station.
[edit] Local information
The main entrance is in Nether Street; there is a small front garden between the pavement and the building containing the booking office, though it is not accessible to the public (there are high fences on each side of the path). Access to the north-bound platform by wheelchair and with push-chair is straight-forward, though it is necessary to cross a footbridge to reach the south-bound platform. Although there is an entrance directly onto the south-bound platform, it is only open during the morning rush hour. This small entrance was closed for security reasons during the weeks following the 7 July 2005 London bombings although it has now reopened.
The area surrounding the station is mainly residential, though there is a parade of shops just outside, as well as local play- and infant schools. The station is not particularly well attended, with the ticket office often closed, due to the low usage of the station, situated as it is in a relatively wealthy middle-class area, where most people prefer to use their own transport. In the rush hour the station has fairly good usage.
[edit] External links
London's Transport Museum Photographic Archive
- Station in 1935 during LNER period prior to London Transport's take over
- Station in 1944 showing LNER and London Underground signs
Previous station | London Underground | Next station | ||
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toward High Barnet
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Northern Line |
toward Morden or Kennington
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