West Hampstead Thameslink railway station

West Hampstead Thameslink
New station building which opened in November 2011
West Hampstead Thameslink Location of West Hampstead Thameslink in Greater London
Location	West Hampstead
Local authority	London Borough of Camden
Managed by	Thameslink
Station code	WHP
DfT category	E
Number of platforms	4
Accessible	Yes
Fare zone	2
OSI	West Hampstead [1] West Hampstead
National Rail annual entry and exit
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]
2012–13	2.817 million[2]
— interchange	0.510 million[2]
2013–14	3.289 million[2]
— interchange	0.678 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
Lists of stations	DLR Underground National Rail Tramlink
External links	Departures Layout Facilities Buses
London Transport portal UK Railways portalCoordinates: 51°32′54″N 0°11′35″W / 51.5484°N 0.1930°W / 51.5484; -0.1930

West Hampstead Thameslink is a National Rail station on the Midland Main Line and is served by Thameslink trains as part of the Thameslink route 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

First Capital Connect EMU 319368 calls with a Sutton Loop service.

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 Thameslink began running some peak hour trains from Sevenoaks to Luton,^[6] though in the off-peak these services turn back at Kentish Town.

Stations in West Hampstead

Legend Very generally: South - North Chiltern Main Line to Birmingham Jubilee and Metropolitan lines Thameslink and Midland Main Line ◄ North London Line to Richmond Overground and TLK stations West Hampstead(on West End Lane} Underground Finchley Road OSI Finchley Road (MR) (1868-1927) Finchley Road & Frognal OSI North London Line to Stratford To St Pancras LU to Baker Street Chiltern Main Line to Marylebone  OSI = Interchange is allowed  between these two stations

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]

Connections

London Buses routes 139; 328 and C11 serve the station.

Services

As its name suggest, West Hampstead Thameslink is on the Thameslink route, operated by Thameslink. The station is served at all times of the day with an hourly service at night between Bedford and Three Bridges. Off peak, six trains per hour calls, four running between Luton/St Albans to Sutton plus a half hourly Bedford to Brighton service. At peak hours some Sevenoaks, Rochester and Ashford International trains also serves the station operated jointly by Thameslink. There is also an hourly service to Sevenoaks during the off peak starting from West Hampstead Thameslink.^[12]

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
St Albans City		Thameslink Thameslink		St Pancras International
Cricklewood or Terminus		Thameslink Thameslink (Local)		Kentish Town
	Historical railways
Cricklewood		Midland Railway Dudding Hill Line		Finchley Road

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to West Hampstead Thameslink railway station.