West Hampstead tube station

History

The station was opened on 30 June 1879 by the Metropolitan Railway (now the Metropolitan line) when it extended its tracks from Swiss Cottage. The station acted as the temporary terminus of the branch until it was further extended to Willesden Green on 24 November that year. The original station had two tracks with facing platforms; the booking office was to the south of the current surface building location with separate stairs to each platform. Consequential to the extension of the Great Central Railway displacing the Metropolitan Railway toward the north, this construction was replaced by an island platform overlapping the position of the previous Up platform.

On 20 November 1939, most stopping services were transferred to the Bakerloo line when it took over operations on the Stanmore branch; at this time the platform was rebuilt in the Underground's standard style, but the station building was retained. Stopping services were transferred to the Jubilee line on 1 May 1979.{{citation

In 2003, Chiltern Railways unveiled a proposal for West Hampstead interchange, a development that would allow passenger interchange among five different Tube and railway lines. In 2008 it was proposed that the North and West London Light Railway could serve the station. The West Hampstead interchange proposal is now no longer possible, due to development in the area.

Step free access

Both the nearby Thameslink station and the Overground station were rebuilt and upgraded in 2011 and 2019 respectively, with step free access added to both stations.

Local community groups and politicians have pushed for step-free access to be provided at the Underground station. As part of the approval of redevelopment of the O2 Centre by developers Landsec in 2023, £10 million was secured for future step-free access at the Underground station. In July 2023, TfL announced that West Hampstead was one of several stations that could become step-free, depending on available funding. In 2025, a property developer proposed replacing light industrial units adjacent to the station with student accommodation and new homes. This proposal would allow for TfL to expand the station to provide step-free access, as well as widen the narrow pavement outside the entrance.

Access and interchanges

Due to stairs leading from the ticket hall to the platform, the station is not accessible. Facilities include an automatic ticket machine, two quick ticket machines, a ticket booth, countdown timers, a waiting room and both male and female toilets.

Most maps show the three stations as connections. Through ticketing is allowed.

Image gallery

Image:West Hampstead tube station northbound platform 2005-12-10.jpg|West Hampstead tube station northbound platform, December 2005. Image:West Hampstead Station - geograph.org.uk - 415221.jpg|West Hampstead tube station seen from the footbridge between Blackburn Road and Broadhurst Gardens, April 2007. Image:West Hampstead tube stn westbound look east.JPG|West Hampstead tube station westbound platform looking east, September 2008. Image:West Hampstead 180408 d.adkins.jpg|West Hampstead tube station, looking towards Kilburn, April 2008. Image:West Hampstead 006.jpg|West Hampstead tube station main entrance April 2009. Image:West Hampstead. Waiting Room.jpg|Waiting room.

Connections

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

References

References

1. {{citation London station interchange January 2016
2. Ordnance Survey 1:1056 mapping, 1893-1895 accessed via National Library of Scotland (nls.ac.uk)
3. (24 July 2003). "Super station waiting on the drawing board". New Journal Enterprises.
4. (2008). "Reducing Car Use: Proposals for a Brent Cross Railway". London Campaign for Better Transport.
5. "Thameslink station redevelopment gets go-ahead". New Civil Engineer.
6. Stonebanks, Mark. (2018-01-12). "No step closer to step-free access for West Hampstead tube station".
7. "Yet more delays to making underground station step-free".
8. (2023-03-31). "West Hampstead tube station to get step-free access".
9. (2023-07-11). "Ten London Underground stations reviewed for step-free access". BBC News.
10. (2 May 2025). "First images of possible step-free upgrade for West Hampstead tube station".