2019 - What is coming up

Happy New Year to all my blog readers, old and new!

2019 marks another interesting year for the London Underground and transport in general for London. I have also devised a 'bucket list' of transport related things I want to do or celebrate in 2019.

1) Use a Class 345 train

The central core of Crossrail (the Elizabeth line) is due to open in Autumn this year. Liverpool Street to Shenfield and Paddington to Heathrow sections of Crossrail are already operational under the banner of TfL Rail. Crossrail will operate using the new Class 345 trains, and although the first Class 345 train entered in service on 22 June 2017 on TfL Rail, I still have not used a Class 345. By the end of the year, all trains will be nine cars in length. Each train is capable of carrying up to 1,500 passengers and nine car trains are 205m long, nearly twice as long as the 108m long as the 1973 stock on the Piccadilly line or 1995 stock on the Northern line. So my first task on my bucket list is to use a Class 345 train.

2) 150 years of the Metropolitan District Railway

24 December 2018 marked the 150th anniversary of the opening of the Metropolitan District Railway between South Kensington and Westminster, which is now the District line. TfL have plans throughout 2019 to celebrate the history of the District line. I will try and attend as many of these events as I can, as well as marking my own celebrations of the District line. I still need to visit nine of the 60 stations on the line. Some of the stations I need to visit include Kensington (Olympia), Upminster and Elm Park.

3) 40 years of the Jubilee line

The Jubilee line is one of just two lines that I have visited every station, the other line being the Waterloo & City line. The Jubilee line officially opened on 30 April 1979 by the Prince of Wales, with passenger services starting on 1 May 1979. In the Spring I will ride the entire length of the Jubilee line and explain why I am really fond of the line. Also, later on in 2019 will mark 20 years since the Jubilee line extended from Charing Cross (the Jubilee line platforms here are now abandoned but used as a film set) to Stratford.

4) Visit the Epping Ongar Railway

In September 1994, London Underground withdrew services at Ongar and North Weald stations. An additional stop between these two stations, Blake Hall, closed in 1981. However, you can still ride between Ongar and Epping Forest (a few hundred metres from Epping station), with a stop at North Weald. The Epping Ongar heritage railway is open most weekends during the summer, and you can catch a heritage bus from Epping station. 2019 also marks 70 years of London Underground services at Epping and Debden.

5) Visit South Greenford

With just 26,502 passengers between 1 April 2017 and 31 March 2018, South Greenford is currently the least used railway station in London. South Greenford is situated on the Greenford branch line and is operated by Great Western Railway. The branch is served by one train that goes back and forth providing a train every half an hour in both directions.

6) 10 years of Woolwich Arsenal DLR

In January 2009, the Docklands Light Railway extended from King George V to Woolwich Arsenal. The DLR services officially opened on 12 January 2009. Due to the river Thames, DLR trains from Woolwich Arsenal depart in an eastbound direction. Although I am a predominantly a London Underground enthusiast, I do enjoy spending time riding on the DLR. I have visited 27 of the 45 DLR stations, in 2019 I will continue to visit more stations, including Woolwich Arsenal. 

7) Visit the trams

Although I have visited every London Underground south of the river Thames (just 27), I still have not visited the Tramlink that serves Croydon and other areas of South London. Comprising of 39 stations and 28km of track, Tramlink began operation in 2000. It has been something I have wanted to do for a while. In May 2017 when I visited stations on the Wimbledon branch, I nearly caught a tram but I decided to also do the Richmond branch in the same day. In 2019 it is a goal to use a Tramlink.





2019 will be another exciting year for my blog and transport in London in general. I have seven tasks to look forward to this year, as well as continuing to visit all 270 London Underground stations - I have currently visited 206. If you can think of any other exciting transport events coming up in 2019 or have a challenge for me to complete, please do not hesitate to get in touch! My twitter is @tubespottingdan or please comment below.

The London Underground and football

I recently visited the National Football Museum in Manchester and a London Transport poster from 1934 inspired me to write a blog post on how two of my favourite things, football and the London Underground, are interlinked. With 11 football league teams in London, 17 non-league teams in tiers 5-7, and Wembley stadium, between August and May it is almost impossible to use the London Underground without bumping into football fans. This post will point out the interesting history of how football has shaped the London Underground, and also how the London Underground has shaped football. So whether you are a London Underground enthusiast or user that hates football fans, or a football fan that dreads using the London Underground, you both have each other to thank. 

I start this journey dedicated to the beautiful game by talking about a team that infamously moved across London, Arsenal. In 1886, Dial Square, which later became Royal Arsenal and later Woolwich Arsenal, was founded in south-east London. However, in 1913, the club moved from south-east London to Highbury in north London and was simply named The Arsenal (however, The was gradually dropped). Arsenal's new ground in north London was located close to Gillespie Road on the Picaddilly line. However, in 1932 the Arsenal chairman, Herbet Chapman led a campaign to change the name of Gillespie Road to Arsenal (Highbury Hill), which by the 1960s became simply Arsenal. This means that Arsenal station is the only London Underground station to be directly named after a football club.

Why should you visit Arsenal station? I think there are two reasons you should visit. Firstly, the tilling on the platform still reads Gillespie Road. Secondly, all classic London Underground logos have the diamonds above and below the letters fall in between each letter, except at Arsenal, where the diamonds are evenly spread out and thus break this rule. Arsenal recently moved stadiums to The Emirates, which is close to Holloway Road station. On match days this station is closed before and after the game, but you should visit this station because bizarrely an experimental spiral escalator system was trailed here in the early 1900s, but it did not work. The remains of this escalator can be found at the London Transport Museum Depot in Acton.      

Moving across to west London, where we stop off at the capital's first football club, Fulham. Formed in 1879 as Fulham St. Andrew's Church Sunday School F.C., Craven Cottage on the banks of the river Thames has been Fulham's home since 1896. Craven Cottage is a short walk away from one of my favourite London Underground stations, Putney Bridge. The station opened in 1880 as Putney Bridge & Fulham when the District Railway extended their line from West Brompton. In 1898 the line extended to Wimbledon over a gorgeous railway bridge that is well worth checking out. The station features charming waiting rooms, original roundels and exits and entrances that are only used on Fulham match days. 

Just two stops north of Putney Bridge is Fulham Broadway, the nearest station to the only team in London to have won the Champions League, Chelsea. Chelsea have played all 113 years of their history at the nearby Stamford Bridge, a former FA Cup final venue. Despite their name suggesting they are in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Chelsea F.C. is located in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Fulham Broadway was originally called Walham Green and did not get its current name until 1952. 

Being the closest stadium to central London has had an impact on the history of Fulham Broadway station. When Chelsea started playing at Stamford Bridge in 1905, Harry W Ford designed a new station building to accommodate for large crowds attending the football. In 2003 the station building closed as a new entrance was built in Fulham Broadway shopping centre, as well as the match day only entrance. On match days, if you are coming from central London, I suggest you board the rear of the train as this is nearer the matchday entrance. Due to the crowds of people, if you are at the front of the train you can still be trying to make your way down the platform as another train pulls up. The old station building has recently been converted as a new market space with plenty of food and drink. You can now buy a pint from an original ticket booth.  

Currently a non-league football club, Leyton Orient is the capitals second oldest football club. Despite playing in Homerton, Clapton and Lea Bridge, and having multiple names, the O's settled in Brisbane Road in 1937. Despite playing 112 years in the football league, Leyton Orient were infamously relegated to the national league in 2017. Brisbane Road, or the Breyer Group Stadium for sponsorship purposes, is a charming stadium with plenty of character, and has often sold out this season. The nearest station to the Orient is Leyton on the Central line, which is located in the ward of Cathall. Leyton station on the outside appears quite boring, but I am rather fond of the platforms. There is also a great view of the station from the nearby footbridge on Langthorne Road. 

Another non-league club, Barnet are located close to Canons Park on the much loved Jubilee line. Barnet moved over five miles from Underhill Stadium to The Hive Stadium in 2013. In 1991, Barnet became the first team from London to be promoted from the football conference into the football league. Despite being located to a football stadium, with an average of 1.68m passengers a year, Canons Park is the least used station on the Jubilee line. 

Moving away from non-league to another London top-flight club is West Ham United. Like Barnet, West Ham United have recently moved into a new stadium. West Ham made the three miles move from the Boleyn Ground to the London Stadium in 2016, which is located a short walk from Stratford station, and Pudding Mill Lane on the DLR. Due to the London Stadium being located in short proximity to the busy Westfield Stratford shopping centre, West Ham will never play a home game on Boxing Day. Stratford is a busy station, being served by the Central line, terminus of the Jubilee line, DLR and TfL rail. This station also features the shortest escalator on the London Underground and is also one of only two examples of where you get an escalator up to a London Underground platform, the other being at Greenford. 

Taking the Central line from Stratford across London we end up at White City, another station located near to a Westfield shopping centre. Queen's Park Rangers were founded in 1882 and after 13 different home stadiums, the R's moved into Loftus Road in 1917 (QPR also played at the White City stadium, the 1908 Olympic stadium, in 1931-1933 and 1962-1963). This area of west London has an interesting history with multiple stations. White City was opened in 1947 after replacing the former Wood Lane station a short walk away. A new Wood Lane station opened in 2008 on the Hammersmith and City line, and the Circle line in 2009, and is the latest station to open on the network. In 2009 White City won a National Railway Heritage Award for the modernisation works that were completed in 2008, preserving heritage and architectural features. 

Staying in west London, Brentford have spent 114 of their 129-year history at Griffin Park. Griffin Park is famous for having a pub in each of its four corners. Griffin Park is located a short walk from three stations on the Piccadilly line; South Ealing, Northfields and Boston Manor. Despite South Ealing being the closest London Underground station, Boston Manor has painted the platform poles to black and yellow as a reference to Brentford's nickname, The Bees. Brentford is looking at moving from Griffin Park to the Brentford Community Stadium that is currently under construction. Brentford would likely be sharing this ground with the rugby club London Irish, and the 17,250 seater stadium is due to be opened in 2020. This stadium is located near Kew Bridge national rail station. The London Borough of Hounslow Council have been pushing for an extension of Crossrail to Hounslow to incorporate the stadium with a stop at Kew Bridge. 

At the time of writing Tottenham Hotspur currently play their home matches at Wembley Stadium. This is due to their new 62,000 capacity stadium still being under construction.  The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is on the site of the club's former home for 118 years, White Hart Lane. Seven Sisters is the nearest London Underground station to the ground. The station got its name from seven elm trees which stood near Page Green and opened 50 years ago this year in 1968. Seven Sisters station also features wayfinding directions on the platform for 'Tottenham Hotspur football ground' and 'Trains to White Hart Lane'. White Hart Lane London Overground station is about 200m to the ground, closer than  Seven Sisters. There are plans to introduce a new entrance and improve the ticket hall area to cope with increased crowd numbers. There are also ongoing talks by the club to rename the station to 'Tottenham Hotspur'. 

The other football league clubs in London, Crystal Palace, Millwall, Charlton and AFC Wimbledon, are significantly closer to national rail or London Overground stations than London Underground stations. It comes as no surprise that all of the football league clubs that are not near London Underground stations are located in south London as just 29 of the 270 Lonon Underground stations are south of the river Thames. 

Finally, I could not write a blog post about how railways have shaped football, and how football has shaped railways, without mentioning Wembley Park station and the iconic Wembley Stadium. There would not have been a 90,000 seater stadium, the Wembley Arena, the home of national football, a university or a box park (that opened in December 2018) in north-west London if it was not for Sir Edward Watkin and the Metropolitan Railway. Watkin was the chairman of the Metropolitan Railway and eight other railway companies, and he wanted to increase passenger numbers by giving people a reason to travel by railway, so he created Wembley Park. Wembley Park was a pleasure garden with lake, cricket pitches and waterfalls. The park opened in 1894 and attracted over 100,000 visitors within the first three months. Wembley Park station officially opened in 1894, however, it received a Saturday only service from October 1893 so people could access the sports facilities. 

However, a park was not ambitious enough for Watkin. Inspired by major engineering project involving steel such as Tower Bridge, Blackpool Tower, Crystal Palace and the Eiffel Tower, Watkins lead the construction of Watkins Tower. This octagonal tower was designed to be 370m tall and to rival the Eiffel Tower. Due to costs instead of having eight legs as originally planned, it was to have four. However, by September 1894 Watkin retired due to ill health and due to the tower having fewer legs than originally planned, the structure started sinking. By 1899 the company financing the project goes into liquidation and by 1902 it was deemed unsafe and by 1907 the tower was completely demolished. But it is not all bad news, the park continued to thrive, with the addition of more facilities and even a golf course in 1912. After World War One, the British Empire wanted to host an exhibition about the empire, they decided to pick Wembley as the host, which lead to the construction of the Empire Stadium. The stadium had a capacity of 127,000, was iconic for the twin towers and was on the site of the demolished tower. The stadium opened in 1923 but was later renamed to Wembley Stadium and has hosted numerous events such as being the home of the FA Cup final, the 1948 Olympics, 1966 World Cup Final, Euro 96 Final and Live Aid. 

Wembley Stadium closed in 2000 to allow for the construction of a new stadium. Whilst constructing the new Wembley Stadium they found the foundations of Watkin's Tower. The new Wembley Stadium has a capacity of 90,000, the largest in the United Kingdom, is still the host of the FA Cup Final, hosted football for the 2012 Olympics, hosted the 2011 and 2013 Champions League Final's, and will host the semi-finals and finals of Euro 2020. The Stadium is still served by Wembley Park and would not be there if it was not for the railways and Sir Edward Watkin. 

23/270 - Stanmore

Since 1932, Stanmore has been the terminus for three different London Underground lines; the Metropolitan, Bakerloo and Jubilee lines. With 3.92m exits in 2017, Stanmore is the second least used zone 5 terminating station, with Cockfosters only receiving 1.93m exits in the same time. 

Stanmore station opened as the terminus of the Stanmore branch of the Metropolitan line in December 1932. The station building was designed by Charles W. Clarke, who spent two decades designing 25 stations on the Metropolitan line. Five of these stations are now listed buildings, including Farringdon. Clarke mastered the architectural difference between central London stations and the more rural stations on the Metropolitan line in the suburban Metro-land. At the time of opening, Stanmore was classed as a rural station, which is now hard to believe if you visit. 

In November 1939, despite plans to extend the Metropolitan line further north, an alternative to the northern heights extension,  the Stanmore branch and the stations between Wembley Park and Finchley Central were transferred to being operated by the Bakerloo line. In May 1979 the Jubilee line opened as a result of congestion in the Baker Street area due to two branches of the Bakerloo line, this subsequently led to Stanmore being the terminus of a third line. In October 2016, Stanmore started receiving Night Tube services, with six trains per hour travelling into London. 

Stanmore has spent the majority of its history with just two platforms. However, in 2005 TfL began the construction of a third platform to increase the number of services on the busy Jubilee line. Despite having just 27 stations, the Jubilee line is, in fact, the third busiest line, connecting North West London with the city, the west end, busy stations such as Waterloo and London Bridge, the financial district of Canary Wharf and Stratford. Construction work of the third platform was finally completed in 2009 but was not open for usage until 2011 due to new signalling works. 

This platform features one of London Underground's most interesting waiting rooms. This is not because it is glamours like at Barkingside, but because Stanmore simply does not need a waiting room. Because Stanmore is a terminating station, and with three platforms, there is almost always a train about to depart into London, therefore passengers will head towards a train and not need to use the waiting room. 

Overall, Stanmore is an interesting station that has been the terminating station of three different lines throughout its 86 year history. Come to Stanmore and see if you can spot somebody using the waiting room?

22/270 - Walthamstow Central

There is more to Walthamstow Central than being the northern terminus of the Victoria line. Walthamstow Central has become a station that I now frequently use in recent months, and with over 22 million passengers using the station in 2016, it is the most used zone 3 terminus station on the network. 

Welcome to Walthamstow. Walthamstow was originally Wilcumestowe, meaning the holy place with a welcome. There has been a railway station here since April 1870, originally called Hoe Street, when the Great Eastern Railway opened a line from Lea Bridge to the temporary station, Shern Hall Street. Shern Hall Street was replaced by the present day Wood Street station when the Great Eastern Railway gradually introduced a line from Bethnal Green to Chingford between 1872 and 1873, through the station at Hoe Street. The line was then electrified in the 1960s, but the spur from Lea Bridge station was removed in 1967 due to low passenger numbers.

Lea Bridge is an interesting station too. The station building was built on a road bridge across the railway in the 1840s and is thought to be the first of its kind. Originally opened as Lea Bridge Road in September 1840, by 1841 it was renamed Lea Bridge. In the 1930s the station received services from Liverpool Street, via. Stratford, to Hetford East and Palace Gardens. The station was damaged by a fire in March 1944, and by 1976 the station was unstaffed. By this time services were removed and the only service that served the station was from Tottenham Hale to North Woolwich, via Stratford, when this service was withdrawn, the station was closed and the station building was demolished. A new service in 2005 from Stratford saw regular passenger trans passing through the closed station, and the station was reopened in May 2016 and saw over 350,000 passengers in the 2016-17 figures. 

However, back in Walthamstow, as Lea Bridge closed, a major infrastructure project was about to open, the Victoria Line. In September 1967, the Victoria Line opened between Highbury & Islington and the newly renamed Walthamstow Central. The Victoria Line was extended to Brixton by 1971. Walthamstow Central was never supposed to be the terminus of the Victoria line, the original plans were to have the terminating station at Wood Street. However, in 1961 before construction began, it was decided that Walthamstow Central was to become the terminating station. 

This new line linked five mainline stations and seven London Underground lines across the city, and in 2018 the only station on the line that does not link with any national rail, London Underground lines or London Overground services is Pimlico.

2018 marks the 50th anniversary of the Victoria line, and it is safe to say it is a very popular line, in terms of usership and tube enthusiasts. Despite Victoria line stations looking similar in terms of layout, each station has an individual tile motif. The motif at Walthamstow Central is inspired by William Morris, an artist, textile designer, poet and social activist  who was born in Walthamstow. You can visit his childhood home in nearby Lloyd Park where this is an art gallery dedicated to his life and work. 

I also need to mention the nearby Walthamstow Queen's Road station. Observant passengers may have noticed that on the tube map, Walthamstow Central also linked with Walthamstow Queen's Road. A station was opened 300 meters away from Hoe Street, called Walthamstow, in July 1894 and is part of the Gospel Oak to Barking Line, commonly known as the GOBLIN. To avoid confusion, the station was reamed in May 1968 just before the Victoria line opened. The two stations are now connected by a footpath that opened in 2014 called Ray Dudley Way, named after a member of the Barking-Gospel Oak Line User Group who campaigned for a link between the two stations.

If you are a tube enthusiast who also enjoys the London Overground and railways, then I highly recommend visiting Walthamstow where you can enjoy all three easily. For more information on transport in the area, visit the Walthamstow Pump House museum where there is an original 1968 Victoria line tube car, a model London 'B' type bus (which was built in Walthamstow) and a machine workshop. With the nearby William Morris Gallery in Lloyd Park, the Walthamstow Wetlands, the longest outdoor street market in Europe and Waltham Forest being the first Borough of Culture in 2019, there is plenty to do in the area as well. 

21/270 - Balham

Balham station has an interesting history and has perhaps the best London Underground fact I have found so far on my travels. Balham comprises of a National Rail station and a London Underground station that is served by the Northern line. It is the only Northern line station on the Modern branch to link up with a National Rail station. 

The original railway station opened in December 1856 as Balham Hill on the West End of London and Crystal Palace Railway. Three years later the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway purchased the line after its extension to Pimlico. The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway decided to relocate the station as part of works to widen the line and increase capacity. 

The new station was named Balham after the relocation in 1863, however, it was renamed Balham and Upper Tooting in March 1927 but reverted back to Balham in October 1969. In the early 20th century, the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway was electrified, and works began at Balham in 1913. The First World War interrupted these works, and they were not completed until 1925. However, in 1921 the line became part of the Southern Railway, and they required further electrification works, which took place between June 1928 and September 1929. 

Balham received an underground service in 1926 as part of the extension of the City & South London Railway, which became the Northern line, from Clapham Common to Morden. Seven stations opened as part of the extension in 1926, but six of them opened on 13 September 1926. However, Balham was the station that did not open in September but instead opened on 6 December 1926. 

All the station buildings on the extension in 1926, including Balham, were designed by Charles Holden. I have mentioned Charles Holden numerous times in this blog and made reference to his design classics such as Gants Hill and Southgate. Designing these stations was the first major project he had on the London Underground. Balham features entrances on the east and west side of Balham High Road, and they are both linked by a subway, both buildings became Grade II listed in June 1987.

Balham, like many deep tube stations, became a public air raid shelter during the Second World War. On the evening of 14 October 1940, a bomb dropped on the road above the station. This bomb created a crater and a bus crashed, which lead to the partial collapse of the northbound platforms and killed 66 people. The northern line was closed between Tooting Bec and Clapham Common for repair works and was reopened in January 1941. In 2000, a memorial plaque was installed in the ticket hall at Balham station. The bombing features in Ian McEwan's novel, Atonement, but he miscited the date as September 1940. 

Balham station features perhaps the best fact I have found on my travels on the London Underground. Balham is the only station name on the entire London Underground network that does not feature any of the letters in the word 'underground'. 

I highly recommend a trip on the Morden branch of the Northern line, and especially recommend visiting Balham for its rich history. 

Victoria Line Motifs

Today, 1 September 2018, marks the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Victoria line, as the line originally opened between Walthamstow Central and Highbury & Islington. Regular and observant users of the Victoria line may have noticed that each station on the line features different tile motifs at platform level. Each motif is related to the station's local area or simply a 'play on words', with some being more cryptic than others. This blog post will explore the reasons behind the motifs at each station.

The Victoria line is rather uninformed compared to most other lines, with each station, expect Pimlico, featuring platform humps. All sixteen stations on the line feature underground platforms, making the Victoria line one of only two lines to have their platforms entirely underground, the other being the Waterloo & City line.

Brixton

Starting from the southern terminus of the Victoria line, Brixton's motif is the first example of a clever play on words rather than being related to the local area. The motif resembles a pile of neatly stacked bricks, or perhaps a ton of brix. Brixton is the 19th most used station on the entire network and the busiest terminating station, with 33.46m individual users in 2016. The tracks continue south of the station so two trains can sleep here at night, and become the first northern bound trains in the next morning. The station building at Brixton features the largest roundel on the network.

Stockwell

Stockwell's motif is perhaps one of the most difficult to spot unless you are an avid enthusiast of the London Underground or know the local area well. The tiles are arranged in a pattern symbolic of a swan, with the beak forming in the top left-hand side of the motif. The reason a swan was chosen is due to the popular 'The Swan' pub located near Stockwell station. Stockwell was one of eight London Underground stations to have adjacent deep-level air-raid shelters constructed during World War Two. The shelter could accommodate up to 4000 people and was used for one year during the war. Opening in 1890, the station is also served by the Northern line and required significant upgrades to accommodate the construction of the Victoria Line.

Vauxhall

The motif at Vauxhall station is another difficult pattern to spot. The tiles are arranged to represent a bench in a park, which is a reference to the nearby Vauxhall pleasure gardens. The gardens were very popular in the 18th and 19th Century, but slowly started to close in the 1840s, and now only a small part remains. The station opened in July 1848 by the London and South Western Railway and became part of the London Underground network in 1971 as the Victoria line extended south from Victoria to Brixton.

Pimlico

The motif at Pimlico station features 150 yellow dots, which represents modern art, a reference to the nearby Tate Britain art gallery. Pimlico is the only station to be served entirely by the Victoria line as it does not interchange with another London Underground lines, London Overground services or National Rail services. In 2015, Pimlico station was chosen as a test for the Wayfindr app, which provides assistance for visually impaired passengers. Also, Pimlico was the last station to open on the Victoria line in September 1972. 

Victoria

The motif at Victoria station is the first obvious pattern. The tiles are arranged in a silhouette of Queen Victoria, the second longest reigning British monarch. Victoria station opened in 1860 as a railway station by the London Brighton & Sout Coast Railway. Two years later, the London, Chatham and Dover Railway and the Great Western Railway started operating services from its own station. This split is still seen today. The station joined the London Underground network in 1868 as the District Railway opened their first section between South Kensington and Westminster. The Victoria line started operating services here in 1969. Upgrades and expansion of the London Underground station will be completed in 2018.

Green Park

The tiles at Green Park station represent a birds-eye view of the nearby Green Park. The station is popular with tourists, being close to the Ritz Hotel, Bond Street and Fortnum & Mason. Green Park is also one of two stations that serve the popular tourist attraction, Buckingham Palace, the other station being St James's Park. Originally named Dover Street, the station opened in 1906 by the Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway, which became the Piccadilly line. The station extended in the 1960s and 70s to accommodate for the Victoria line (1969) and Jubilee line (1979).

Oxford Circus

Oxford Circus is one of London's busiest Underground stations. With 84.09m entries and exits in 2017, Oxford Circus is currently the third most used station on the network. As well as experiencing millions of entries and exits, the station also serves as a major interchange, which is the basis behind the tile motif. The coloured circles represent the three lines that serve Oxford Circus, the Victoria line, Central line and Bakerloo line, with the white circle representing the tube shaped tunnel. There are twice as many blue circles than red or brown, which is a reference to the motif being located on the Victoria line platforms. The motif is also replicated in the ticket hall at Oxford Circus station.

Warren Street

Warren Street was originally named Euston Road, and you can still evidence of this in the tiles on the Northern line platforms. The station received its current name in 1908, just one year after opening as part of the Charing Cross, Euston & Hampstead Railway, which later became the Northern line. The motif at Warren Street is another example of play on words, as it depicts a maze, which is often called a warren. Try and solve the maze in the motif, as it is possible. The northbound Northern line was a film set for the 1972 horror film Death Line. In 2012, Warren Street became the first London Underground Wi-Fi enabled station. 

Euston

Despite being one of my least favourite national railway stations, the tile motif at Euston is one of my favourites. The motif is a reference to the arch that was once the entrance to the mainline railway station. The arch was built in 1837 but was sadly demolished in the 1960s as the station was largely rebuilt. There are proposals to reconstruct a similar arch as part of the High Speed 2 station redevelopments, to mark the station being the London terminus. It is not just High Speed 2 that will provide new services to the station, the proposed Crossrail 2 will also interchange with the existing services that include the Northern line, national rail, London Overground and of course the Victoria line. 

King's Cross St. Pancras

Did you know that there are twenty escalators in the King's Cross St. Pancras underground station, which is the joint highest with Waterloo? King's Cross St. Pancras is an interesting station for tube enthusiasts. Because of the size of the station and its complex nature, it is littered with shortcuts, that goes against the platform signage. For example, there is a well-known shortcut between the Northern line and Victoria line at King's Cross St. Pancras. The motif, however, has quite a simple clue. There are five crowns, a symbol of the monarch (or a king), and they are arranged in a cross. 

Highbury & Islington 

The tile motif at Highbury & Islington is another reference to a historic site, this time the former Highbury Manor. During the peasants' revolt of 1381 around 20,000 rioters destroyed the manor. The Lord at the time, Robert Hales was captured and beheaded on Tower Hill. The station was originally named Highbury, and it was not until 1922 when the station was renamed Highbury & Islington. 

Finsbury Park

With 31.22m passengers in 2016, Finsbury Park is the busiest station on the network where you can get to platform level without going through ticket barriers. Yet again, the motif at Finsbury Park features another historical reference with the two pistols representing duels that happened in this area when it was outside the boundaries of London. This, however, was a mistake by the artist, who was thinking of Finsbury Fields. The Great Northern Railway opened the station as Seven Sisters Road in 1861 but was later renamed Finsbury park in 1869. 

Seven Sisters

Similar to Brixton, Victoria, Warren Street and King's Cross St. Pancras, the motif at Seven Sisters is another example of play on words, as it features seven trees. The station took its name from the seven elm trees that once stood where the Seven Sisters Road, built in the 1830s, met with Ermine Street. The station is located near Tottenham Hotspurs stadium, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which is due to open sometime in the 2018/19 football season. 

Tottenham Hale

Four of London's last remaining Trolleybus poles stood near the station entrance at Tottenham, unfortunately, these were removed in 2016. The motif at Tottenham Hale is a reference to the nearby river Lea, with a ferryman taking a passenger across the water. There is some debate about the meaning behind Hale in the station name, with some believing it is a reference to somebody Haling, or calling, a ferryman. Cyrill Harris in his excellent What's in a name?, however, states that the Hale "derived from the Old English heath 'a corner of land.'" There are plans to upgrade Tottenham Hale by creating a new entrance, increasing the concourse capacity and providing an easier interchange between the Victoria line and national rail services.

Blackhorse Road

The penultimate motif is the final motif that is a play on name, with the tiles resembling a black horse. If you exit the station, there is an impressive Blackhorse by David McFall on the station building which is worth taking a look at. The station takes its name from the nearby Blackhorse Lane, which was recorded as Black House Lane in 1848. With 9 million users in 2017, Blackhorse Road is the least used station on the Victoria line. 

Walthamstow Central

If you have found some of the other motifs easy to spot, how about at the final stop on the Victoria line, Walthamstow Central? Unless you are a huge fan of the London Underground, or a local to Walthamstow, you may not realise that the motif is an example of a piece of work by William Morris. William Morris was a famous textile designer, poet, novelist and social activist who was born in Walthamstow. He moved to Water House aged 13, which you can now visit in Lloyd Park, where there is a gallery dedicated to his life and work. The station was originally named Walthamstow (Hoe Street) when it was opened by the Great Eastern Railway in 1870. The station was renamed Walthamstow Central in May 1968, just in time for the opening of the Victoria line 50 years ago today. 

20/270 - Mill Hill East

Consisting of just one platform, Mill Hill East is the least used station on the Northern line, however, it was never supposed to be like this. Opening in 1867 on the Edgware, Highgate and London Railway (EH&LR), World War Two had an influential impact on railways in this part of north London. The approach to the station, on the Dollis Brook Viaduct, is the highest point above ground on the London Underground.

The EH&LR built a branch line between Finsbury Park and Edgware in the 1860s, however, the line was purchased by the Great Northern Railway who operated services from King’s Cross through Finsbury Park and on to Potters Bar. Mill Hill East was originally called Mill Hill. This section of railway was intended to be double track, but only a single track was laid as the Great Northern Railway prioritised building a double track formation on the more popular Finsbury Park to High Barnet line in 1872. The formation of the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) in the 1920s, which took over Great Northern Railway services, saw Mill Hill change its name to Mill Hill East in 1928.

The London Passenger Transport Board announced a plan to take over some LNER lines in 1935, which became known as the North Heights project. As works began between Finchley Central and Edgware in 1938, the outbreak of World War Two considerably slowed progress, and only the single track between Finchley Central and Mill Hill East was electrified. This work was mainly completed to provide a service to the nearby Inglis Barracks. The electrification of the single branch line was completed by 1941 when the station re-opened as part of the Northern Line. 

After World War Two, a review of the North Heights project was conducted, but the majority of funds was spent on London Underground maintenance. As a result, works were never re-started, although the line between Finchley Central and Edgware appeared on London Underground maps as under construction until the 1950s. 

The building at Mill Hill East is the original EH&LR station building, and as a result is one of the oldest parts of the London Underground system. 2007 saw refurbishment of the station, with new CCTV cameras, help points and re-decoration of walls and floors. 

Mill Hill East receives a service every 11 to 15 minutes, with shuttle services off-peak to Finchley Central. During peak hours, Northern Line trains do extend to Morden. Mill Hill East is well worth a visit. The station building is impressive and historic, and it is interesting to think railways in this area could have been very different. 

19/270 - Southgate

Southgate Station's impressive exterior

Unless you have been living under a rock, the big news is London is still celebrating England reaching the semi-final of the world cup, the first time in 28 years. With this in mind, there really was only one station to visit today, Southgate. Opening in 1933, Southgate station is another example of the brilliance of Charles Holden. Holden made huge influences on the London Underground, but the Piccadilly line features some of his finest work, and Southgate is often regarded as one of his best.

The Piccadilly line extended from Arnos Grove to Enfield West (now Oakwood) in March 1933, with Southgate being the only stop in between. The Piccadilly line finally reached Cockfosters in July 1933, despite a severe recession that threatened the expansion project. During the same period, the Piccadilly line expanded west to Hounslow. Before opening, the station had alternative names proposed such as Southgate Central and Chase Side, but Southgate is the only name the station has ever had. When the station opened on 13 March 1933, local residents were given a free return journey to Piccadilly Circus. 

Original uplighting at Southgate station

The station is famous for its Art Deco and Streamline Moderne design, influenced by Charles Holden. By using a perfect blend of reinforced concrete and glass, Holden designed 47 stations in London, and 26 are on the Piccadilly line. The impressive circular flat-roof is supported by a central column in the ticket hall. The top of the building features an illuminated Tesla coil, which is worth seeing at night time. The station is circular to allow for an outer-ring of shops, offices, toilets and staff rooms. The escalators at Southgate feature original up-lighting. 

The Westbound platform at Southgate station

The station is not without change, however. In 2008, the station received new tiling at the platform level, a new ticket hall floor and modern signage throughout the station. Southgate station won the National Railway Heritage Award in 2008 for the modernisation of a heritage station. Furthermore, between all the underground stations between Finsbury Park and Cockfosters on the Piccadilly line feature their own unique colour scheme, albeit subtle, this was to help illiterate passengers, similar to the more famous unique tiling patterns of Piccadilly line stations in central London.  The subtle colour at Southgate station is yellow.

Southgate station is the northernmost station on the London Underground network to have underground platforms, this is due to the hill the station building is located on. Interestingly, the platforms at Southgate station are labelled 'Westbound' and 'Eastbound', however, the 'Westbound' platforms run south-east and the 'Eastbound' platforms run north-west. 

As the nation sings 'Southgate you're the one' as Gareth Southgate and the England team are making history, now is a perfect time to visit one of London's most treasured stations. Try and visit at night time, you will not be disappointed. 

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