View source for Harrow & Wealdstone station

{{short description|London Underground and railway station}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2012}}
{{Infobox London station
| name              = Harrow & Wealdstone
| image_name        = Harrow & Wealdstone station 20180210 111121 (49431313742).jpg
| caption           = Harrow & Wealdstone station entrance from The Bridge
| manager           = [[London Underground]]<ref name="silverlink">{{cite web 
<!-- url was url=http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/media/newscentre/archive/3736.aspx -->
<!-- then moved to year/month -->
| url=http://www.tfl.gov.uk/info-for/media/press-releases/2006/december/safety-boost-as-london-underground-to-take-control-of-11-silverlink-stations
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141213023532/http://www.tfl.gov.uk/info-for/media/press-releases/2006/december/safety-boost-as-london-underground-to-take-control-of-11-silverlink-stations
| archive-date=13 December 2014
| title=Safety boost as London Underground to take control of 11 Silverlink stations | publisher=[[Transport for London]]| date=5 December 2006| access-date=19 February 2015}}</ref>
| owner             = [[Network Rail]]
| fare_zone         = 5
| symbol            = underground
| symbol2           = overground
| symbol3           = rail
| locale            = [[Wealdstone]]
| borough           = [[London Borough of Harrow]]
| years1            = 20 July 1837
| years2            = 18 December 1890
| years3            = 16 April 1917
| years4            = 8 October 1952
| years5            = 5 October 1964
| years6            = 24 September 1982
| years7            = 4 June 1984
| events1           = Opened (L&BR)
| events2           = Opened [[Stanmore branch line]] (L&NwR)
| events3           = Started (Bakerloo line)
| events4           = Train crash
| events5           = Closed [[Stanmore branch line]] (BR)
| events6           = Ended (Bakerloo line)
| events7           = Restarted as terminus (Bakerloo line)
| listing_detail    = East side/bridge<br />West side/platforms
| listing_grade     = II
| listing_start     = 6 September 1989<br />13 July 1990
| listing_amended   =
| listing_entry     = 1253982<ref>{{ NHLE
  | num        = 1253982
  | desc       = Harrow and Wealdstone Station
  | access-date = 14 November 2012 }}</ref><br />1253986
| listing_reference = <ref>{{ NHLE
  | num        = 1253986
  | desc       = Station platform buildings at Harrow and Wealdstone Railway Station...
  | access-date = 14 November 2012 }}</ref>
| platforms         = 6
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| railcode          = HRW
| dft_category      = C1
| coordinates       = {{coord|51.5925|-0.3355|type:railwaystation_region:GB|display=inline,title}}
| access            = yes
| access_note       = <ref>{{citation step free tube map}}</ref>
}}
'''Harrow & Wealdstone''' is a [[London Underground]] and railway station on the [[Watford DC line]] and [[West Coast Main Line]] in [[Harrow, London|Harrow]] and [[Wealdstone]] in the [[London Borough of Harrow]]. It is {{convert|11|mi|30|chlk|km|2}} on the line from [[London Euston station]].<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.railwaycodes.org.uk/elrs/_mileages/l/lec1.shtm| title = LEC1 mileages}} </ref> It is also the northern terminus of the [[Bakerloo line]] and the next station towards south is [[Kenton station|Kenton]].

It is served by [[London Underground]] (Bakerloo line), [[London Overground]], [[West Midlands Trains|London Northwestern Railway]], and [[Southern (train operating company)|Southern]] services. The station is located between The Bridge (which joins the southern end of High Street) and Sandridge Close, with entrances leading to both. It is one of the oldest stations in the London region in existence.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.montcalm.co.uk/blog/connecting-london-the-5-oldest-railway-stations/| title = Connecting London: the 5 oldest railway stations - Montcalm Blog| date = 20 January 2015}} </ref>

The [[Harrow and Wealdstone rail crash]] of 1952, which killed 112 people, occurred at the station. It remains Britain's worst peacetime rail disaster.

==History==
{{maplink |frame=yes |frame-align=left |frame-width=240 |frame-height=180 |type=point |marker=rail |marker-color=<!--Default--> |zoom=15 |text=Location of the Harrow & Wealdstone station }}
[[File:Harrow and Wealdstone station 1916.png|thumb|left|Harrow & Wealdstone station in 1916]]
The station was opened by the [[London and Birmingham Railway]] (L&BR) as '''Harrow''' on 20 July 1837 in what was then rural [[Middlesex]].<ref name=Name>{{cite book |last=Harris |first=Cyril M. |title = What's in a name? |publisher = Capital Transport |orig-year=1977 |year=2006 |pages=33 |isbn=1-85414-241-0}}</ref> At the time the station was built, the area was fields and the nearest large settlement was at [[Harrow on the Hill]] about {{convert|1.5|mi|km}} to the south. Wealdstone was a collection of houses at the north end of what is now Wealdstone High Street, about {{convert|1|mi|km}} 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 new platforms (numbers 5 and 6) to the north east; a new, larger, station building was also erected on this Wealdstone side of the station in 1912.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/h/harrow_wealdstone/| title = Disused Stations: Harrow & Wealdstone Station}} </ref> 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 mail via lifts which were removed in the early 1970s, leaving two parcel elevators serving the DC line platforms for the remaining postal traffic.

On 18 December 1890, a short branch line known as the [[Stanmore branch line]] was opened by the [[London and North Western Railway|London & North Western Railway]] (LNWR, successor to the L&BR). It ran {{convert|2.12|mi}} north-east from the main line to [[Stanmore Village railway station|Stanmore]]. In 1932 an intermediate halt was constructed as [[Belmont railway station, Harrow|Belmont]] to serve the developing residential areas locally. The train was 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 reflect more accurately its location.<ref name=Name/>

On 16 April 1917, Bakerloo line services were extended from [[Willesden Junction station|Willesden Junction]] to [[Watford Junction railway station|Watford Junction]] running on the newly electrified local tracks (the [[Watford DC line|''"New Lines"'']], which were originally steam-worked) and calling at Harrow & Wealdstone from that date.<ref name=rose>{{cite book |last=Rose |first=Douglas |title=The London Underground, A Diagrammatic History |year=1999 |publisher=Douglas Rose/Capital Transport |isbn=1-85414-219-4 }}</ref>

On 15 September 1952, the passenger service to Stanmore – by then renamed Stanmore Village to avoid confusion with the [[Metropolitan Railway]]'s (later [[Bakerloo line|Bakerloo]], and now [[Jubilee line|Jubilee]]) station opened in 1934 – was withdrawn. Freight traffic (particularly the storage of bananas) continued sporadically until 1964.

[[File:Oerlikon electric train at Harrow and Wealdstone.jpg|thumb|left|[[LNWR electric units|Oerlikon electric train]] at Harrow & Wealdstone, 11 March 1956]]

During the early 1960s, as part of the [[West Coast Main Line]] electrification, the bridge carrying the A409 road (The Bridge/Station Approach) over the railway was rebuilt easing the previous severe road gradients and offering higher clearance over the tracks to allow for overhead catenary cabling.

On 5 October 1964, all services on the branch line to Belmont were withdrawn as part of the cuts of the [[Beeching Axe]]. The permanent way north of Harrow and Wealdstone station was removed but the disused platform 7 on the eastern side of the station was left in place as a siding for a further few years until it too was removed.

On 24 September 1982, Bakerloo line services to Harrow & Wealdstone ended when services north of [[Stonebridge Park station|Stonebridge Park]] were ended.<ref name=rose/> However the closure was short-lived, and the Bakerloo line to Harrow & Wealdstone was reinstated on 4 June 1984 with the station acting as the terminus.<ref name=rose/>

In the 1990s major reconstruction of local roads made to by-pass High Street, Wealdstone sent a new road (Ellen Webb Drive) through what remained of the station goods yard and part of the forecourt of the eastern entrance (1917) to the station.

==Accidents and incidents==
*On 7 August 1838 [[Harrow train accident 1838|Thomas Port]] was fatally injured when he fell from a train and was run over about {{convert|1+1/4|mi|km|0}} south of the station.
*In 1870, a mail train was in a rear-end collision with a freight train. Eight people were killed,<ref name=Hall>{{cite book |last=Hall |first=Stanley |title=The Railway Detectives |year=1990 |publisher=Ian Allan |location=London |isbn=0-7110-1929-0 |page=40 }}</ref> including the cricketer [[James Rowley (cricketer)|James Rowley]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7pSixsFKYncC |title=Law and Police |date=1871-08-05 |work=[[The Illustrated London News]] |page=122 |access-date=2019-07-25}}</ref>
*On 8 October 1952, the station witnessed [[Harrow and Wealdstone rail crash|Britain's worst train crash]] in peacetime when 112 people were killed and 340 were injured as a result of a Scottish express train colliding with the rear of a local train standing 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.

==Facilities==
[[File:Harrowandwealdstone1.jpg|left|thumb|Harrow and Wealdstone station, with the DC electric platforms to the left, and main line fast platforms to the right.]]
[[File:Harrow and Wealdstone station MMB 07.jpg|thumb|left|Main line platforms]]
[[File:Harrow & Wealdstone station (6394829949).jpg|thumb|Entrance from Sandridge Close, part of the original station building]]
[[File:Harrow & Wealdstone railway station 3.jpg|thumb|The station exterior clock as seen from The Bridge]]
The station has undergone several improvements in recent years: removal of the central barrier to allow use of the full width of the footbridge (which links both entrances and all platforms); new [[elevator|lifts]] for the use of disabled persons; newly painted and brightly-illuminated waiting rooms. When the line was resignalled with standard BR signalling in the 1980s, the two reversing sidings (used for turning Bakerloo line trains and occasionally DC line trains) located between the tracks of the DC line at the northern end side of the station were replaced by a single siding. This allowed the curve at the northern end of platform 2 to be eased using the space vacated by the removed siding. In practice, the remaining siding became unavailable for use by LO trains except when Bakerloo trains are not running as current (2018) service levels means that the siding is not sufficient for the reversing of Bakerloo trains, some trains have to reverse in platform 1 as well. Harrow and Wealdstone (together with Willesden Junction) is one of the two stations on the DC line which can be used for turning or stabling trains clear of the running lines during reduced or disrupted services although trains can be reversed using crossovers at other stations.

Ticket gatelines have been installed at both entrances in addition to the pre-existing booking offices

Trains on the fast lines pass the station through platforms 3 & 4, usually without stopping to serve it; access to these platforms is now by staff-operated gates which are opened when necessary. [[Southern (train operating company)|Southern]] and [[West Midlands Trains|London Northwestern Railway]] stopping services generally use platforms 5 & 6 on the slow lines but all can use either pair of platforms when needed since the four main line platforms were lengthened to take 12-coach trains. Platform 2 on the Up DC line has unusually been maintained at a length of 182m<ref>Network Rail – LNW South Route Sectional Appendix</ref> rather than the usual DC line length of around 125m, long enough for an 8-coach train; on rare past occasions in recent years involving total closure of the fast and slow lines, main line trains have been diverted over the DC line between Watford Junction and Euston but without stopping at intermediate stations.

==Services==
{{Overground RDT}}
{{Watford Junction-East Croydon service RDT}}

===Main line services===
Main line [[National Rail]] services at Harrow & Wealdstone are operated by [[West Midlands Trains|London Northwestern Railway]] and [[Southern (Govia Thameslink Railway)|Southern]].

The typical off-peak service in trains per hour is:<ref>{{NRtimes|December 2022|66, 176}}</ref>
* 4 tph to [[Euston railway station|London Euston]] (non-stop)
* 1 tph to {{stn|East Croydon}} via {{stn|Kensington (Olympia)}}
* 1 tph to {{stnlnk|Watford Junction}}
* 2 tph to {{stnlnk|Tring}} (semi-fast)
* 2 tph to {{stnlnk|Milton Keynes Central}} (stopping)

On Sundays, the semi-fast services between London Euston and Tring do not run and the service to East Croydon runs only as far as {{stnlnk|Clapham Junction}}.

===Local services (DC line)===

Local services at Harrow & Wealdstone are operated by [[London Overground]] and by [[London Underground]] on the [[Bakerloo line]].

The typical off-peak service in trains per hour is:<ref>{{NRtimes|December 2022|60}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://tfl.gov.uk/tube/timetable/bakerloo/|title=Bakerloo line timetable|work=[[Transport for London]]|access-date=22 March 2022}}</ref>
* 4 tph to [[Euston railway station|London Euston]] (all stations)
* 4 tph to [[Elephant & Castle tube station|Elephant & Castle]] (all stations)
* 4 tph to {{stnlnk|Watford Junction}} (all stations)

{{Adjacent stations|noclear=y
|system1=London Overground
|line1=Watford DC|left1=Headstone Lane|right1=Kenton
|system2=London Underground
|line2=Bakerloo|right2=Kenton
|system3=National Rail
|note-row3=
{{rail line|previous={{stnlnk|Bushey}} <br/> or <br/> {{stnlnk|Watford Junction}}|next=[[Euston railway station|London Euston]]|route=[[West Midlands Trains|London Northwestern Railway]] <br/> {{smalldiv|[[West Coast Main Line]]}}|col={{LNW colour}} }}
|note-row4=
{{s-rail-national|previous=Watford Junction|next=Wembley Central|toc=Southern|route={{smalldiv|[[West London Line]]}}}}
|header5 = Historical railways
|system6=London Underground|hide-system6=y
|line6=Bakerloo|left6=Headstone Lane|right6=Kenton|to-left6=Watford Junction|note-mid6=(1917–1982)
|note-row7=
{{s-rail-national|previous=Hatch End|next=Wembley Central|toc=LNWR |route={{smalldiv|[[West Coast Main Line]]}}|status=Historical}}
|note-row8=
{{rail line|previous={{rws|Willesden}}|next= [[Watford railway station (1837–1858)|Watford]]<br /><small>old station</small> |route=[[London and Birmingham Railway]]|col={{LNWR colour}} }}
|header9 = Disused railways
{{rail line|previous=|next=[[Belmont (Harrow) railway station|Belmont]]|route=[[London Midland Region of British Railways|British Railways]]<br />{{smalldiv|[[Stanmore Branch Line]]}}|col={{BR(LM) colour}} }}
}}

==Future proposals==
===Crossrail===
[[Network Rail]]'s July 2011 London & South East [[Route Utilisation Strategy]] (RUS) recommended diverting [[West Coast Main Line]] (WCML) services from stations between London and {{rws|Milton Keynes Central}} away from [[Euston railway station|Euston]], to Crossrail via Old Oak Common, to free up capacity at Euston for [[High Speed 2]]. This would provide a direct service from the WCML to the [[Shenfield railway station|Shenfield]], [[Canary Wharf railway station|Canary Wharf]] and [[Abbey Wood railway station|Abbey Wood]], release London Underground capacity at Euston, make better use of Crossrail's capacity west of Paddington, and improve access to Heathrow Airport from the north.<ref name="rus2011-2">[[#RUS2011|Rail Utilisation Strategy, 2011]], pp. 150.</ref> Under this scheme, all Crossrail trains would continue west of Paddington, instead of some of them terminating there. They would serve Heathrow Airport (10 tph), stations to Maidenhead and Reading (6 tph), and stations to Milton Keynes Central (8 tph).<ref>{{cite news |title='Emerging scenario' suggests Crossrail to the West Coast Main Line |work =Rail |location =Peterborough |page=8 |date=10 August 2011 }}</ref>

In August 2014, a statement by the transport secretary [[Patrick McLoughlin]] indicated that the government was actively evaluating the extension of Crossrail as far as {{rws|Tring}}, with potential Crossrail stops at Harrow & Wealdstone, {{rws|Watford Junction}}, {{rws|Hemel Hempstead}}, {{rws|Berkhamsted}} and {{rws|Tring}}. The extension would relieve some pressure from London Underground and London Euston station while also increasing connectivity. Conditions to the extension are that any extra services would not affect the planned service pattern for confirmed routes, as well as affordability.<ref name="Crossrail Tring">{{cite news|title=Crossrail extension to Hertfordshire being considered|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-28680186|access-date=7 August 2014|publisher=BBC News|date=7 August 2014}}</ref><ref name=guardian-crossrail-0814>{{cite news|last1=Topham|first1=Gwyn|title=New Crossrail route mooted from Hertfordshire into London|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/aug/07/crossrail-hertfordshire-london-euston-tring-hemel-hempstead|access-date=12 August 2014|work=The Guardian|date=7 August 2014}}</ref>

==Access and connections==
The TfL ''[http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/standard-tube-map.pdf Getting Around]'' map shows this station as having disabled access (platform 1 does not involve the use of a lift when entering/leaving the Harrow entrance nor does platform 6 using the Wealdstone entrance).

The station is at the southern end of [[Wealdstone]] High Street; it is a short distance from [[Harrow Civic Centre]] and less than a mile from [[Harrow, London|Harrow]] town centre. The station serves these areas as well as [[Belmont, Harrow|Belmont]] and [[Harrow Weald]], both of which lack stations of their own, and parts of [[Headstone, London|Headstone]] and [[Kenton, London|Kenton]]. [[London Buses]] routes 140, 182, 186, 258, 340, 640, H9, H10, and night routes N18 and N140 serve the station.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Harrow & Wealdstone station}}
{{stn art lnk|HRW}}
* [https://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/collections/collections-online/photographs London Transport Museum Photographic Archive]
** {{LTM archive|1998-89605|Harrow & Wealdstone station, Harrow building at original main entry to station, 1925}}
** {{LTM archive|1998-89601|Harrow & Wealdstone station, Wealdstone building, 1928}}
** {{LTM archive|1999-20120|Harrow & Wealdstone station, Wealdstone building, 1930}}
** {{LTM archive|1998-72177|Harrow & Wealdstone station, Wealdstone building, 1956}}
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/1018401.stm  Europe's history of rail disasters (BBC)]
*[http://britishrailways.tripod.com/harrow.html  Harrow and Wealdstone Disaster]

{{Bakerloo line navbox}}
{{London Overground navbox|Serving=y|Watford=y}}
{{TSGN and SE Stations|West London=y|FCC None=y|SE None=y}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Harrow and Wealdstone station}}
[[Category:Railway stations in the London Borough of Harrow]]
[[Category:DfT Category C1 stations]]
[[Category:Tube stations in the London Borough of Harrow]]
[[Category:Former London and Birmingham Railway stations]]
[[Category:Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1837]]
[[Category:Bakerloo line stations]]
[[Category:Railway stations served by London Overground]]
[[Category:Railway stations served by West Midlands Trains]]
[[Category:Railway stations served by Govia Thameslink Railway]]
[[Category:Grade II listed buildings in the London Borough of Harrow]]
[[Category:Stations on the West Coast Main Line]]