115-852: Watford Junction is a railway station serving the town of Watford in Hertfordshire , England. The station is on the West Coast Main Line (WCML), 17 miles 34 chains (28 km) from London Euston and the Abbey Line , a branch line to St Albans . It is also the northern terminus of the Lioness line of the London Overground , which operates via the Watford DC line into central London. Journeys into London take between 16 and 52 minutes, depending on
230-450: A Class 350 electric multiple unit on the 06:42 service from Milton Keynes Central to London Euston, operated by London Midland struck the door of a lineside equipment cabinet and suffered damage to a set of doors; however, no one was killed or injured. The RAIB investigated the incident, and concluded that the lineside cabinet door had not been properly secured during maintenance work the previous night. The investigation also noted that
345-431: A local board of health was established for the town. The local board district covered part of the parish of Watford and part of the neighbouring parish of Bushey . The Watford Local Board District came into effect on 15 August 1850, and the first board was elected the following month. The local board was responsible for building the town's waterworks and sewers. For a time the board held its meetings at an upper room of
460-408: A broken rail. The last three carriages became divided from the train as it entered the station. One of them ended up on the platform. A passing express passenger train grazed the wreckage but only received minor damage. Fifteen people were injured. On 23 January 1975, an express train from Manchester to Euston derailed just south of Watford Junction after striking some stillages that had fallen on to
575-540: A community centre, cricket squares, football pitches and Woodside Leisure Centre. Woodside Stadium is home to Watford Harriers Athletics Club and hosts national level events such as the British Milers Club Grand Prix. There are 92 nationally listed buildings in Watford. These include St Mary's Church , which dates to the 12th century, and Holy Rood Church which dates to 1890. St Mary's
690-512: A connection from Aylesbury to London Euston, has been supported by the transport advocacy group Greengauge 21 . A 2006 report by Hertfordshire County Council mentioned the possibility of a link running as far as Amersham . A Draft Rail Strategy consultation published by Hertfordshire County Council in June 2015 again considered light rail proposals for the Abbey Line but also recommended that
805-606: A deep cutting which was accessed via a staircase. In its 21 years of operation, it also served as a station for royalty; in the short period when the Dowager Queen Adelaide was resident at Cassiobury House (c.1846-49), this station was remodelled to provide her with a royal waiting room, and it was also reportedly used by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert on a trip to visit Sir Robert Peel in November 1843, when they travelled by road from Windsor Castle to take
920-502: A direct link from stations such as Watford Junction to West End stations such as Tottenham Court Road and would alleviate congestion at Euston station; Crossrail services currently planned to terminate at Paddington due to capacity constraints would also be able to continue further east, allowing for a more efficient use of the line. This proposal has not been officially confirmed or funded, although an announcement made in August 2014 by
1035-654: A fire on a train at Oxford Circus station caused disruption on the Bakerloo line. A number of people were treated for the effects of smoke inhalation. Operation of the northern section of the line may be changed following the decision in February 2006 to transfer responsibility for Euston-Watford suburban services (on the Watford DC Line ) from the Department for Transport to Transport for London (TfL). This
1150-518: A further extension along the Mid-Kent line to Hayes and Beckenham Junction . This could occur following the completion of the extension to Lewisham. Estimated to cost between £4.7bn to £7.9bn (in 2017 prices), the extension would take around 7 years to construct. Due to TfL's poor finances following the COVID-19 pandemic , work to implement the extension is currently on hold. The Bakerloo line
1265-540: A larger Muslim and Hindu population than the average. Watford has two tiers of local government, at district (borough) and county level: Watford Borough Council and Hertfordshire County Council . Watford is one of only 15 authorities in England and Wales headed by a directly elected mayor . Dorothy Thornhill was the first directly elected mayor of Watford , elected in May 2002 and re-elected in May 2006 and May 2010. She
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#17327759071551380-407: A new, larger station at Watford Junction approximately 200 metres (220 yd) further south-east. The old station house still stands today; it is a Grade-II-listed building, now in the middle of a high density housing development, it and was for many years a second-hand car dealership. Watford Junction railway station is situated to the north east of the town centre. These developments gave
1495-589: A process of ordering new rolling stock to replace trains on the Piccadilly, Central, Bakerloo and Waterloo & City lines. A feasibility study into the new trains showed that new generation trains and re-signalling could increase capacity on the Bakerloo line by 25%, with 27 trains per hour. In June 2018, the Siemens Mobility Inspiro design was selected. These trains would have an open gangway design, wider doorways, air conditioning and
1610-464: A rare surviving example of architecture from the beginning of the railway age; today, the building is occupied by a second-hand car dealership. In 1862, the Watford and Rickmansworth Railway opened a route from Watford to Rickmansworth (Church Street) . Now mostly closed, this route began by running south and west to a more central station on Watford's High Street , which remains in use. From 1846,
1725-568: A result, work on the line was stopped for a few months and did not resume until Charles Yerkes and UERL stepped in and took over the project. By 1913, the line had been extended westward from its original northern terminus at Baker Street, with interchange stations with the Great Central Railway at Marylebone and with the Great Western Railway at Paddington , and a new station at Edgware Road . In 1915,
1840-456: A single parish called Watford. Watford became a municipal borough on 18 October 1922 when it was granted a charter of incorporation. The council was granted a coat of arms on 16 October 1922, two days before it became a borough. Upton House at 14 High Street continued to serve as the meeting place and offices for Watford Urban District Council and then Watford Borough Council until 1940. In 1938 work began on building Watford Town Hall at
1955-420: A single terminating bay now mostly used by Southern services. The station forecourt was extensively remodelled in 2013; the horseshoe-shaped taxi rank was moved to the side of the building, creating a larger pedestrian area in front of the station entrance, and the bus station enlarged. Due to problems with the road layout, buses were unable to gain access to the bus station, and there were problems with access to
2070-441: A train from Watford to Tamworth . The old station closed when it was replaced by a new, larger station, which opened on 5 May 1858. The new Watford Junction station was located south of St Albans Road in order to accommodate the newly constructed branch line to St Albans. The junction station was rebuilt in 1909, and was extensively redeveloped in the 1980s. The Grade-II-listed Old Station House still stands at 147A St Albans Road,
2185-462: A wide berth to the Cassiobury and Grove estates. Consequently, although the road and canal follow the easier valley route, the railway company was forced to build an expensive tunnel under Leavesden to the north of the town. Watford's original railway station opened in 1837 on the west side of St Albans Road, a small, single-storey red-brick building. It closed in 1858 when it was replaced by
2300-756: Is Grade II listed and was built in the 1830s by the London and Birmingham Railway. It crosses a traffic island at the bottom of the Lower High Street. A short distance north-west, the Colne Viaduct crosses the river on the outskirts of town, after which the railway enters Watford Tunnel ; the south face of the original tunnels is ornately decorated and a listed building. There are ten conservation areas in Watford; one Grade II Listed Park, and 240 locally listed buildings. Bakerloo line The Bakerloo line ( / ˌ b eɪ k ər ˈ l uː / )
2415-528: Is a London Underground line that runs from Harrow & Wealdstone in suburban north-west London to Elephant & Castle in south London, via the West End . Printed in brown on the Tube map , it serves 25 stations, 15 of which are underground, over 23.2 kilometres (14.4 mi). It runs partly on the surface and partly through deep-level tube tunnels. The line's name is a portmanteau of its original name,
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#17327759071552530-727: Is also served by an hourly semi-fast service between London Euston and Birmingham New Street via Northampton which runs non-stop to and from London Euston. Additional services call during the peak hours. Southern services at Watford Junction are operated using Class 377 EMUs . The station is served by one train per hour to and from East Croydon via Kensington (Olympia) . Avanti West Coast services at Watford Junction are operated using Class 221 DEMUs and Class 390 EMUs . Southbound services call to set down passengers only and northbound services call to pick up passengers only. This means that Avanti West Coast services cannot be used for travel to and from London Euston. The station
2645-523: Is believed to be the combination of 'caeg', a person's name, and 'hoe', meaning a spur of land. When the land was granted to Sir Richard Morrison in the 16th century, it was called 'Cayshobury', with 'bury' indicating a manor. Cassiobury Park was formed from the grounds of Cassiobury House and consists of 190 acres (0.77 km ) of open space. The house was demolished in 1927 and the Cassiobury Gates in 1970, for road widening. In July 2007,
2760-663: Is noted for its interior which was renovated in 1850 by the architect George Gilbert Scott and includes fine oak pews decorated in the Gothic Revival style. It also contains the Essex Chapel, which served at the burial place of the nobility of the Cassiobury Estate, including the Earls of Essex . The chapel contains a number of large, ornate marble tombs and memorials dating from the 16th century and later, and
2875-470: Is now the London Overground service from Euston station; this service uses these DC lines for its all-stations local service. Oyster card capability was extended to this station on 11 November 2007 on both the London Overground and Southern ; it was extended to London Midland services on 18 November 2007. However, the station is outside London fare zones 1–9 and special fares apply. With
2990-556: Is operated entirely by 1972 Stock , displaced from the Jubilee line by 1983 stock . The trains are maintained at Stonebridge Park depot. All Bakerloo line trains are painted in the London Underground livery of red, white and blue, and are the smaller of the two train sizes used on the network, as the line runs deep underground in small-diameter tunnels. In the early 2000s, the interiors of the trains were 'deep-cleaned' and
3105-483: Is separated from Greater London to the south by Three Rivers District . Watford Borough Council is the local authority with the Mayor of Watford as its head – one of only 18 directly elected mayors in England and Wales . There is evidence of some limited prehistoric occupation around the Watford area, with a few Celtic and Roman finds, though there is no evidence of a settlement until much later. Watford stands where
3220-417: Is served by one train per hour in each direction to and from London Euston with northbound services generally alternating between running to Edinburgh Waverley or Glasgow Central every two hours. The station is served by two trains per day that run to and from Blackpool North instead of Glasgow Central. Additional services call during the peak hours. Watford Junction is also served in both directions by
3335-409: Is used to mean the north of England, especially a place remote from London. An alternative variant phrase, North of Watford Junction , was used with similar meaning in the past, referring to Watford Junction railway station. The expression reflects the station's position as the last urban stop on the main railway line out of London to the north of England. In more recent years, it has been suggested that
3450-552: The Baker Street and Waterloo Railway . From Queen's Park to Harrow & Wealdstone (the section above ground), the line shares tracks with the London Overground Lioness line and runs parallel to the West Coast Main Line . There is, however, a short tunnel at the western end of Kensal Green . Opened between 1906 and 1915, many of its stations retain elements of their design to a common standard:
3565-825: The A4008 M1 link road. This scheme is currently in the Pre-Qualification pool, where to achieve funding a case for selection must be submitted and if successful the Watford Station redevelopments will be moved into the Development Pool where more than 24 transport projects will compete for about £600 million. A proposal called the Croxley Rail Link - later the Metropolitan Line Extension - would have diverted
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3680-602: The Crossrail lines then under construction in central London to be extended northwards into Hertfordshire via Watford Junction, with Tring and Milton Keynes identified as potential termini. The report recommends the addition of a tunnel in the vicinity of a proposed station at Old Oak Common connecting the Crossrail route to the West Coast Main line. The diversion of rail services through central London would enable
3795-600: The Grand Junction Canal (now Grand Union Canal ) from 1798 and the London and Birmingham Railway from 1837, both located here for the same reasons the road had followed centuries before, seeking an easy gradient over the Chiltern Hills. The land-owning interests permitted the canal to follow closely by the river Gade, but the prospect of smoke-emitting steam trains drove them to ensure the railway gave
3910-537: The London and Birmingham Railway in 1837 resulted in Watford's rapid growth, with paper-making mills such as John Dickinson at Croxley, influencing the development of printing in the town. Two brewers, Benskins and Sedgwicks , amalgamated and flourished in the town until their closure in the late 20th century. Hertfordshire County Council designates Watford to be a major sub-regional centre. Several head offices are based in Watford. International conferences and sporting events have also taken place in Watford, including
4025-525: The Lowland Caledonian Sleeper service between London Euston , Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Central which runs on Sunday-Friday nights. The Caledonian Sleeper service also cannot be used for travel to and from London Euston. The Highland Caledonian Sleeper service does not call at Watford Junction. Platform Usage: (Platform 5 was used by the Bakerloo line services of the London Underground until 1982, and removed as part of
4140-530: The Metropolitan line 's Watford branch via the disused Croxley Green branch to terminate at Watford Junction. It was expected to open to passenger service in 2020, but due to funding issues, the project has been halted. The London and South East Route Utilisation Strategy document published by Network Rail in July 2011 makes several suggestions for improving services to and from Watford Junction, to link
4255-530: The Piccadilly line by Cammell Laird in Nottingham in 1919 were transferred to the Bakerloo line. When built, these had been the first Tube trains to have air-operated doors. These were later replaced by more trains of Standard Stock, in turn being replaced by 1938 stock and 1949 stock . Until the 1980s, the Bakerloo line was mainly worked by 1938 stock. 1972 stock operated briefly on the line during
4370-605: The River Colne could be crossed on an ancient trackway from the southeast to the northwest. Watford's High Street follows the line of part of this route. The town was located on the first dry ground above the marshy edges of the River Colne. The name Watford may have arisen from the Old English for "waet" (full of water – the area was marshy), or "wath" (hunting), and ford . St Albans Abbey claimed rights to
4485-1062: The West London line more effectively with the WCML and to 'free up' platform space at London Euston with the anticipation of High Speed 2 . Assuming the ongoing increase in demand on the orbital route between Watford Junction and the West London Line, a significant increase of peak capacity services is needed, as the current service forms the only link between the Watford Junction and Kensington Olympia corridors. This proposal suggests increasing West London Line – Watford Junction/Milton Keynes Central peak service to three tph and increasing present off peak services from an hour to every 30 minutes as well as suggesting extending Southern trains from 4 car to 8 car to help ease overcrowding further. The 2011 London & South East Rail Utilisation Strategy also made recommendations for
4600-513: The manor of Casio (then called "Albanestou"), which included Watford, dating from a grant by King Offa in AD 793. The name Watford is first mentioned in an Anglo-Saxon charter of 1007, where "Watforda" is one of the places marking the boundary of "Oxanhaege". It is not mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, when this area was part of St Albans Abbey's manor of Cashio. In the 12th century
4715-462: The polypropylene stacking chair , now recognised as a classic of modern design. Although Hille left the area in 1983, the listed Goldfinger building still stands on St Albans Road. Mod culture found expression through clubs such as the Ace of Herts in the 1960s. The de Havilland factory at Leavesden was responsible for the manufacture of the aircraft engines and later became Leavesden Aerodrome, to
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4830-412: The 12th century, a charter was granted allowing a market, and the building of St Mary's Church began. The town grew partly due to travellers going to Berkhamsted Castle and the royal palace at Kings Langley . A mansion was built at Cassiobury in the 16th century. This was partly rebuilt in the 17th century and another country house was built at The Grove . The Grand Junction Canal in 1798 and
4945-592: The 1980s after market reforms allowed it to do so. In 1925, the Metropolitan Railway Company built a branch to Watford, opening a station close to Cassiobury Park . In the 1950s and 1960s, Watford was the home of the British designer furniture manufacturer Hille . At their premises on St Albans Road, designed by the modernist architect Ernő Goldfinger , the designer Robin Day conceived
5060-478: The 1990s, opened officially in June 1992. The owners of the shopping centre, Capital Shopping Centres, changed their name to Intu , resulting in The Harlequin changing name to "intu Watford" from May 2013. Carrying forward £4.5 billion of debt into 2020, the company was not able to survive the retail downturn due to the COVID-19 crisis , and went into administration in June 2020. The council owns part of
5175-538: The 2006 World Golf Championship and the 2013 Bilderberg Conference , took place at The Grove hotel . The town was home to the Scammell Lorries factory from 1922 until 1988. The site is now a residential area. Tandon Motorcycles , founded by Devdutt Tandon, were manufactured in Colne Way from 1947 until 1959. The name Cassiobury has had various spellings over time. It is derived from 'Caegshoe', which
5290-470: The 2006 World Golf Championship , the 2013 Bilderberg Conference and the 2019 NATO summit which all took place at The Grove . Watford became an urban district under the Local Government Act 1894 and a municipal borough by grant of a charter in 1922. The borough, which had 102,246 inhabitants in the 2021 census (up from 90,301 inhabitants at the 2011 census, an increase of 13.23%),
5405-573: The Abbey was granted a charter allowing it to hold a market here, and the building of St Mary's Church began. The settlement's location helped it to grow, since as well as trade along this north–south through route it possessed good communications into the vale of St Albans to the east and into the Chiltern Hills along the valley of the River Chess to the west. The town grew modestly, assisted by travellers passing through to Berkhamsted Castle and
5520-527: The Bakerloo line was extended to Watford in 1917, it acquired an interchange at Harrow & Wealdstone with another route to Stanmore, the Stanmore branch line . This branch line was operated by the LNWR and terminated at a separate Stanmore station (later renamed Stanmore Village ). It was closed in 1964, partly due to the success of the rival Metropolitan/Bakerloo Underground line to Stanmore. An extension at
5635-642: The Bakerloo line. The Best And Final Bid documentation for the Croxley Rail Link project indicates that this Bakerloo line extension is now "unlikely" because "TfL's plans to extend the Bakerloo line to Watford Junction are on hold indefinitely due to funding and business case constraints". Since the late 2000s, Transport for London (TfL) has been planning an extension of the line, with a route to Lewisham via Old Kent Road safeguarded in 2021. Four stations would be built, at Burgess Park, Old Kent Road, New Cross Gate and Lewisham , with provision for
5750-546: The Croxley brand of fine quality paper. There had been brewing in Watford from the 17th century and, by the 19th century, two industrial scale brewers Benskins and Sedgwicks were located in the town. The parish church of St Mary's was extensively restored in 1871. The town expanded slightly during this time. In 1851 a new street off the High Street was opened, King Street, followed by Queens Road and Clarendon Road in
5865-540: The High Street station. A second suburban branch line was also built from High Street west towards Croxley Green to serve new housing developments in that area. Both branches were later electrified as part of this improvement plan, on the same DC three-rail system. The Rickmansworth branch was connected to the Main Line, via two through platforms, with a junction to the north; these platforms have since been partly built over and their remaining southern sections form part of
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#17327759071555980-465: The L&;BR was absorbed into the London and North Western Railway (LNWR) and Watford Junction was now run by this large, ambitious company. Seeking to compete with local buses and trams, the LNWR built an additional suburban line from Euston to Watford in the early years of the 20th century, known as the Watford DC line . This veered away from the main line at Bushey to loop around Watford to pass through
6095-589: The London rail network in November 2024 London Overground services at Watford Junction are operated using Class 710 EMUs . The station is served by four trains per hour to and from London Euston , calling at all stations via the Lioness line . London Northwestern Railway services at Watford Junction are operated using Class 350 and 730 EMUs . The station is served by two stopping trains per hour in each direction between London Euston and Tring , as well as two stopping trains per hour in each direction between London Euston and Milton Keynes Central . It
6210-570: The Metropolitan line's service to Stanmore on 20 November 1939. The branch remained part of the Bakerloo line until 1 May 1979, when similar congestion problems for the Bakerloo line caused by two branches converging at Baker Street led to the creation of the Jubilee line , initially formed by connecting the Stanmore branch to new tunnels bored between Baker Street and Charing Cross . When
6325-472: The PPP contract, Metronet – the private consortium responsible for the Bakerloo line – would order new rolling stock for the line. This would take place following the delivery of 2009 Stock and S Stock trains, with an order for 24 new Bakerloo line trains. These would have entered service by 2019. However, Metronet collapsed in 2007 after cost overruns, and the PPP ended in 2010. In the mid 2010s, TfL began
6440-510: The Rickmansworth and Croxley branches closed. Watford's population had risen to 17,063 by 1891 to become very cramped. Local landowners sold land for the development of the town and it was bought up by commercial interests. Various factories and other works sprung up in Watford, mostly breweries and prints, but also engineering works, a steam laundry, a cold storage company and a cocoa processing plant. The town expanded rapidly, most of
6555-586: The Underground and partly by the London and North Western Railway (later London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS)). They were initially painted in LNWR livery. They were not equipped with air-operated doors and proved slow and unreliable, so they were replaced by new trains of Standard Stock by 1930 (although a few were retained by the LMS). For some years in the 1930s, Watford trains had a distinctive blue stripe at window level. In 1932, some carriages built for
6670-425: The Underground map but no further work was done. The train describers at Warwick Avenue station showed Camberwell as a destination until the 1990s. Further extensions of the line were considered, south to Peckham Rye in the 1970s, and east to London Docklands and Canary Wharf in the 1980s. Neither proposal was proceeded with. One oddity is that, almost from its opening until 1917, the Bakerloo operated with
6785-467: The ability to run automatically with a new signalling system. TfL could only afford to order Piccadilly line trains at a cost of £1.5bn. However, the contract with Siemens includes an option for 40 trains for the Bakerloo line in the future. This would take place after the delivery of the Piccadilly line trains in the late 2020s. When opened in 1906, the Bakerloo line was operated by Gate Stock trains, built at Trafford Park , Manchester . To cope with
6900-457: The area was part of the three seat constituency of Hertfordshire . The council have made twinning links with five towns. The first was Mainz , Germany, in 1956, and the most recent is Pesaro , Italy, in 1988; the others are Nanterre , Novgorod , and Wilmington, Delaware . The council award an honorary status of Freedom of the Borough to certain individuals "who have in the opinion of
7015-408: The construction of paper-making mills, print works, and breweries . While industry has declined in Watford, its location near London and transport links have attracted several companies to site their headquarters in the town. Cassiobury Park is a public park that was once the manor estate of the Earls of Essex . The town developed next to the River Colne on land belonging to St Albans Abbey . In
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#17327759071557130-399: The council, rendered eminent services to the borough"; as of 2020 there are three freemen: Elton John , and two local councillors involved in the twinning process. The ancient parish of Watford was included in the hundred of Cashio . In 1835, Watford became the centre of a poor law union , and a workhouse was built in 1836–1837 at 60 Vicarage Road (then called Hagden Lane). In 1850
7245-422: The current 1972 stock. As of May 2021, weekday off-peak and Sunday services on Bakerloo line are: This forms a 16 tph service (or a train approximately every 4 minutes) between Queen's Park and Elephant & Castle. A 20 tph service runs on this section of the line during the weekday peak and all day on Saturdays. Note: For the former Stanmore branch of the Bakerloo line, see the Jubilee line article. For
7360-467: The early 1860s. During this time, Watford had a population of around 6,500 The railways also continued to expand from Watford during this period; the Watford and Rickmansworth Railway opened in 1862 as a short branch line via Watford High Street to Rickmansworth (Church Street) , and another branch was added to Croxley Green in 1912. The original plan was to extend the Rickmansworth line south connecting Watford to Uxbridge ; this scheme failed and both
7475-424: The electrification of the entire West London line in the 1990s, it became practical to run services from Watford Junction to Clapham Junction, allowing passengers to cross London without changing trains. Southern operated an hourly service from Milton Keynes, now starting from Watford Junction, to East Croydon with connections to Brighton and Gatwick . There is a well-known expression, North of Watford , which
7590-590: The extension had been postponed until the Board's finances improved. Apart from the extension of the sidings south of Elephant & Castle , no work on the extension took place before the Second World War , but the powers were renewed by the government in 1947 under the Special Enactments (Extension of Time) Act, 1940 . A projected extension as far as Camberwell was shown on a 1949 edition of
7705-680: The extension to Queen's Park, 12 extra motor cars of the London Underground 1914 Stock were ordered, ten from Brush of Loughborough and two from the Leeds Forge Company . To operate services north of Queen's Park, 72 additional cars were built by the Metropolitan Carriage, Waggon and Finance Company of Birmingham . These trains, known as the Watford Joint Stock , were partly owned by
7820-495: The failed projects of the pneumatic 1865 Waterloo and Whitehall Railway and the 1882 Charing Cross and Waterloo Electric Railway. Originally called the Baker Street & Waterloo Railway, the line was constructed by the Underground Electric Railways Company of London (UERL) and opened between Lambeth North (at the time named Kennington Road ) and Baker Street on 10 March 1906. It was extended eastward to Elephant & Castle five months later, on 5 August. The contraction of
7935-430: The first of the new-look cars operating on the line in March. Each car's interior was cleaned, the seating moquette replaced with a variation of the Barman type seen on other lines, and handrails and lighting renewed. Each car was assessed and repair work carried out to ensure the stock can operate safely. According to a November 2021 paper by the TfL Finance Committee, replacement of the current trains may not occur until
8050-414: The following stations: The Stanmore branch was originally constructed by the Metropolitan Railway and was later designated as the Stanmore branch of the Bakerloo line in 1939. It was transferred to the Jubilee line on 1 May 1979. It connected to the main Bakerloo line at Baker Street. The Bakerloo line is currently served by three depots: a main depot at Stonebridge Park , opened on 9 April 1979 on
8165-516: The freehold the site, and feels that as the shopping centre is very popular (it was one of top 20 places to shop in the UK in 2019), it will remain open and viable. The town contains the head offices of a number of national companies such as J D Wetherspoon , Camelot Group , Bathstore , and Caversham Finance (BrightHouse). Watford is also the UK base of various multi-nationals including Hilton Worldwide , TotalEnergies , TK Maxx , Costco , JJ Kavanagh and Sons , Vinci , Beko and TeleAdapt . Both
8280-406: The junction of Rickmansworth Road and Hempstead Road, and the building officially opened on 5 January 1940. Upton House was subsequently demolished in 1961 and Gade House built on the site. Under the Local Government Act 1972 Watford kept the same boundaries, but changed from being a municipal borough to a non-metropolitan district with borough status . Watford is a major regional centre in
8395-512: The late 1970s until it was transferred to the Jubilee line when it opened in 1979. From 1983, the 1938 stock began to be replaced by trains of 1959 stock from the Northern line , but this was a temporary measure until 1972 stock became available. The last 1938 stock train was withdrawn on 20 November 1985. From 1986, the 1959 stock was transferred back to the Northern line and was replaced by
8510-658: The late 2030s or early 2040s, due to a lack of funding. In this case, the trains would be 60-70 years old at the time of replacement, around twice their design life. Since the withdrawal of the final Class 483 trains on the Isle of Wight, the 1972 Stock have become the oldest non-heritage trains running in the United Kingdom. In the late 1990s, the Labour government initiated a public–private partnership (PPP) to reverse years of underinvestment in London Underground . Under
8625-450: The line was extended to Queen's Park , where it joined the LNWR 's Euston-Watford DC line (now part of London Overground ) to Watford Junction . Bakerloo services to Watford Junction were reduced in the 1960s and cut back in 1982 to Stonebridge Park . Services as far as Harrow & Wealdstone were gradually restored from 1984, and in 1989 the present all-day service was instituted. By
8740-618: The maintenance crew were likely suffering from fatigue due to a pattern of consistent night-shift work, regular overtime, and short-term sleep deprivation. On 16 September 2016, Class 350 electric multiple unit 350 264 collided with a landslide, caused by heavy rain the previous night, at the entrance of the Watford Tunnel and derailed. Class 350 unit 350 233 then collided with the derailed train. Two injuries were reported, and trains were disrupted for three days. The new London Overground line names and colours were introduced across
8855-580: The mid-1930s, the Metropolitan line was suffering from congestion caused by the limited capacity of its tracks between Baker Street and Finchley Road stations. To relieve this pressure, the network-wide New Works Programme included the construction of new sections of tunnel between the Bakerloo line's platforms at Baker Street and Finchley Road and the replacement of three Metropolitan line stations ( Lord's , Marlborough Road and Swiss Cottage ) between those points with two new Bakerloo stations ( St John's Wood and Swiss Cottage ). The Bakerloo line took over
8970-461: The name to "Bakerloo" rapidly caught on, and the official name was changed to match in July 1906. When work on the line started in June 1898, it had been financed by the mining entrepreneur and company promoter Whitaker Wright , who fell foul of the law over the financial proceedings involved and dramatically committed suicide at the Royal Courts of Justice , after being convicted in 1904. As
9085-475: The negative rail leaked on both systems. In 1917, the two lines were separated when the LNWR began its 'New Line' service between Euston and Watford Junction, which the Bakerloo would share north of Queens Park. As a result, normal operation was restored. The line celebrated its centenary on 10 March 2006, when events were organised with actors and staff in Edwardian costume entertaining travellers. In 2017,
9200-543: The new inhabitants moving in from London. At the start of the 20th century the town was growing fast. New roads were laid out in Callowland, North Watford, and in West Watford on farmland. Many continued to live in the cramped and unsanitary houses in the yards and alley-ways opening off the High Street. Some of these people were among those who rioted in 1902 when the celebration for King Edward VII 's coronation
9315-528: The north of Watford. No longer operational, it was converted into Leavesden Film Studios , now famously the home of the Harry Potter films . Watford developed on the River Colne in southern Hertfordshire, England, 16 miles (26 km) northwest of central London . Ethnicity is 61.9% white British, 2.3% Irish, 0.1% Gypsy or Irish traveller, 7.7% other white, 17.9% Asian/Asian British, 5.8% black or black British. The borough had 102,246 inhabitants at
9430-550: The northern home counties . Hertfordshire County Council designates Watford and Stevenage to be its major sub-regional centres, heading its list of preferred sites for retail development. The High Street is the main focus of activity at night having a high concentration of the town's bars, clubs and restaurants. The primary shopping area is the Harlequin Shopping Centre , a large purpose-built indoor mall with over 140 shops, restaurants and cafes built during
9545-460: The park won a Green Flag Award , which recognises the best green spaces in the country. There is a children's play area, which includes a paddling pool, play equipment, a bouncy castle, an ice cream van, a kiosk where one may buy food, and 10.25" gauge miniature railway. The Grand Union Canal passes through the park. Cassiobury Park is host to the weekly 5k community event parkrun . Awarded Green Flag status since 2009, Cheslyn has been open to
9660-560: The phrase references Watford Gap services on the M1, however the original saying was in existence well before its opening in 1959. The LNWR built a locomotive depot at the station in 1856, which was replaced by a larger building in 1872 and was further enlarged in 1890. It was closed by British Railways in March 1965. In 1984, the Victorian station buildings were demolished and the station
9775-549: The polarity of the conductor rails reversed, the outside rail negative and the centre rail positive. This came about because the Bakerloo shared a power source with the District Railway . On the Bakerloo, the outside conductor rail tended to leak to the tunnel wall, whereas on the District Railway, the centre rail shared a similar problem. The solution was to reverse the polarity on the Bakerloo line, so that
9890-465: The present DC lines terminus. At one time, tube-style trains were used on the branches to counter the low voltage caused by the lack of a sub-station near Rickmansworth. The Bakerloo line was extended to Watford Junction in 1917, giving a shared service north of Willesden Junction with the main line electric trains which served Euston and Broad Street stations. However, since 1982 the line north of Harrow & Wealdstone has only been served by what
10005-403: The public since 1965 as a formal gardens and house. The 3.5 acre gardens comprise a formal open area to the front and a semi-natural woodland area to the rear. Henry and Daisy Colbeck originally owned the house and gardens. Mr Colbeck was a renowned local architect, and designed Cheslyn House; he and his wife created the original gardens. The Colbecks travelled extensively, and this is reflected in
10120-428: The railway track be removed and replaced with a guided busway . [REDACTED] London transport portal Watford Holy Rood Church , Watford ( / ˈ w ɒ t f ər d / ) is a town and borough in Hertfordshire , England, 15 miles (24 km) northwest of Central London , on the banks of the River Colne . Initially a small market town , the Grand Junction Canal encouraged
10235-491: The range of unusual and exotic plants in the gardens. Since the space has been open to the public it has been further developed, with new features added such as the pond, rock garden, large herbaceous borders and aviary. Awarded Green Flag status since 2011, Woodside Playing Fields cover approximately 59 acres of playing fields, sports facilities and woodland. The site comprises a range of sports facilities including an eight lane synthetic track and stadium, an indoor bowls green,
10350-443: The relocated car park. London Northwestern Railway are considering revising the design. Further redevelopment of the station and its surroundings is planned for the next 10 years. They may be delayed because the redevelopment of Watford Junction has been placed within the pre-qualification pool of proposed schemes by the Department for Transport . On 3 February 1954, an express passenger train became derailed in Watford Tunnel due to
10465-431: The royal palace at Kings Langley . A big house was built at Cassiobury in the 16th century. This was partly rebuilt in the 17th century and another substantial house was built nearby at The Grove . The houses were expanded and developed throughout the following centuries. Cassiobury became the family seat of the Earls of Essex , and The Grove the seat of the Earls of Clarendon . In 1762, Sparrows Herne Turnpike Road
10580-467: The service. Trains also run to Clapham Junction and East Croydon , via the West London line . The station is a major hub for local bus services and the connecting station for buses to Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter . The station is located north of a viaduct over the Colne Valley and immediately south of Watford Tunnel. The first railway station to open in Watford
10695-495: The site of a former British Rail power station which contains the fleet's maintenance facilities; the original depot at London Road (between Elephant and Castle and Lambeth North , though connected to the line between Lambeth North and Waterloo); and a small depot immediately north of Queens Park , built in 1915. The Queens Park depot is unique on the London Underground network in that trains in passenger service run through it. When Bakerloo line services ran to Watford, there
10810-598: The southern end of the line to Camberwell and Denmark Hill was proposed and approved in 1931 as part of the London Electric Metropolitan District and Central London Railway Companies (Works) Act, 1931 . In April 1937, the estimated cost of the proposed extension was £5,000,000 (approximately £360 million today) and the London Passenger Transport Board announced that, due to rising materials prices,
10925-481: The station forecourt. Green Line route 724 stops in the station forecourt. It runs directly to St Albans and Harlow from stop 5 and to Heathrow Terminal 5 via Heathrow Central and Rickmansworth station from stop 2. There are plans to upgrade the station and its access points. The scheme includes a new multi-storey car park and a new access road to the station, connecting the A412 to Colonial Way and thus to
11040-502: The stations below ground using Art Nouveau decorative tiling by Leslie Green , and the above-ground stations built in red brick with stone detailing in an Arts & Crafts style. It is the ninth-busiest line on the network, carrying more than 125 million passengers annually. The line currently runs 1972 Stock trains which, at 52 years old, are the oldest trains in regular passenger service in Britain. The route had its origins in
11155-529: The stations past Harrow & Wealdstone no longer served by the Bakerloo Line but still served by Overground trains, see the Lioness line article. Between 1917 and 1982, Bakerloo line trains continued along the DC line past Harrow & Wealdstone to Watford Junction. These stations continue to be served by Lioness line . Proposals have surfaced to re-extend the Bakerloo line to Watford Junction and service
11270-856: The subsequent major rebuild) Local buses run to destinations including Heathrow Airport , Stanmore , Uxbridge and Brent Cross in London, Amersham , Chesham and High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire , Hatfield , Harpenden and Hertford in Hertfordshire , Luton Airport in Bedfordshire and Harlow in Essex . Specific routes include London bus routes 142 , 258 and non-London Arriva Shires & Essex routes 20, 320, 321, 322 and 725 as well as other Intalink routes 306 (school journeys), 328, 336, 352, 501, 635, W1, W2, W3, W4, W20 and W30. The Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter shuttle bus route 311 also leaves from
11385-683: The time of the 2021 census. The borough is separated from Greater London to the south by the urbanised parish of Watford Rural in the Three Rivers District . The Watford subdivision of the Greater London Urban Area , which includes much of the neighbouring districts, had a total population of 120,960 in the 2001 census. Religion in Watford(2021 census) As of the 2021 census, Watford's religious profile roughly reflected that of England and Wales, with
11500-418: The town excellent communications and stimulated its industrial growth during the 19th and 20th centuries. The Grand Union Canal, allowed coal to be brought into the district and paved the way for industrial development. The Watford Gas and Coke Company was formed in 1834 and gas works built. The canal allowed paper-making mills to be sited at Croxley. The John Dickinson and Co. mill beside the canal manufactured
11615-515: The track. It then collided with a sleeper service from Euston to Glasgow. The driver of the Manchester train was killed, and eight passengers and three railway staff injured. The stillages had fallen from a Ford company goods train that had passed the station a few minutes earlier, conveying car parts from Dagenham to Halewood . Although the wagons of the goods train were sealed on departure from Dagenham, three were found to have open doors when
11730-441: The train was inspected after the accident. The official enquiry ruled that the doors had been forced by thieves or vandals, probably when the train was standing at Gospel Oak . In August 1996, a Class 321 passenger train, operated by Network SouthEast , passed a signal at danger. An empty Class 321 coaching stock train collided with the stationary passenger train approximately 700 m south of Watford Junction. On 26 October 2014,
11845-438: The transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin indicated that the government was actively evaluating the possibility of extending Crossrail as far as Tring and Milton Keynes Central. The rail operator Chiltern Railways proposed in 2008 that a new east–west direct rail route from Watford Junction to Aylesbury could be operated via the new Croxley Rail Link and the northern section of the London to Aylesbury Line . The proposal, or
11960-426: The upholstery replaced with a blue moquette . The seating layouts are both longitudinal and transverse; some cars have longitudinal seating only. A TfL Finance and Policy Committee Paper dated 11 March 2015 revealed that the repair programme for the 1972 Stock would be more expensive than anticipated, due to the unexpectedly inferior condition of the fleet. In early 2016, a four-year refurbishment programme began with
12075-577: The waterworks on Local Board Road. In 1891 the board purchased Upton House at 14 High Street for £2,650, converting it to become their offices and meeting place, holding its first meeting in the building on 1 October 1891. Under the Local Government Act 1894 , the Watford Local Board was reconstituted as Watford Urban District Council with effect from 31 December 1894. The act also stipulated that parishes could not be partly in an urban district and partly outside it. The old parish of Watford
12190-407: The world and many advances in printing were made in Watford. During World War II the prints were taken over by the government who used them to print propaganda. After the war, the printing industry began going into decline. Union activity was common in Watford and advances in technology meant much of the industry became obsolete. Odhams Press closed down in 1978 and The Sun moved out of Watford during
12305-429: Was also an additional depot, Croxley Green Light Maintenance Depot at Croxley Green ; this depot closed in November 1985 following the withdrawal of services. When the Bakerloo had two branches at its northern end, to Queens Park (as currently) and to Stanmore (now taken over by the Jubilee line), the depot at Neasden on the Stanmore branch was the principal one on the line. The Jubilee taking over this branch from 1979
12420-425: Was described by Pevsner as "the chief glory of Watford Church". The Roman Catholic Church, Holy Rood, is a much later structure. Built in 1890 by John Francis Bentley , the architect responsible for Westminster Cathedral in London, it is noted as a particularity fine example of Gothic Revival architecture . The ornate interior contains stained glass by the designer Nathaniel Westlake . Bushey Arches Viaduct
12535-583: Was established across the Chilterns. The toll road approximately followed the route of the original A41 road . The location of a toll house can be seen at the bottom of Chalk Hill on the Watford side of Bushey Arches; set in an old flint stone wall is a Sparrows Herne Trust plaque. In 1778, Daniel Defoe described Watford as a "genteel market town, very long, having but one street." Watford remained an agricultural community with some cottage industry for many centuries. The Industrial Revolution brought
12650-403: Was in conjunction with the reorganisation of a number of north London railways under London Overground . In a former London Plan, it was projected that by 2026 the Bakerloo line would be re-extended from Harrow & Wealdstone to Watford Junction, restoring the pre-1982 service. The railway line from Queens Park to Watford Junction, currently shared with London Overground, would be shared with
12765-468: Was postponed. The council had a programme of slum clearance which stopped with the outbreak of World War I in 1914. Building council houses resumed after the war and in the 1920s the Harebreaks estate was developed. By the 1920s, printing had become the biggest industry in Watford. The biggest printers in the town were Sun Printers Ltd and Odhams Press . Watford was the biggest printing centre in
12880-460: Was rebuilt in a modern architectural style ; there is a travel centre and a large office block above the station which is occupied by the lorry and bus manufacturing company Iveco . Some 19th-century waiting rooms survived, but were finally demolished in 1987. To enlarge the car park and provide more space, the St. Albans branch line was realigned northwards, with the original St. Albans platforms becoming
12995-460: Was situated on the north side of St Albans Road, approximately 200 metres (220 yd) further up the line from the present-day station. This small, single-storey red-brick building was built in 1836–7, when the first section of the London and Birmingham Railway (L&BR) was opened between London and Boxmoor . The station provided first and second-class waiting rooms, a departure yard, a carriage shed and engine house. The platforms were situated in
13110-490: Was the first female directly elected mayor in England and the Liberal Democrats ' first directly elected mayor. Since 1999 Watford has been divided into 12 wards . Each ward has three councillors who are elected for a four-year term. Watford elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election, for the Watford constituency . Prior to the establishment of this constituency in 1885
13225-667: Was therefore split, with the part of the parish outside the urban district becoming the parish of Watford Rural with effect from the first parish meeting on 4 December 1894. At the same time, the parish of Bushey was split, with the part within the Watford Urban District becoming a parish called Bushey Urban, which was later renamed Oxhey in 1906. Watford Urban and Bushey Urban / Oxhey were both classed as urban parishes and so did not have parish councils of their own, but were directly administered by Watford Urban District Council. The two urban parishes merged in 1935 to form
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