Aldwych tramway station
Encyclopedia
Aldwych tramway station (not to be confused with Aldwych tube station
) was a tram
stop underneath Kingsway, a road in central London
. It was built in 1906 by the London County Council Tramways
as part of the Kingsway tramway subway
, a subterranean tram
route which was constructed to join the separate networks of tramways in North
and South London
.
through Holborn
, the other station in the tram subway, terminating at Aldwych. Through services across London began on 10 April 1908, running from Highbury station through Holborn and then east to Tower Bridge
or south to Kennington
Gate.
Following the decision to withdraw tram services in London and replace them with buses, the station closed just after 12.30am on 6 April 1952.
, a road tunnel, was opened to alleviate northbound traffic flow from Waterloo Bridge
to Kingsway. The underpass took over a section of the tram tunnel, and rises at its north end through the former location of the Aldwych tramway station. No sign of the former station is visible on the surface or from the road tunnel.
Aldwych tube station
Aldwych is a closed London Underground station in the City of Westminster, originally opened as Strand in 1907. It was the terminus and only station on the short Piccadilly line branch from Holborn that was a relic of the merger of two railway schemes. The disused station building is close to the...
) was a tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
stop underneath Kingsway, a road in central London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. It was built in 1906 by the London County Council Tramways
London County Council Tramways
The London County Council Tramways was an extensive network of public street tramways that was operated by the council throughout the County of London, UK, from 1899 to 1933, when they were taken over by the London Passenger Transport Board....
as part of the Kingsway tramway subway
Kingsway tramway subway
The Kingsway Tramway Subway is a cut-and-cover Grade II Listed tunnel in central London, built by the London County Council, the only one of its kind in Britain...
, a subterranean tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
route which was constructed to join the separate networks of tramways in North
North London
North London is the northern part of London, England. It is an imprecise description and the area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes. Common to these definitions is that it includes districts located north of the River Thames and is used in comparison with South...
and South London
South London
South London is the southern part of London, England, United Kingdom.According to the 2011 official Boundary Commission for England definition, South London includes the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton and...
.
Services
Tram services commenced on 24 February 1906, running from The Angel, IslingtonThe Angel, Islington
Angel is a district of London, England, and part of the London Borough of Islington. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
through Holborn
Holborn tramway station
Holborn tramway station was a tram stop underneath Kingsway in central London. It was built in 1906 by the London County Council Tramways as part of the Kingsway tramway subway, a subterranean tram route which was constructed to join the separate networks of tramways in North and South London...
, the other station in the tram subway, terminating at Aldwych. Through services across London began on 10 April 1908, running from Highbury station through Holborn and then east to Tower Bridge
Tower Bridge
Tower Bridge is a combined bascule and suspension bridge in London, England, over the River Thames. It is close to the Tower of London, from which it takes its name...
or south to Kennington
Kennington
Kennington is a district of South London, England, mainly within the London Borough of Lambeth, although part of the area is within the London Borough of Southwark....
Gate.
Following the decision to withdraw tram services in London and replace them with buses, the station closed just after 12.30am on 6 April 1952.
Redevelopment
In 1964, the Strand UnderpassStrand Underpass
The Strand Underpass is a vehicle tunnel in central London connecting Waterloo Bridge to Kingsway near Holborn. It was built by John Mowlem & Co and opened on 21 January 1964....
, a road tunnel, was opened to alleviate northbound traffic flow from Waterloo Bridge
Waterloo Bridge
Waterloo Bridge is a road and foot traffic bridge crossing the River Thames in London, England between Blackfriars Bridge and Hungerford Bridge. The name of the bridge is in memory of the British victory at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815...
to Kingsway. The underpass took over a section of the tram tunnel, and rises at its north end through the former location of the Aldwych tramway station. No sign of the former station is visible on the surface or from the road tunnel.
External links
- Includes an illustrated account of a visit to the site in November 2003
- LCC Tramways 1914 Map showing routes south of Aldwych station