Camden Town tube station
Encyclopedia
Camden Town tube
station (not to be confused with Camden Road railway station
)
is a major junction on the Northern Line
and one of the busiest stations on the London Underground
network. It is particularly busy at weekends with tourists visiting Camden Market
and Camden High Street
; to prevent overcrowding, entry is prohibited on Sunday afternoons.
Northbound the next stations are and , southbound and . The station is in Travelcard Zone 2
.
; the line to Highgate (now the High Barnet branch) is under Kentish Town Road. With the narrowness of the roads above, and the necessity to keep directly beneath them to avoid having to pay compensation to landowners during construction, on both lines the northbound platform is directly above the southbound one.
At the apex of the V is a junction allowing northbound trains to take either of the branches north, and likewise allow the trains south from the branches to join the single southbound track. This resulted in four connecting tunnels. When the CCEHR and City & South London Lines were joined together after the City & South London Line became part of London Underground
, a short extension from the Euston terminus of the City & South London was built to connect with each of the two northerly branches. This added another four tunnels to the junction, making it the most complex junction on the network; it is located beneath Camden High Street
.
After the CCE&HR was combined with the City & South London Railway
to form the Northern Line, southbound trains at either platform could use either route. This led to considerable confusion at the platforms, which gave no indication which would have the next train to the desired destination: nowadays an electronic departure board informs passengers as they enter the station.
The lifts and emergency stairs to the platforms were inside the vertex of the V, leading to four passageways, one to each of the platforms, with return passageways back to the lifts. This was replaced in later years, due to increasing congestion, with an escalator heading from the station building to a circulating area at the northern end of the platforms. This has only two pairs of parallel passageways, one for each branch, with a small side passage on each leading to the lower platforms. One set of the original lift passageways became part of the ventilation system, but the remaining one adds to the confusion of the station. The west façade was bomb damaged in 1940 and only partially rebuilt.
A joint report by London Underground
and its maintenance contractor Tube Lines concluded that poor track geometry was the main cause of the derailment and extra friction arising out of striations (scratches) on a newly installed set of points had allowed the leading wheel of the last carriage to climb the rail and so derail. The track at the derailment site is on a very tight bend in a tight tunnel bore, which prevent canting
the track by dipping the height of one rail relative to the other, the normal solution in this sort of situation.
and Camden High Street
, to the extent that entry is prohibited on Sunday afternoons to prevent overcrowding on the platforms. Congestion is predicted to get worse and entry may in the future be prohibited on Saturdays too. London Underground has therefore submitted plans for the station to be rebuilt.
Rebuilding the station would ease congestion and allow it to be kept open during normal hours. Step-free access for the disabled would also be provided. Furthermore, rebuilding would allow easier interchange and facilitate the planned segregation of Northern Line services in order to increase capacity on the Line as a whole. In addition the general ambience of the station would be much improved.
There are plans to completely rebuild the platform area, demolishing the original liftshaft space and the current circulating area at the foot of the escalators and replacing them with a large two-level atrium, the upper level taking the form of a balcony, with various access points onto the platforms and escalator access between levels. This would be reached by an additional new set of escalators.
According to London Underground
, achieving this reduction in congestion requires them to demolish the old station building. In addition, to provide both a new temporary exit during construction works, and to comply with modern safety standards, London Underground claims that it is necessary to demolish Buck Street Market, commonly known as Camden Market
(one of five local markets), the Electric Ballroom
, a church (housing two separate and growing congregations) and several houses and shops to the north of the station.
Apart from complaints about destruction of one of the ox-blood tiled station buildings (although there are over 20 of these Leslie Green
designed buildings), there is a significant controversy over the demolition of the buildings to the north. Complaints particularly centred on London Underground's desire to replace the buildings with modern construction said to be out of place and out of scale with the remainder of Camden Town
, together with complaints about the loss of the buildings and market themselves. This led to a public enquiry being held. In January 2004, consultants Arup published plans commissioned by Save Camden, a group of local market traders, for a remodelling that would preserve the majority of the threatened buildings, including the market. In 2005 Transport for London lost its appeal to the office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the scheme has been cancelled. It is not known when they will propose an alternative scheme, or what it will involve.
, the station has four platforms with cross-platform
transfers available between branches.
However, unlike , trains do not terminate at Camden Town, thus there are no terminus platforms or a loop to turn around terminating trains. Instead, all northbound trains use either platform 1 or 3, with branch trains using the former and branch trains using the latter. Likewise, all southbound trains use either platform 2 or 4.
underneath it. The entrances are on Buck Street (near the market) and Underhill Street.
Nearby places include
The station is known to many followers of British rock
music as the place where bass player Taka Hirose
met Grant Nicholas
for his audition to join Reel, who went on to become Feeder
.
} Utilitarian building is London Underground electrical substation.
} The elevation was never fully rebuilt.
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
station (not to be confused with Camden Road railway station
Camden Road railway station
Camden Road railway station is in the London Borough of Camden in North London. The station and all trains serving it are operated by London Overground. It is on the North London Line and in Travelcard Zone 2....
)
is a major junction on the Northern Line
Northern Line
The Northern line is a London Underground line. It is coloured black on the Tube map.For most of its length it is a deep-level tube line. The line carries 206,734,000 passengers per year. This is the highest number of any line on the London Underground system, but the Northern line is unique in...
and one of the busiest stations on the London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
network. It is particularly busy at weekends with tourists visiting Camden Market
Camden Market
The Camden Markets are a number of adjoining large markets in Camden Town near the Hampstead Road Lock of the Regent's Canal , often called collectively "Camden Market" or "Camden Lock". The stalls sell crafts, clothing, bric-a-brac, fast food, and other things...
and Camden High Street
Camden High Street
Camden High Street is a short stretch of road in Camden Town, in London, England. It is part of the route from central London to Hampstead. It is the local high street and features major music venues at either end...
; to prevent overcrowding, entry is prohibited on Sunday afternoons.
Northbound the next stations are and , southbound and . The station is in Travelcard Zone 2
Travelcard Zone 2
Fare zone 2 is an inner zone of Transport for London's zonal fare system used for calculating the price of tickets for travel on the London Underground, London Overground, Docklands Light Railway and, since 2007, on National Rail services.-Background:...
.
Charing Cross, Euston and Hampstead Railway
The station began life as part of the original route of the Charing Cross, Euston and Hampstead Railway (CCE&HR) (now part of the Northern Line). As the line here branched into two routes, to Hampstead and to Highgate, the design of the station was rather unusual, shaped like a V. The line to Hampstead (now the Edgware Branch) is under Chalk Farm RoadChalk Farm Road
Chalk Farm Road is a street in the Camden Town area of London England. There is a widespread misapprehension that the road that runs through Camden Market is part of Camden High Street, but it is actually Chalk Farm Road...
; the line to Highgate (now the High Barnet branch) is under Kentish Town Road. With the narrowness of the roads above, and the necessity to keep directly beneath them to avoid having to pay compensation to landowners during construction, on both lines the northbound platform is directly above the southbound one.
At the apex of the V is a junction allowing northbound trains to take either of the branches north, and likewise allow the trains south from the branches to join the single southbound track. This resulted in four connecting tunnels. When the CCEHR and City & South London Lines were joined together after the City & South London Line became part of London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
, a short extension from the Euston terminus of the City & South London was built to connect with each of the two northerly branches. This added another four tunnels to the junction, making it the most complex junction on the network; it is located beneath Camden High Street
Camden High Street
Camden High Street is a short stretch of road in Camden Town, in London, England. It is part of the route from central London to Hampstead. It is the local high street and features major music venues at either end...
.
After the CCE&HR was combined with the City & South London Railway
City & South London Railway
The City and South London Railway was the first deep-level underground "tube" railway in the world, and the first major railway to use electric traction...
to form the Northern Line, southbound trains at either platform could use either route. This led to considerable confusion at the platforms, which gave no indication which would have the next train to the desired destination: nowadays an electronic departure board informs passengers as they enter the station.
The lifts and emergency stairs to the platforms were inside the vertex of the V, leading to four passageways, one to each of the platforms, with return passageways back to the lifts. This was replaced in later years, due to increasing congestion, with an escalator heading from the station building to a circulating area at the northern end of the platforms. This has only two pairs of parallel passageways, one for each branch, with a small side passage on each leading to the lower platforms. One set of the original lift passageways became part of the ventilation system, but the remaining one adds to the confusion of the station. The west façade was bomb damaged in 1940 and only partially rebuilt.
2003 derailment
On October 19, 2003 the points at one of these connecting tunnels was the site of a derailment, which caused damage severe enough to close the line for over a week. No-one was badly hurt, as the train's movement was confined by the tunnel; 1995 tube stock carriages 51722 and 52722 were both seriously damaged by the impact. After the accident, trains were restricted to travelling either from the Edgware branch to the Bank branch or from the High Barnet branch to the Charing Cross branch. This continued for some time, and many considered whether it would be permanent (particularly as this would make managing the two branches through central London easier). However, full use of the junction was restored in March 2004.A joint report by London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
and its maintenance contractor Tube Lines concluded that poor track geometry was the main cause of the derailment and extra friction arising out of striations (scratches) on a newly installed set of points had allowed the leading wheel of the last carriage to climb the rail and so derail. The track at the derailment site is on a very tight bend in a tight tunnel bore, which prevent canting
Cant (road/rail)
The cant of a railway track or a road is the difference in elevation between the two edges...
the track by dipping the height of one rail relative to the other, the normal solution in this sort of situation.
Rebuilding plans
The station is particularly busy at weekends with tourists visiting Camden MarketCamden Market
The Camden Markets are a number of adjoining large markets in Camden Town near the Hampstead Road Lock of the Regent's Canal , often called collectively "Camden Market" or "Camden Lock". The stalls sell crafts, clothing, bric-a-brac, fast food, and other things...
and Camden High Street
Camden High Street
Camden High Street is a short stretch of road in Camden Town, in London, England. It is part of the route from central London to Hampstead. It is the local high street and features major music venues at either end...
, to the extent that entry is prohibited on Sunday afternoons to prevent overcrowding on the platforms. Congestion is predicted to get worse and entry may in the future be prohibited on Saturdays too. London Underground has therefore submitted plans for the station to be rebuilt.
Rebuilding the station would ease congestion and allow it to be kept open during normal hours. Step-free access for the disabled would also be provided. Furthermore, rebuilding would allow easier interchange and facilitate the planned segregation of Northern Line services in order to increase capacity on the Line as a whole. In addition the general ambience of the station would be much improved.
There are plans to completely rebuild the platform area, demolishing the original liftshaft space and the current circulating area at the foot of the escalators and replacing them with a large two-level atrium, the upper level taking the form of a balcony, with various access points onto the platforms and escalator access between levels. This would be reached by an additional new set of escalators.
According to London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
, achieving this reduction in congestion requires them to demolish the old station building. In addition, to provide both a new temporary exit during construction works, and to comply with modern safety standards, London Underground claims that it is necessary to demolish Buck Street Market, commonly known as Camden Market
Camden Market
The Camden Markets are a number of adjoining large markets in Camden Town near the Hampstead Road Lock of the Regent's Canal , often called collectively "Camden Market" or "Camden Lock". The stalls sell crafts, clothing, bric-a-brac, fast food, and other things...
(one of five local markets), the Electric Ballroom
Electric Ballroom
The Electric Ballroom is a performance venue and indoor market located at 184 Camden High Street in Camden Town, London . The Electric Ballroom has been in operation for over seventy years, during which time it has been used in many different ways.The two storey building has two dance floors and...
, a church (housing two separate and growing congregations) and several houses and shops to the north of the station.
Apart from complaints about destruction of one of the ox-blood tiled station buildings (although there are over 20 of these Leslie Green
Leslie Green
Leslie William Green was an English architect known especially for his design of iconic stations constructed on the London Underground railway system in central London during the first decade of the 20th century....
designed buildings), there is a significant controversy over the demolition of the buildings to the north. Complaints particularly centred on London Underground's desire to replace the buildings with modern construction said to be out of place and out of scale with the remainder of Camden Town
Camden Town
-Economy:In recent years, entertainment-related businesses and a Holiday Inn have moved into the area. A number of retail and food chain outlets have replaced independent shops driven out by high rents and redevelopment. Restaurants have thrived, with the variety of culinary traditions found in...
, together with complaints about the loss of the buildings and market themselves. This led to a public enquiry being held. In January 2004, consultants Arup published plans commissioned by Save Camden, a group of local market traders, for a remodelling that would preserve the majority of the threatened buildings, including the market. In 2005 Transport for London lost its appeal to the office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the scheme has been cancelled. It is not known when they will propose an alternative scheme, or what it will involve.
Station layout
As one of only three stations where transfers between the Bank and Charing Cross branches are possible and the northern of the two junctions between them, Camden Town features a complex platform arrangement. Similar to its sister station of KenningtonKennington tube station
Kennington tube station is a London Underground station in Newington/ Walworth on Kennington Park Road, on both the Charing Cross and Bank branches of the Northern Line. Its neighbours to the north are Waterloo on the Charing Cross branch and Elephant & Castle on the Bank branch; the next station...
, the station has four platforms with cross-platform
Cross-platform
In computing, cross-platform, or multi-platform, is an attribute conferred to computer software or computing methods and concepts that are implemented and inter-operate on multiple computer platforms...
transfers available between branches.
However, unlike , trains do not terminate at Camden Town, thus there are no terminus platforms or a loop to turn around terminating trains. Instead, all northbound trains use either platform 1 or 3, with branch trains using the former and branch trains using the latter. Likewise, all southbound trains use either platform 2 or 4.
Miscellaneous information
Camden Town is one of eight London Underground stations with a deep-level air-raid shelterLondon deep-level shelters
The London deep-level shelters are eight deep-level air-raid shelters that were built under London Underground stations during World War II.-Background:...
underneath it. The entrances are on Buck Street (near the market) and Underhill Street.
Nearby places include
- Camden TownCamden Town-Economy:In recent years, entertainment-related businesses and a Holiday Inn have moved into the area. A number of retail and food chain outlets have replaced independent shops driven out by high rents and redevelopment. Restaurants have thrived, with the variety of culinary traditions found in...
- Chalk FarmChalk FarmChalk Farm is an area of north London, England. It lies directly to the north of Camden Town and its underground station is the closest tube station to the nearby, upmarket neighbourhood of Primrose Hill....
- Kentish TownKentish TownKentish Town is an area of north west London, England in the London Borough of Camden.-History:The most widely accepted explanation of the name of Kentish Town is that it derived from 'Ken-ditch' meaning the 'bed of a waterway'...
- Regent's ParkRegent's ParkRegent's Park is one of the Royal Parks of London. It is in the north-western part of central London, partly in the City of Westminster and partly in the London Borough of Camden...
- London ZooLondon ZooLondon Zoo is the world's oldest scientific zoo. It was opened in London on 27 April 1828, and was originally intended to be used as a collection for scientific study. It was eventually opened to the public in 1847...
- Somers TownSomers Town, LondonSomers Town, was named for Charles Cocks, 1st Baron Somers. The area in St Pancras, London, was originally granted by William III to John Somers, Lord Chancellor and Baron Somers of Evesham. It was to be strongly influenced by the three mainline north London railway termini: Euston , St...
The station is known to many followers of British rock
British rock
British rock describes a wide variety of forms of music made in the United Kingdom. Since around 1964, with the "British Invasion" of the United States spearheaded by The Beatles, British rock music has had a considerable impact on the development of American music and rock music across the...
music as the place where bass player Taka Hirose
Taka Hirose
Takashi "Taka" Hirose is a Japanese musician who is the current bass guitarist for the rock band, Feeder.-Biography:...
met Grant Nicholas
Grant Nicholas
Grant Nicholas is a Welsh musician, best known as the lead singer and lead guitarist of the rock band Feeder, along with bassist Taka Hirose and drummer Karl Brazil.-Early years:...
for his audition to join Reel, who went on to become Feeder
Feeder
-Technology:* Feeder , any of several devices used in apiculture to supplement or replace natural food sources* Feeder , another name for a riser, a reservoir built into a metal casting mold to prevent cavities due to shrinkage...
.
External links
- Subterranea Britannica's visit to the Camden Town deep level shelter
- London Transport Museum Photographic Archive
} Utilitarian building is London Underground electrical substation.
} The elevation was never fully rebuilt.