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Alexandra Palace railway station (Muswell Hill branch)
Encyclopedia
Alexandra Palace railway station (Muswell Hill branch) is a former station in the grounds of Alexandra Palace
in the Muswell Hill
area of north London
. It is one of a number of stations to have held the name at various times and should not be confused with the current holder, Alexandra Palace station
on the First Capital Connect
line to the east.
The station was the terminus of a short branch line from Highgate station. The previous station on the line was Muswell Hill station
. The station was located immediately adjacent to the north side of the Palace buildings.
Nothing remains of the tracks or island platform today which have been removed and covered with car park but the small station building, known locally as CUFOS (Community Use For Old Station), remains.
In 1911 the line was taken over by the Great Northern Railway
. After the 1921 Railways Act
created the Big Four railway companies, the line was, from 1923, part of the London and North Eastern Railway
(LNER).
In 1935 London Underground
planned, as part of its "New Works Programme" to take over the line from LNER together with the LNER's routes from Finsbury Park
to Edgware
and High Barnet
, modernise it for use with electric trains and amalgamate it with the Northern Line
.
Works to modernise the track began in the late 1930s and were well advanced when they were interrupted and halted by the Second World War
. Works were completed from Highgate to High Barnet and Mill Hill East and that section was incorporated into the Northern Line. Further works on the section between Highgate and Alexandra Palace were postponed and the line continued under the operation of the LNER. Because of wartime economies services were reduced to rush hours only, so that after the war the dwindling passenger numbers and a shortage of funds led to the cancellation of the unfinished works in 1950 and passenger services to Alexandra Palace station were ended by British Railways on 3 July 1954 along with the rest of the line between Finsbury Park and Alexandra Palace.
The line as far as Muswell Hill continued to be used for goods until 18 May 1957 when the section between Muswell Hill- Highgate was closed to regular goods traffic. The tracks between Highgate and Finsbury Park were retained until the 1970s, to enable Northern City Line's tube stock to be transferred to and from Highgate depot and, as the tracks were not electrified, the trains had to be hauled by battery locomotives. Today the track has been removed and many of the platforms and station buildings have been demolished. At Stroud Green
the former stations building still stands and sees residential use, but the platforms and trackside buildings have been removed. The opposite is true at Crouch End
, where the platforms survive almost intact but only fragments of the station building survive. The track bed between Muswell Hill and Finsbury Park
is now largely part of Parkland Walk.
Abandoned Works/Former Services
Alexandra Palace
Alexandra Palace is a building in North London, England. It stands in Alexandra Park, in an area between Hornsey, Muswell Hill and Wood Green...
in the Muswell Hill
Muswell Hill
Muswell Hill is a suburb of north London, mostly in the London Borough of Haringey. It is situated about north of Charing Cross and around from the City of London. Muswell Hill is in the N10 postal district and mostly in the Hornsey and Wood Green parliamentary constituency.- History :The...
area of north 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 is one of a number of stations to have held the name at various times and should not be confused with the current holder, Alexandra Palace station
Alexandra Palace railway station
Alexandra Palace railway station is in the London Borough of Haringey in north London, and is in Travelcard Zone 3. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by First Capital Connect...
on the First Capital Connect
First Capital Connect
First Capital Connect is a passenger train operating company in England that began operations on the National Rail network on 1 April 2006...
line to the east.
The station was the terminus of a short branch line from Highgate station. The previous station on the line was Muswell Hill station
Muswell Hill railway station
Muswell Hill railway station was in the Muswell Hill district of north London just north of the road junction of Muswell Hill and Muswell Hill Place...
. The station was located immediately adjacent to the north side of the Palace buildings.
Nothing remains of the tracks or island platform today which have been removed and covered with car park but the small station building, known locally as CUFOS (Community Use For Old Station), remains.
History
The station was built by the Muswell Hill Railway (MHR) and opened in 1873 along with the Palace. However when the Palace burned down only two weeks after opening, the service was considerably reduced and then closed for almost two years whilst the Palace was rebuilt. It reopened in May 1875, but there were further periods of closure from August 1882 to March 1885 and September 1885 and May 1889 .In 1911 the line was taken over by the Great Northern Railway
Great Northern Railway (Great Britain)
The Great Northern Railway was a British railway company established by the Great Northern Railway Act of 1846. On 1 January 1923 the company lost its identity as a constituent of the newly formed London and North Eastern Railway....
. After the 1921 Railways Act
Railways Act 1921
The Railways Act 1921, also known as the Grouping Act, was an enactment by the British government of David Lloyd George intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, move the railways away from internal competition, and to retain some of the benefits which...
created the Big Four railway companies, the line was, from 1923, part of the London and North Eastern Railway
London and North Eastern Railway
The London and North Eastern Railway was the second-largest of the "Big Four" railway companies created by the Railways Act 1921 in Britain...
(LNER).
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...
planned, as part of its "New Works Programme" to take over the line from LNER together with the LNER's routes from Finsbury Park
Finsbury Park station
Finsbury Park Station is a busy transport interchange in North London. The interchange consists of an interconnected National Rail station, London Underground station and two bus stations. The main entrances are by the eastern bus station on Station Place...
to Edgware
Edgware railway station
Edgware railway station was a London and North Eastern Railway station in Station Road, Edgware, Greater London. It is not to be confused with the London Underground Northern line Edgware station approximately 200 metres to the north east.-History:...
and High Barnet
High Barnet tube station
High Barnet tube station is a London Underground station located in High Barnet in North London. The station is the terminus of the High Barnet branch of the Northern line and is in Travelcard Zone 5. It is the northernmost station on the Northern line and is situated 10.2 miles north north-west...
, modernise it for use with electric trains and amalgamate it with 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...
.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Works were completed from Highgate to High Barnet and Mill Hill East and that section was incorporated into the Northern Line. Further works on the section between Highgate and Alexandra Palace were postponed and the line continued under the operation of the LNER. Because of wartime economies services were reduced to rush hours only, so that after the war the dwindling passenger numbers and a shortage of funds led to the cancellation of the unfinished works in 1950 and passenger services to Alexandra Palace station were ended by British Railways on 3 July 1954 along with the rest of the line between Finsbury Park and Alexandra Palace.
The line as far as Muswell Hill continued to be used for goods until 18 May 1957 when the section between Muswell Hill- Highgate was closed to regular goods traffic. The tracks between Highgate and Finsbury Park were retained until the 1970s, to enable Northern City Line's tube stock to be transferred to and from Highgate depot and, as the tracks were not electrified, the trains had to be hauled by battery locomotives. Today the track has been removed and many of the platforms and station buildings have been demolished. At Stroud Green
Stroud Green
Stroud Green may refer to:* Stroud Green, Berkshire* Stroud Green, Essex* Stroud Green, Gloucestershire* Stroud Green, London...
the former stations building still stands and sees residential use, but the platforms and trackside buildings have been removed. The opposite is true at Crouch End
Crouch End
Crouch End is an area of north London, in the London Borough of Haringey.- Location :Crouch End is in a valley between Harringay to the east, Hornsey, Muswell Hill and Wood Green to the north, Finsbury Park and Archway to the south and Highgate to the west...
, where the platforms survive almost intact but only fragments of the station building survive. The track bed between Muswell Hill and Finsbury Park
Finsbury Park, London
Finsbury Park is an area in north London, England which grew up around an important railway interchange at the junction of the London Boroughs of Islington, Haringey and Hackney...
is now largely part of Parkland Walk.
See also
- Edgware, Highgate and London RailwayEdgware, Highgate and London RailwayThe Edgware, Highgate and London Railway was a railway in north London. The railway was a precursor of parts of London Underground's Northern Line and was, in the 1930s the core of an ambitious expansion plan for that line which was thwarted by the Second World War...
- Palace Gates (Wood Green) railway stationPalace Gates (Wood Green) railway stationPalace Gates railway station was a railway station on the Palace Gates Line in Wood Green, north London. It was located on the corner of Bridge Road and Dorset Road....
- closed railway station originally named "Wood Green (Alexandra Palace)"