Willesden Junction tube station
Bakerloo line · Zones 2 and 3 · Brent
About Willesden Junction station
Three adjoining sites grew into one sprawling station. The London & North Western Railway opened its main-line platforms on 1 September 1866, replacing an 1841 Willesden station half a mile to the north-west. The North London Railway’s high-level station followed in 1869, rebuilt in 1894 as a combined station whose entrance building still survives. The low-level ‘Willesden New Station’ on the Watford DC line opened in 1910, and Bakerloo trains began using its platforms on 10 May 1915. In the late nineteenth century its maze of entrances, passages and platforms earned it the nicknames ‘Bewildering Junction’ and ‘The Wilderness’.
The main-line platforms went in 1962, removed during electrification of the West Coast Main Line so the curves could be eased. In 1896 the station had 271 staff, many housed in the LNWR’s 1889 estate that is now the Old Oak Lane conservation area. There have been serious accidents: on 5 December 1910 a signalling error caused a rear-end collision that killed five people, and on 6 October 1986 a Class 313 train ran into the back of a stationary Bakerloo train east of the station, injuring 23 of its 25 passengers. Until May 2008, northbound Bakerloo line trains heading for the depot ran empty beyond here to Stonebridge Park.
First and last trains from Willesden Junction
| Line and direction | Mon–Thu first – last | Friday first – last | Saturday first – last | Sunday first – last |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bakerloo towards Elephant & Castle, Waterloo or Queen's Park | 05:31 – 00:47 to Queen's Park | 05:31 – 00:47 to Queen's Park | 05:31 – 00:47 to Queen's Park | 07:16 – 00:30 to Queen's Park |
| Bakerloo towards Harrow & Wealdstone or Stonebridge Park | 05:41 – 00:46 to Stonebridge Park | 05:41 – 00:46 to Stonebridge Park | 05:41 – 00:46 to Stonebridge Park | 07:19 – 00:05 |
Times are TfL’s published timetable departures from this station; on Saturday the list follows TfL’s “Saturdays and public holidays” timetable.
At the busiest hour on a weekday there are up to 11 Bakerloo trains an hour per direction from Willesden Junction, counting both directions separately.
Next stations from Willesden Junction
Running times between Willesden Junction and the adjoining stations, from TfL’s timetable.
| Line | Next station | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Bakerloo | Harlesden | 2 min |
| Bakerloo | Kensal Green | 2.8 min |
Connections
- London Overground: Lioness line and Mildmay line.
Station facilities
What is near Willesden Junction station
The platform signs read ‘Alight for Harlesden town centre’, and the station lies close to the Old Oak Lane conservation area. Bakerloo trains share the low-level platforms with Overground services between Euston and Watford Junction, while the high-level island platform serves the North London and West London lines. The nearest named places are two small green spaces: Tubbs Road Pocket Park, about 90 m away, and Furness Road Pocket Park, around 320 m. On the Bakerloo the neighbouring stops are Harlesden and Kensal Green.
| Place | Walk from the station |
|---|---|
| Tubbs Road Pocket Park | 90 m |
| Furness Road Pocket Park | 320 m |
Frequently asked questions
In the late nineteenth century the station, spread across three adjoining sites, contained such a maze of entrances, passages and platforms that it was nicknamed ‘Bewildering Junction’ or ‘The Wilderness’. By 1897, 199 passenger trains and 47 goods trains passed through the high-level station each day.
No. The West Coast Main Line platforms were removed in 1962 during electrification, and passenger services there ended. The main line is now separated from the low-level station by the approach road to Willesden Traction Maintenance Depot, and only Bakerloo and Overground trains call.