Lancaster Gate tube station
Central line · Zone 1 · City of Westminster
About Lancaster Gate station
Lancaster Gate, proposed as Westbourne before it opened, was opened by the Central London Railway on 30 July 1900. Its original building was typical of the line’s first architect, Harry Bell Measures, but it was demolished in 1968 when a new surface building went up as part of the development above. That development, designed by T P Bennett & Son as offices, became a hotel soon afterwards, and in 2004–05 its lower floors, including the station façade, were re-clad in white stone to a design by Eric Parry Architects.
Lifts are the station’s recurring story. Chronic lift failures, which TfL regarded as a safety hazard, led to a closure from July to November 2006 for refurbishment. From January to June 2017 it closed again so the lifts could be completely replaced: the station is so small that changing them one at a time was not feasible. Its compact ticket hall is often congested, especially at weekends.
First and last trains from Lancaster Gate
| Line and direction | Mon–Thu first – last | Friday first – last | Saturday first – last | Sunday first – last |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central towards West Ruislip, Ealing Broadway or White City | 06:01 – 00:37 | 06:01 – all night | 24 hours | all night – 23:53 to Ealing Broadway |
| Central towards Hainault, Epping or Loughton | 05:42 to Epping – 00:24 to Epping | 05:42 to Epping – all night | 24 hours | all night – 23:36 |
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 29 Central trains an hour per direction from Lancaster Gate, counting both directions separately.
Next stations from Lancaster Gate
Running times between Lancaster Gate and the adjoining stations, from TfL’s timetable.
| Line | Next station | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Central | Marble Arch | 2 min |
| Central | Queensway | 1.8 min |
Connections
Lancaster Gate is served by the Central line only; there is no interchange with other rail lines here.
Station facilities
What is near Lancaster Gate station
The station stands on Bayswater Road beside the Royal Lancaster Hotel, north of Kensington Gardens. Despite its name, it is nearer the Marlborough Gate entrance to the park than to Lancaster Gate itself, which lies about 300 m to the west. The Italian Gardens are about 130 m away, the Victoria Border about 160 m and the Speke Memorial about 390 m. Garden squares are close too, including Hyde Park Gardens and Sussex Gardens (about 190 m) and Talbot Square Gardens (about 350 m). Lancaster Gate Memorial Cross is about 320 m off and BPP University about 360 m, and Paddington main-line station is within walking distance.
| Place | Walk from the station |
|---|---|
| Lancaster Gate Memorial Cross | 320 m |
| BPP University | 360 m |
| Dellasposa Gallery | 130 m |
| Italian Gardens | 130 m |
| Victoria Border | 160 m |
| Hyde Park Gardens | 190 m |
| Sussex Gardens | 190 m |
| Sussex Square Gardens | 220 m |
Frequently asked questions
The station closed from January to June 2017 for complete replacement of its lifts. Because the station is so small, it was not feasible to replace one lift at a time while keeping it open. An earlier closure, from July to November 2006, had refurbished the lifts after chronic failures.
Paddington main-line station is within walking distance, so Lancaster Gate can serve as an informal link between the Central line and the main line. This connection is not shown on the Underground map, and a 2011 TfL study of passengers’ onward travel from Paddington did not include it.