Watford tube station
Metropolitan line · Zone 7 · Watford
About Watford station
The Metropolitan Railway won approval in 1912 for a branch from Moor Park via Croxley, but disputes with Watford Borough Council and the First World War held up construction until 1922, and crossing the River Gade and the Grand Junction Canal pushed the cost to £300,000. The station opened on 2 November 1925, at first with Metropolitan electric trains to Baker Street and LNER steam trains to Marylebone; the LNER pulled out after the 1926 General Strike.
The line was never meant to stop here. The 1912 plans continued through Cassiobury Park to Hempstead Road, but the council, which had bought part of the Cassiobury Estate, objected, so the route ends on Cassiobury Park Avenue, about a mile from the town centre. A 1927 scheme for a High Street terminus also came to nothing. Charles Walter Clark’s Arts and Crafts building, in red brick with a clay-tiled hipped roof, a canopy on twin Doric columns and largely original tiling and panelling inside, is Grade II listed. The Croxley Rail Link, approved in 2011, would have closed the station, but work stopped over funding.
First and last trains from Watford
| Line and direction | Mon–Thu first – last | Friday first – last | Saturday first – last | Sunday first – last |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan towards Baker Street, Aldgate or Harrow-on-the-Hill | 05:29 to Aldgate – 00:40 to Wembley Park | 05:29 to Aldgate – 00:40 to Wembley Park | 05:29 to Aldgate – 00:40 to Wembley Park | 07:04 to Aldgate – 00:07 to Wembley Park |
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 8 Metropolitan trains an hour per direction from Watford, counting both directions separately.
Next stations from Watford
Running times between Watford and the adjoining stations, from TfL’s timetable.
| Line | Next station | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan | Croxley | 3.3 min |
Connections
Watford is served by the Metropolitan line only; there is no interchange with other rail lines here.
Station facilities
What is near Watford station
The station stands in the Cassiobury area at the junction with Metropolitan Station Approach, close to two of the entrances to Cassiobury Park, about 260 m away; Ring Around Park is around 230 m off. Watford’s town centre is about a mile away and is more directly served by Watford High Street and Watford Junction. The station also has a car park.
| Place | Walk from the station |
|---|---|
| Ring Around Park | 230 m |
| Cassiobury Park | 260 m |
Frequently asked questions
The Metropolitan’s 1912 plans took the line on through Cassiobury Park to Hempstead Road, but Watford Council, which had bought part of the Cassiobury Estate, objected to a railway through the park. The final section was dropped, leaving the terminus on Cassiobury Park Avenue, about a mile from the centre. A 1927 plan for a High Street terminus proved too costly.
Yes, it is Grade II listed. Designed by the Metropolitan Railway’s architect Charles Walter Clark in an Arts and Crafts style, it has red brick, a clay-tiled hipped roof, tall chimneys and a polygonal canopy on twin Doric columns, and its interior keeps period tiling and hardwood panelling.