Clapham Common tube station
Northern line · Zone 2 · Lambeth
About Clapham Common station
When the City and South London Railway was extended from Stockwell, this station at the eastern tip of Clapham Common became its new southern terminus, opening on 3 June 1900. It kept that role until the Morden extension opened on 13 September 1926. Two entrances serve it today: a domed building from the 1920s on the west side and a modern curved-steel-and-glass pavilion on the east.
Below ground it is one of only two stations left on the network – the other being Clapham North – that are physically underground with narrow island platforms, around 3.7 metres (12 ft) wide. In May 2023 smoke filled a carriage of a packed rush-hour train here and passengers smashed windows to escape; the Rail Accident Investigation Branch noted that the narrow platforms gave the incident the potential for more serious consequences. In September 2024 TfL said it had no plans to widen them because of the high cost. The station also hosted a lighter episode: for two weeks in September 2016 every advert in it was replaced with photos of cats, a crowdfunded campaign.
First and last trains from Clapham Common
| Line and direction | Mon–Thu first – last | Friday first – last | Saturday first – last | Sunday first – last |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern towards Morden | 06:08 – 00:52 | 06:08 – all night | 24 hours | all night – 00:03 |
| Northern towards Edgware, High Barnet or Mill Hill East | 05:28 to High Barnet – 00:18 to High Barnet | 05:28 to High Barnet – all night | 24 hours | all night – 23:25 to High Barnet |
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 31 Northern trains an hour per direction from Clapham Common, counting both directions separately.
Next stations from Clapham Common
Running times between Clapham Common and the adjoining stations, from TfL’s timetable.
| Line | Next station | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Northern | Clapham North | 1.5 min |
| Northern | Clapham South | 1.9 min |
Connections
Clapham Common is served by the Northern line only; there is no interchange with other rail lines here.
Station facilities
What is near Clapham Common station
A cinema, galleries and a theatre are all a short walk from the station. Clapham Picturehouse is about 90 m from the entrance, the Temperance Fountain memorial on Clapham Common about 160 m and the Studio Voltaire gallery about 260 m. Holy Trinity Churchyard lies about 280 m away and Grafton Square about 310 m, while Omnibus Clapham and its Omnibus Theatre are around 350–360 m off, with Clapham Library at about 400 m. A large number of London bus routes serve the station by day and night.
| Place | Walk from the station |
|---|---|
| Studio Voltaire | 260 m |
| Clapham Picturehouse | 90 m |
| Temperance Fountain in Clapham Common (memorial) | 160 m |
| Holy Trinity Churchyard | 280 m |
| Grafton Square | 310 m |
| Omnibus Theatre | 360 m |
| Clapham Library | 400 m |