Clapham South tube station
Northern line · Zones 2 and 3 · Wandsworth
About Clapham South station
Charles Holden designed Clapham South, and it opened on 13 September 1926 as the first station of the City and South London Railway’s Morden extension, now part of the Northern line. Before opening, Balham North and Nightingale Lane were both proposed as names. The Westbury Court apartments above were added in the mid-1930s, and the parade of shops on Balham Hill was extended in the same style as the original three nearest the station. A 1990s refurbishment brought new flooring, tiling and CCTV while restoring or reproducing Holden’s original features, and won a National Railway Heritage Award.
Its deep-level air-raid shelter – one of eight beneath Underground stations – has a place in post-war history. HMT Empire Windrush arrived at Tilbury in 1948 carrying 492 immigrants from the West Indies, recruited to ease London’s labour shortage; with no accommodation for them all, the Colonial Office housed many of them temporarily in the shelter at Clapham South. Since 2016 it has been open to visitors on the London Transport Museum’s Hidden London guided tours.
First and last trains from Clapham South
| Line and direction | Mon–Thu first – last | Friday first – last | Saturday first – last | Sunday first – last |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern towards Morden | 06:10 – 00:54 | 06:10 – all night | 24 hours | all night – 00:05 |
| Northern towards Edgware, High Barnet or Mill Hill East | 05:26 to High Barnet – 00:16 to High Barnet | 05:26 to High Barnet – all night | 24 hours | all night – 23:23 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 South, counting both directions separately.
Next stations from Clapham South
Running times between Clapham South and the adjoining stations, from TfL’s timetable.
| Line | Next station | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Northern | Balham | 2 min |
| Northern | Clapham Common | 1.9 min |
Connections
Clapham South is served by the Northern line only; there is no interchange with other rail lines here.
Station facilities
What is near Clapham South station
Clapham South sits at the corner of Balham Hill (A24) and Nightingale Lane, on the southern edge of Clapham Common, one stop north of Balham. The Clapham South Deep Level Shelter is about 110 m from the station and St Francis Xavier Sixth Form College about 180 m. London buses 50, 155, 249, 355, G1 and 690 call here, plus night route N155.
| Place | Walk from the station |
|---|---|
| St Francis Xavier Sixth Form College | 180 m |
| Clapham South Deep Level Shelter | 110 m |