Kentish Town tube station
Northern line · Zone 2 · Camden
About Kentish Town station
Two railways meet at Kentish Town. The Midland Railway opened the first station on 1 October 1868 on its approach to St Pancras, and that main-line station was rebuilt in 1983 with nothing of the original left. The Underground station followed on 22 June 1907, opened by the Charing Cross, Euston and Hampstead Railway. Leslie Green designed it with the ox-blood red glazed terracotta façade and semicircular first-floor windows seen on that company’s original stations. When it opened, the next stop south was South Kentish Town, which closed in 1924 because so few people used it.
The recent history is about escalators. The two installed in 1997 were custom-built, and a lack of spare parts led to long closures after breakdowns. The Underground station therefore closed on 26 June 2023 so both could be replaced with the model used on the Elizabeth line, and the ticket hall’s ceiling and floor were repaired; it reopened on 23 December 2024, six months late, while the main-line station stayed open. Kentish Town is the only stop on the High Barnet branch with a direct National Rail interchange.
First and last trains from Kentish Town
| Line and direction | Mon–Thu first – last | Friday first – last | Saturday first – last | Sunday first – last |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern towards Morden, Battersea Power Station or Kennington | 05:43 – 00:21 | 05:43 – all night | 24 hours | all night – 23:30 |
| Northern towards High Barnet, Mill Hill East or Finchley Central | 05:53 – 00:53 | 05:53 – all night | 24 hours | all night – 23:57 |
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 24 Northern trains an hour per direction from Kentish Town, counting both directions separately.
Next stations from Kentish Town
Running times between Kentish Town and the adjoining stations, from TfL’s timetable.
| Line | Next station | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Northern | Camden Town | 1.9 min |
| Northern | Tufnell Park | 1.5 min |
Connections
- National Rail: East Midlands Railway and Thameslink.
Station facilities
What is near Kentish Town station
The station stands at the junction of Kentish Town Road and Leighton Road, and Kentish Town Library is just 40 m from the entrance. Falkland Place Open Space is about 150 m away, the Lion and Unicorn theatre around 280 m, and the Working Men’s College and Peckwater Estate Natural Play Area both about 310 m; Inkerman Garden lies at roughly 400 m. Many passengers change here between the Northern line and Thameslink, whose platforms are normally reached through the Underground station, with Camden Town one stop south.
| Place | Walk from the station |
|---|---|
| Kentish Town Library | 40 m |
| Falkland Place Open Space | 150 m |
| Lion and Unicorn | 280 m |
| Working Men’s College | 310 m |
| Peckwater Estate Natural Play Area | 310 m |
| Inkerman Garden | 400 m |
Frequently asked questions
Its two escalators, custom-designed in 1997, had caused long closures because spare parts were hard to obtain. The Underground station shut on 26 June 2023 so they could be replaced with the model used on the Elizabeth line, alongside ticket hall repairs and extra barriers. It reopened on 23 December 2024, six months behind schedule.
The National Rail platforms are normally entered from the Underground station; their separate street entrance only opens when the Underground station is closed. Thameslink trains use platforms 1 and 2, and Kentish Town is the only station on the High Barnet branch with a direct National Rail interchange.