Blackhorse Road tube station
Victoria line · Zone 3 · Waltham Forest
About Blackhorse Road station
Two railways meet at the junction of Blackhorse Road and Forest Road, and for most of their history they did not quite line up. The Tottenham and Forest Gate Railway opened its station here on 9 July 1894, sited east of Blackhorse Road; the Victoria line platforms followed on 1 September 1968, built across the road from the existing station. Planned as a plain two-platform stop, the tube station was the only one on the line to get any new structure above ground. British Rail finally moved the surface station on 14 December 1981 so that passengers could change between the two more easily, and today it carries the London Overground Suffragette line.
Budget limits during construction show underground: the white ceiling panels were never fitted above the platforms, so the steel tunnel segments were painted black and left to carry the fixtures, which has reduced the lighting. The name is answered twice in art. Hans Unger, who also designed the motif at Seven Sisters, created a tile showing a black horse on a white cameo against a light blue background in the Victoria line‘s own colour, and David McFall made the black horse mural outside the entrance.
First and last trains from Blackhorse Road
| Line and direction | Mon–Thu first – last | Friday first – last | Saturday first – last | Sunday first – last |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victoria towards Brixton or Seven Sisters | 05:27 – 00:55 to Seven Sisters | 05:27 – all night | 24 hours | all night – 00:08 to Seven Sisters |
| Victoria towards Walthamstow Central | 05:30 – 00:59 | 05:30 – all night | 24 hours | all night – 00:21 |
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 36 Victoria trains an hour per direction from Blackhorse Road, counting both directions separately.
Next stations from Blackhorse Road
Running times between Blackhorse Road and the adjoining stations, from TfL’s timetable.
| Line | Next station | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Victoria | Tottenham Hale | 1.8 min |
| Victoria | Walthamstow Central | 1.8 min |
Connections
- London Overground: Suffragette line.
Station facilities
What is near Blackhorse Road station
This is the nearest railway station to Walthamstow Wetlands, and an interchange between the Victoria line and the London Overground. Within a short walk are Canal Walk, about 250 m away, the Big Creative Academy at roughly 270 m, and Stoneydown Park at around 330 m, with Stoneydown Speakers’ Corner just beyond at about 390 m. Several bus routes, including the night route N73, stop at the station.
| Place | Walk from the station |
|---|---|
| Canal Walk | 250 m |
| Big Creative Academy | 270 m |
| Stoneydown Park | 330 m |
Frequently asked questions
The station takes its name from Blackhorse Road, and its artwork plays on that name. Outside the entrance is a black horse mural by David McFall. Down at platform level, a tile motif by Hans Unger shows a black horse on a white cameo set against light blue, the colour of the Victoria line.
Money was short when the line was built, so the white ceiling panels planned for the platforms were never fitted. Instead the steel tunnel segments were painted black and used to hold the lights and other fittings. The result is lower light levels than at stations finished to the usual standard.