Hatch End railway station

Hatch End

Hatch End Location of Hatch End in Greater London
Location	Hatch End
Local authority	London Borough of Harrow
Managed by	London Overground
Owner	Network Rail
Station code	HTE
Number of platforms	2
Fare zone	6
National Rail annual entry and exit
2004–05	0.315 million
2005–06	0.338 million
2006–07	0.490 million
2007–08	0.551 million
1911	Opened as Pinner & Hatch End
1920	Renamed to Hatch End (For Pinner)
1956	Renamed to Hatch End
1982	Bakerloo line service withdrawn
Lists of stations	DLR · Underground · National Rail · Tramlink
External links	Departures • Layout
	Facilities • Buses

Hatch End railway station is in the London Borough of Harrow, in north London, and in Travelcard Zone 6.

It is located at grid reference TQ130913.

The station has two platforms. The northbound (down) platform is on the side of the ticket office and cafe. The southbound (up) platform is reached via a footbridge. This platform was originally an island platform with the other face on the adjacent down fast mainline. There was another island platform serving the up fast and down semi-fast lines and a further platform for the up semi-fasts. These other platforms fell out of use before the end of steam services on the mainline. A general rebuilding of the access to the two remaining platforms in use was built in the 1980s and a fence built along to shield waiting passengers from the fast trains.

Services

The typical off-peak service is three trains per hour operated by London Overground to London Euston (southbound) and Watford Junction (northbound), calling at all stations. Sundays it is half-hourly in each direction.

The typical journey time to Euston is 38 minutes and to Watford Junction 11 minutes. Connections are available at Harrow & Wealdstone for a London Midland fast service to London Euston or the Southern service to East Croydon, or the Bakerloo Line calling all stations to Elephant & Castle. Figures show that many change at Harrow and Wealdstone for the Southern train to alight at West Brompton or Kensington Olympia for the district line for central London. Also, those who have changed onto the Southern Train have the option for other Southern services and South West Trains at Clapham Junction.

The station was previously served by the Bakerloo Line of the London Underground. There are plans to resume the Bakerloo line service in the future.

As of 2007, the station has added to its facilities a cafe selling various beverages, snacks and newspapers. This on the northbound platform. The ticket office has also improved its opening hours and it is more or less open when every train comes through. If not, there are several customer service assistants around if need be. There are also two ticket machines in the foyer where one can buy any national rail tickets, as well as travel cards, and oyster tickets. Under the new management of London Overground there has been many significant improvements such as new signs, more CCTV and electronic departure boards in the foyer, both platforms and the southbound shelter.

Very recently, in early 2010, Hatch End Station has had ticket barriers implemented, like many other London Overground Stations. There are two barriers, and another barrier for luggage and wheelchair users. There are still two ticket machines, and the ticket office which is now open much more regularly.

In addition, as of 2008 "K2 Cars" taxi service converted a previous dilipidated little hut next to the station into a taxi company. They have several cars which can take one anywhere in the local vicinity.

Architectural critic and Poet Laureate Sir John Betjeman was an admirer of Hatch End railway station and described it as "half-way between a bank and a medium sized country house" - Metroland.

Gallery

• 

  Platforms looking north

• 

  Platforms looking south

• 

  Apparently "temporary" platform signage

• 

  View looking north from footbridge, with the WCML visible on the right (no platforms at present)

• 

  Up express near Hatch End in 1957

• 

  Down West Coast Express in 1957

• 

  West Coast Main Line near Hatch End with Up express in 1957

External links

• Train times and station information for Hatch End railway station from National Rail

Preceding station		London Overground		Following station
Carpenders Park towards Watford Junction		Watford DC Line		Headstone Lane towards Euston
		Former route (until 1982) and future route
Preceding station		London Underground		Following station
Carpenders Park towards Watford Junction		Bakerloo line		Headstone Lane towards Elephant & Castle