Farringdon station

Farringdon
Location	Clerkenwell
Local authority	London Borough of Islington
Managed by	London Underground
Owner	London Underground
Station code(s)	ZFD
Number of platforms	4
Other information
External links	Departures Facilities
London transport portal

Farringdon station is a London Underground and National Rail station in Clerkenwell, just north of the City of London in the London Borough of Islington.

Services

It is on the Metropolitan, Hammersmith & City and Circle lines, between King's Cross St. Pancras and Barbican. The station serves First Capital Connect trains which run from Brighton to Bedford, calling en route at Gatwick Airport, or from Luton to Sutton. Some First Capital Connect trains also run into Moorgate and terminate there rather than continuing south via City Thameslink. Farringdon is in Transport for London's Travelcard Zone 1.

History

The station was opened on 9 January 1863 as the terminus of the original Metropolitan Railway, the world's first underground metro line. The station, initially named Farringdon Street, was originally located a short distance from today's building. The line ran from Farringdon to Paddington, a distance of 4 miles (6 km). The station was relocated on 23 December 1865 when the Metropolitan Railway opened an extension to Moorgate. It was renamed Farringdon and High Holborn on 26 January 1922, and its present name on 21 April 1936.

The lines from Farringdon to King's Cross stations run alongside the culverted Fleet River, which was located here until 1812. The station building is an unusually well-preserved piece of early 20th-century London Underground architecture; it still has its original signage (with the name "Farringdon and High Holborn" on the facade) and other indications of the Metropolitan Railway's ambitions to be like the main line companies, with a sign for a "Parcel Office" surviving on the exterior wall.

Plans

The station drastically requires expansion, however, and is very busy at peak times. There have been plans to increase the station's passenger capacity for several years, as part of the Thameslink 2000 project, though these have yet to come to fruition. If, as is planned, Crossrail line 1 calls here, substantial upgrade works may be required.

The station is due to become one of the most important transport interchanges in central London, when the Crossrail 1 project is developed. Under current plans, the Crossrail station will be located between Farringdon Road and Charterhouse Square, south of the existing ticket hall. The Farringdon ticket hall will be located at the junction of Farringdon Road and Cowcross Street. The area between the current and new stations is intended to be pedestrianised. A further ticket hall will be located to provide an additional interchange with Barbican tube station.

Authority to build Crossrail is still before Parliament, but is anticipated to become law in 2007. Completion is not anticipated until 2015.

Dual supply

Farringdon Station is also notable because the First Capital Connect trains, whilst standing at the platform, switch between the 25kV AC overhead supply used to the north of London, and the 750V DC third rail supply used to the south, though the trains travelling to Moorgate use 25kV AC throughout.

Of course, the Underground trains use the four rail 630V DC system.

Nearest places

• Clerkenwell
• Smithfield
• Barbican Estate
• Finsbury Estate
• Holborn
• Old Street
• Shoreditch

Gallery

• 
  The station was named Farringdon & High Holborn from 1922-36
• 
  Platforms
• 
  View from north

External links

• Train times and station information for Farringdon station from National Rail

Future Development

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Tottenham Court Road		Crossrail		Liverpool Street