Barbican tube station

Coordinates: 51°31′13″N 0°05′52″W / 51.5202°N 0.0977°W / 51.5202; -0.0977
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Barbican London Underground
A picture of a railway station in a city taken from an elevated concrete platform, sheltered in the background, with two sets of two tracks each and sheltered platforms on either side. A man and a woman are sitting on a wooden bench in the foreground facing left. In the background the tracks disappear into two tunnel portals. Brick buildings rise on all three sides of the cutting; two large concrete towers rise behind them in the centre and on the right.
View of Barbican station platforms, with the Barbican Estate towers in the background, 2014
Barbican is located in Central London
Barbican
Barbican
Location of Barbican in Central London
LocationBarbican
Local authorityCity of London
Managed byLondon Underground
Number of platforms4 (2 in use)
Fare zone1
London Underground annual entry and exit
2018Decrease 10.08 million[1]
2019Increase 10.47 million[2]
2020Decrease 2.54 million[3]
2021Increase 3.47 million[4]
2022Increase 5.36 million[5]
National Rail annual entry and exit
2006–07 0.045 million[6]
2007–08Increase 0.052 million[6]
2008–09Decrease 0 (closed) million[6]
Key dates
23 December 1865 (23 December 1865)Opened as Aldersgate Street[7][8]
1 November 1910Renamed Aldersgate[7][8]
24 October 1924Renamed Aldersgate & Barbican[7][8]
1 December 1968Renamed Barbican[7][8][9]
1976Services from Great Northern line via Widened Lines ceased
1982Electrified services from Bedford commenced
2009Thameslink services ceased
24 May 2022Opened access to Farringdon (Elizabeth line)
Other information
External links
WGS8451°31′13″N 0°05′52″W / 51.5202°N 0.0977°W / 51.5202; -0.0977
 London transport portal

Barbican is a London Underground station situated near the Barbican Estate, on the edge of the ward of Farringdon Within, in the City of London in Central London. It has been known by various names since its opening in 1865, mostly in reference to the neighbouring ward of Aldersgate.

The station is served by the Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines, and is situated between Farringdon and Moorgate stations, in Travelcard Zone 1.[10] Platform 2, serving westbound trains, is connected by a single lift to Farringdon station on the Elizabeth line. Until 2009 Barbican was additionally served by Thameslink services to and from Moorgate.[11]

Location[edit]

Barbican station lies in an east–west-aligned cutting with cut-and-cover tunnels at either end.[12] The modern entrance gives access from Aldersgate Street, through a 1990s building,[13] to a much older footbridge leading to the eastern end of the platforms.[note 1] To the north of the station are the rears of buildings that face onto Charterhouse Street, Charterhouse Square and Carthusian Street.[12] To the south are the rears of buildings that face onto Long Lane, and to the west is Hayne Street.[12] The station is close to the Barbican Estate, Barbican Centre, City of London School for Girls, St Bartholomew-the-Great, and Smithfield.[12] The Eastern Ticket Hall entrance to Farringdon Elizabeth line station is one street west of the station entrance, on the corner of Long Lane and Lindsey Street. A single lift connects directly from the Elizabeth line onto the westbound platform at Barbican.

History[edit]

The station was opened with the name Aldersgate Street on 23 December 1865[8] on the Moorgate extension from Farringdon.[7][14] It was built on the site of an earlier building at 134 Aldersgate Street, which for many years had a sign claiming "This was Shakespeare's House".[15] The building was very close to the nearby Fortune Playhouse, and a subsidy roll from 1598 shows a "William Shakespeare" as the owner of the property, however, there is no documentary evidence indicating they and the playwright were the same person.

The station, which has no surface building,[16] had its name shortened to Aldersgate on 1 November 1910[7][8] and was renamed again on 24 October 1924 as Aldersgate & Barbican,[7][8] although tube maps and London A to Zs continued to show it as Aldersgate.[17] On 1 December 1968 the station's name was simplified to Barbican.[7][8][9]

Train services were disrupted during the Second World War when the station suffered severe bomb damage in the Blitz, particularly in December 1940.[18] This led to the removal of the upper floors,[13] and in 1955 the remainder of the street-level building was also demolished and the glass roof was replaced with awnings.[19][20] This urged John Betjeman to write his poem Monody on the Death of Aldersgate Station.[20][21]

Increasing traffic by other companies, including goods traffic, led to the track between King's Cross and Moorgate being widened to four tracks in 1868; the route was called the 'City Widened Lines'. Suburban services from the Midland Railway ran via Kentish Town and the Great Northern Railway ran via Kings Cross. British Rail services to Moorgate were initially steam operated before being converted to Cravens-built diesel multiple units and British Rail Class 31 locomotives class hauling non-corridor stock which remained in operation until the mid-1970s.

Passenger trains from the Great Northern line, via the York Road and Hotel curves at King's Cross to the Widened Lines, ran until the Great Northern's electrification on 1976. The City Widened Lines were renamed the Moorgate line[22] when overhead electrification was installed in 1982, allowing the Midland City Line service to run from Bedford via the Midland Main Line to Moorgate on the Thameslink service. The Thameslink platforms at Barbican were closed again in March 2009 as part of the Thameslink Programme to allow Farringdon to have its main line platforms extended across Thameslink's Moorgate branch.[14][23] As a result, Barbican now serves Underground lines only.

The old entrance in 1981
Modern entrance to Barbican

The modern station is mostly open to the elements,[13] though there are some short canopies. The remains of the supporting structure for a glass canopy over all four platforms (removed in the 1950s) may still be seen.[13] At the west end of the platforms may be seen the beginnings of the complex of tunnels leading under Smithfield meat market.[24] Livestock for the market was at one time delivered by rail and there was a substantial goods yard under the site of the market.[25][26]

Platform 1 is the most northerly, serving eastbound London Underground services.[27][28] Platforms 2 and 3 form an island platform, with platform 2 serving westbound services.[27][28] Platform 2 contains a lift to the Elizabeth line platforms; it is the only platform with step-free access.[29] Platforms 3 and 4 are out of use.[13] A display on the history of the station, including text and photographs, is just inside the barriers, on the southern side of the main entrance corridor.[citation needed]

The station has a commemorative plaque affixed to one of its walls in memory of the station's deceased cat Pebbles.[30]

Incidents and accidents[edit]

On 16 December 1866, three passengers were killed, a guard was seriously injured and one other person suffered shock when a girder collapsed onto a passenger train in the station.[31] The accident was the first to include multiple passengers on the underground network. Four people died during the accident, and a fifth (a workman involved in the accident) died while awaiting trial. Service on the line was running again only 30 minutes after the accident.[32]

On 26th April 1897, a bomb exploded under a seat in a first-class carriage in the station, injuring ten people of whom two died later. The perpetrators were never identified, but it was believed to have been part of a Fenian campaign following 3 other bombs in 1883-5. [33]

Services[edit]

The Thameslink lines on the south side of the station are no longer in use. The signal box seen here (R) was demolished in January 2015 as part of the Crossrail redevelopment.

The station is served by the Metropolitan, Hammersmith & City and Circle lines. All three lines share the same pair of tracks from Baker Street Junction to Aldgate Junction making this section of track one of the most intensely used on the London Underground network.

Circle line[edit]

The typical service in trains per hour (tph) is:[34]

  • 6 tph clockwise to Edgware Road via Liverpool Street and Victoria
  • 6 tph anti-clockwise to Hammersmith via Kings Cross St Pancras and Paddington

Hammersmith & City line[edit]

The typical service in trains per hour (tph) is:[34]

  • 6 tph Eastbound to Barking
  • 6 tph Westbound to Hammersmith via Paddington

Metropolitan line[edit]

The Metropolitan Line is the only line to operate express services, though currently this is only during peak times (Eastbound 06:30–09:30 / Westbound 16:00–19:00). Fast services run non-stop between Wembley Park, Harrow-on-the-Hill and Moor Park, Semi-fast services run non-stop between Wembley Park and Harrow-on-the-Hill.[35]

The typical off-peak service in trains per hour (tph) is:[36]

  • 12 tph Eastbound to Aldgate
  • 2 tph Westbound to Amersham (all stations)
  • 2 tph Westbound to Chesham (all stations)
  • 8 tph Westbound to Uxbridge (all stations)

Off-peak services to/from Watford terminate at Baker Street

The typical peak time service in trains per hour (tph) is:[36]

  • 14 tph Eastbound to Aldgate
  • 2 tph Westbound to Amersham (fast in the evening peak only)
  • 2 tph Westbound to Chesham (fast in the evening peak only)
  • 4 tph Westbound to Watford (semi-fast in the evening peak only)
  • 6 tph Westbound to Uxbridge (all stations)

Elizabeth line[edit]

Elizabeth line platforms at Farringdon are connected to Barbican's westbound platform.

Farringdon's Barbican ticket hall for the Elizabeth line is just to the west of Barbican station along Long Lane.[37] This construction involved significant changes at the western end of the station, including the demolition of the former signal box[13] to construct a lift shaft from the Elizabeth line station to the westbound Underground platform only. The original plan of a new footbridge spanning the tracks to the eastbound platform was not proceeded with on the grounds of engineering difficulties.[38][39] Work was anticipated to be completed in 2018, but was completed in May 2022.[40][41]

Preceding station London Underground Following station
Farringdon
towards Hammersmith
 Circle line
 Moorgate
towards Edgware Road via Aldgate
Hammersmith & City line Moorgate
towards Barking
Farringdon
towards Uxbridge, Amersham, Chesham or Watford
 Metropolitan line Moorgate
towards Aldgate
Internal connection
Preceding station Elizabeth line Following station
Tottenham Court Road
towards Paddington
 Elizabeth line
transfer at Farringdon
 Liverpool Street
towards Abbey Wood
Former services
Preceding station London Underground Following station
Farringdon
towards Hammersmith
 Metropolitan line
Hammersmith branch (1864–1990)
 Moorgate
towards Barking
Disused Railways
Preceding station National Rail National Rail Following station
Farringdon   First Capital Connect
City Widened Lines
Peak hours only 		  Moorgate
Farringdon   Great Northern Railway
Widened Lines 		  Moorgate

Connections[edit]

London Buses routes serve the station.[42]

Notes and references[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Aldersgate Street is where the station has always stood. The street itself took its name from Aldersgate, a gate in the old London Wall.[13]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Station Usage Data" (CSV). Usage Statistics for London Stations, 2018. Transport for London. 23 September 2020. Archived from the original on 14 January 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  2. ^ "Station Usage Data" (XLSX). Usage Statistics for London Stations, 2019. Transport for London. 23 September 2020. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  3. ^ "Station Usage Data" (XLSX). Usage Statistics for London Stations, 2020. Transport for London. 16 April 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  4. ^ "Station Usage Data" (XLSX). Usage Statistics for London Stations, 2021. Transport for London. 12 July 2022. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
  5. ^ "Station Usage Data" (XLSX). Usage Statistics for London Stations, 2022. Transport for London. 4 October 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  6. ^ a b c "Estimates of station usage". Rail statistics. Office of Rail Regulation. Please note: Some methodology may vary year on year.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h Butt (1995), page 14
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h Hywel, Williams (2004). "Renamed Stations". Underground History. Archived from the original on 1 May 2015. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  9. ^ a b Butt (1995), page 26
  10. ^ Standard Tube Map (PDF) (Map). Not to scale. Transport for London. November 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 November 2022. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  11. ^ "Taking a look inside Crossrail's Farringdon station". www.ianvisits.co.uk. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
  12. ^ a b c d "Barbican Tube Station". Google Maps. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g "Barbican". Metropolitan. Archived from the original on 1 May 2015. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  14. ^ a b Feather, Clive. "Hammersmith & City line". Clive's Underground Line Guides. Archived from the original on 8 April 2015. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  15. ^ Winter, William (1910). Seeing Europe with Famous Authors: Literary Shrines of London. London: Moffat, Yard & Co. Archived from the original on 28 April 2015. Retrieved 1 June 2007.
  16. ^ "Tube Stations that have no surface buildings". Tube Facts and Figures. Geofftech. Archived from the original on 10 February 2015. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  17. ^ "Harry Beck Tube Map". London Transport Museum. 1957. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  18. ^ "Air raid damage on Aldersgate Street". London Transport Museum. 1 January 1941. Archived from the original on 28 April 2015. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  19. ^ "The Underground at War". Nick Cooper. 2010. Archived from the original on 28 April 2015.
  20. ^ a b Martin, Andrew (2013). Underground Overground: A Passenger's History of the Tube. London: Profile Books. p. 33. ISBN 978-1846684784.
  21. ^ Rhys (25 May 2008). "It all started with a ghost: A Monody". It all started with a ghost. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
  22. ^ Network Rail (April 2001). South Zone Sectional Appendix. Vol. Module SO. p. SO280 1/119. SO/SA/001A. (Retrieved 2011-12-10)
  23. ^ "Thameslink Programme - FAQ". First Capital Connect. Archived from the original on 6 February 2009.
  24. ^ diamond, geezer (8 June 2013). "Barbican". flickr. Archived from the original on 1 May 2015. Retrieved 1 May 2015. "The disused signal box, the tunnels beneath Smithfield, and the future Crossrail entrance."
  25. ^ Ian, Mansfield (25 May 2012). "Photos – The railway tunnels underneath Smithfield Meat Market". Subterranean Stuff, Transport Issues. IanVisits. Archived from the original on 1 May 2015. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  26. ^ Lemmo (25 June 2012). "Fulsome Farringdon: Part 1". London Terminals. London Reconnections. Archived from the original on 17 March 2015. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  27. ^ a b Feather, Clive. "Circle line". Clive's Underground Line Guides. Archived from the original on 1 May 2015. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  28. ^ a b Feather, Clive. "Metropolitan line". Clive's Underground Line Guides. Archived from the original on 1 May 2015. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  29. ^ "Step-free Tube Guide" (PDF). Transport for London. December 2023. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  30. ^ "London remembers Pebbles the station cat".
  31. ^ "Accident Returns: Extract for the Accident at Aldersgate Street on 19th December 1866". 11 January 1867. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  32. ^ "Disaster at Barbican: The Tube's First Tragedy". Londonist. 12 November 2014.
  33. ^ Alan A Jackson (1986). London's Metropolitan Railway. David & Charles, Newton Abbot. p. 123. ISBN 0-7153-8839-8.
  34. ^ a b "Circle and Hammersmith & City line WTT" (PDF). Transport for London. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 November 2016.
  35. ^ "CULG - Metropolitan Line". www.davros.org. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
  36. ^ a b "Metropolitan line WTT" (PDF). Transport for London. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 July 2016.
  37. ^ "Crossrail - Farringdon (1)". Crossrail. February 2005. Archived from the original on 16 December 2009.
  38. ^ "Crossrail Context Report: City of London" (PDF). Crossrail. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
  39. ^ "Taking a look inside Crossrail's Farringdon station". www.ianvisits.co.uk. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  40. ^ "Stations – Farringdon". Crossrail Construction Programme. Crossrail. Archived from the original on 1 May 2015. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  41. ^ "Elizabeth line opens and welcomes excited passengers". BBC News. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
  42. ^ "Buses from Barbican" (PDF). TfL. May 2022. Retrieved 20 May 2022.

Further reading[edit]

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Barbican tube station.
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