West Hampstead Thameslink railway station

Infobox London station
name = West Hampstead Thameslink


caption =Northbound view from the station footbridge
manager = First Capital Connect
zone = 2
locale = West Hampstead
borough = London Borough of Camden
platforms=4
railexits0405=0.484
railexits0506=0.594
railexits0607=3.049
railcode=WHP
start=1871
latitude = 51.5484
longitude = -0.1930

West Hampstead Thameslink is a National Rail station on the Midland Main Line and is served by First Capital Connect trains as part of the Thameslink Line service between Kentish Town and Cricklewood.

It was built as West End by the Midland Railway in 1871 on its extension to St. Pancras, to serve the newly-developed area around the hamlet of West End.

It became West End and Brondesbury in 1904 and West Hampstead in 1905. It was popular for many years for people taking a day out on Hampstead Heath and those visiting the chalybeate springs in Hampstead itself.

The station is in Travelcard Zone 2. Since late 2007, Oyster Pay as you go has been available at the station.

East Midlands Trains InterCity services from Leeds, Sheffield and Leicester run through at high speed, but do not stop. Interchange with InterCity services can be made at Luton and St Pancras International.

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History

It once formed part of the Super Outer Circle. Midland trains ran through from St Pancras to Earl's Court via Acton Central and Turnham Green.

Future

The present arrangement of three separate stations (Thameslink, Overground and Jubilee line) means that passengers wishing to change lines must walk along or cross West End Lane, a busy main road. A redevelopment proposal was put forward in 2004 by Chiltern Railways which would link the three West Hampstead stations with subterranean walkways. New platforms would be built for the Chiltern Main Line, and possibly also for the Metropolitan line, and the Thameslink and London Overground (formerly Silverlink) stations would be relocated on the east side of West End Lane. [cite web
url=http://www.camden.gov.uk/ccm/cms-service/download/asset/?asset_id=564194
title=Planning Framework for West Hampstead Interchange Area Appendix 2
publisher=London Borough of Camden
date=2005-04-19
accessdate=2008-07-29
pages=25] The redevelopment would involve demolishing existing buildings and the redevelopment of West End Lane as "a tree-lined boulevard". [cite web
url=http://www.alwaystouchout.com/project/35
title=West Hampstead Interchange
publisher=AlwaysTouchOut.com
date=2006-01-11
accessdate=2008-07-29] [cite web
url=http://www.camden.gov.uk/ccm/content/environment/planning-and-built-environment/planning-consultations/recently-completed-planning-consultations/west-hampstead-interchange-draft-planning-framework.en;jsessionid=A1B1F3E4933E5E57C796C7B2389A2E0E.node1
title=West Hampstead Interchange Draft Planning Framework
publisher=London Borough of Camden
date=2005-04-19
accessdate=2008-07-29] The plans were put on hold in 2007 due to uncertainty over the North London Line rail franchise. [cite web
url=http://www.thecnj.co.uk/camden/031507/news031507_12.html
title=Station interchange plans put on hold
publisher=Camden New Journal
date=2007-03-15
accessdate=2008-07-29]

References

Former Services