Watford Metropolitan Underground station

Watford tube station.

Before we get started... I know that Watford is not in London. But, neither is Warner Bros Studios Tour London: The Making of Harry Potter. Nor are Gatwick, Southend, Stansted or Luton Airports, but they all have London in their name. There are countless more examples of this.

However, Watford is served by National Rail, the Lioness line and the Metropolitan line. It is also the station from where the majority of my trips to London begin.

So let's delve into its history.

Two different types of train at Platform 2.

By the early part of the 20th century, the Metropolitan line had already extended from London, through Hertfordshire, to Buckinghamshire, terminating at Verney Junction, Buckinghamshire.

In 1912 Parliamentary approval was granted for a branch line, between Sandy Lodge and Rickmansworth, that would serve Croxley and terminate at Watford.

However, clashes with Watford Borough Council and the outbreak of World War I delayed construction of the 2.5 mile branch line, with work finally beginning in 1922. As work progressed Sandy Lodge was renamed Moor Park and Sandy Lodge.

On November 2, 1925, Watford Metropolitan Railway station opened, and, in the first few months, was served by Metropolitan electric trains, to Baker Street, and LNER steam trains to Marylebone.

As the station was situated 1 mile from Watford Town Centre, the Metropolitan Railway operated a bus service from Watford High Street, in an effort to bring in more customers. This bus service ran for many years.

Celebrating 'Steam on the Met'.

The original 1912 plans, for the branch line, were to have continued the line through Cassiobury Park with a terminus on Hempstead Road, where West Herts College now stands. But, Watford Borough Council, having just bought part of the Cassiobury Estate, objected to trains running through the park and gardens.

In 1927, an opportunity came up to extend the line, via a single-track tunnel beneath Cassiobury Park, that would terminate in Watford High Street. The Metropolitan Railway purchased 44 Watford High Street, along with 2.5 acres of land behind the building.

44 Watford High Street, now a pub.

However, the costs of either extending the track from the current station, or finding a different route, were extremely costly, so the idea was scrapped. 44 Watford High Street was leased out, before finally being disposed of by London Transport in 1936.

Platform 1, at Watford Metropolitan station.

In 1994, a project, which would become known as the 'Croxley Rail Link', was proposed that would link the Metropolitan line with Watford Junction. The idea was to link up the Metropolitan line with the Watford and Rickmansworth Railway line, which had been opened in 1912.

British Rail, who operated the Watford and Rickmansworth line, closed it in 1996, due to low passenger numbers.

The project would have involved the construction of a short viaduct, linking the two lines, and the closure of Watford Metropolitan line station. This was met with opposition, with local groups asking for a shuttle service to the old station.

Watford West station, with the cleared Watford and Rickmansworth Railway line.

Over the next two decades more details emerged, with the names for new stations being picked, the line being cleared of tree and plant growth and the line inspected.

In 2011, the Department for Transport gave the go ahead for the project, with an expected completion date of 2016, which was later revised to 2020.

Following many changes in the plans, problems with securing funding and spiralling costs, it was quietly announced, in January 2017, that work had stopped on the project and that it was to be scrapped.

Watford tube station lobby.

Watford Metropolitan station was designed by Charles Walter Clark, and has barely changed in the last 100 years. Its interior still has the original tiling, with hardwood panelling, while the outside canopy is supported by two Doric columns. The style of the building is Arts and Crafts, with tall red brick chimneys with timber casement and sash windows.

The building is Grade II listed. 

Gallery

Watford Miniature Railway

Just a short 10-minute walk from the station, in Cassiobury Park, is a miniature railway that has been operating since 1959.

The railway runs on weekends and school holidays. 

Its 3,000 feet (915 metres) of 10¼ inch (260 mm) track weaves through woodland and along the riverbank, with a journey lasting 6 minutes.

Watford Miniature Railway