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List of Great Northern route stations

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This article is about stations on the commuter route in London and the East of England. For stations on other routes, see Great Northern Railway.
  • Top left: London King's Cross, the southern terminus of the East Coast Main Line, is the busiest and the only Grade I listed station on the route.
  • Top right: Welham Green was the most recent station to open in 1986 (photo taken 1987).
  • Bottom left: Welwyn North (originally Welwyn[1]) was where the inaugural train on the route stopped for its passengers to see the Digswell Viaduct.[2]
  • Bottom right: King's Lynn, the northern terminus of the Fen line, is the most northerly station on the route.

The Great Northern route,[3][4] formerly known as Great Northern Electrics,[5] is a suburban rail route in London and the East of England. The route consists of services on the southern end of the East Coast Main Line, which is the main railway link between the cities of London and Edinburgh,[6] as well as its associated branches, including the Cambridge line, Fen line, Hertford loop line, and Northern City Line.[7]

The route is currently operated by Great Northern, which is one brand under the umbrella of Govia Thameslink Railway.[8] Services originating at London King's Cross operate to Peterborough, Letchworth, Cambridge, Ely, and Kings Lynn, whereas services originating at Moorgate operate to Welwyn, Hertford North, Gordon Hill, and Stevenage.[9] In all, there are 54 stations on the route,[7] of which London King's Cross is Grade I listed and various parts of eight stations (Biggleswade, Cambridge, Downham Market, Huntingdon, King's Lynn, Letchworth Garden City, Moorgate, and Welwyn North) are Grade II listed. This will grow to 57 when the two new stations with allocated funding, at Cambridge South and Tempsford, open to passengers.

Of the stations on the route, Govia Thameslink Railway only share five stations (Moorgate, King's Cross, Stevenage, Peterborough, and Cambridge) with other National Rail operators;[10] this will rise to six once Cambridge South opens.[11] Five stations are served by the London Underground (Moorgate, Old Street, Highbury & Islington, King's Cross, and Finsbury Park), and four stations have out of station interchange capability (King's Cross, Moorgate, Harringay, and Bowes Park).[12] Until Greater Anglia withdrew to King's Lynn in May 2023, all the Fen line stations were shared between the two operators, but this is no longer the case.[13]

Great Northern manage all except eight of their stations; one is managed by Network Rail (King's Cross), one is managed by LNER (Peterborough), three are managed by Greater Anglia (Cambridge, Cambridge North, Ely), and three are managed by London Underground (Moorgate, Old Street, Highbury and Islington).[14] Once East West Rail opens, it will provide interchange with three stations on the route at Tempsford (construction approved[15]), Cambridge South (under construction[16]), and Cambridge.[17]

Stations

[edit]
Station Station building Listing Line(s)[a] Number of platforms Opened Local authority Annual usage (thousands)[18][b] Managed by[14]
Alexandra Palace East Coast Main Line 4 (facing 6 tracks)[19]: 204  1 May 1859[20]: 14, 254  London Borough of Haringey 1,640 Great Northern
Arlesey East Coast Main Line 2 (facing 4 tracks)[19]: 210  7 August 1850[20]: 18  Central Bedfordshire 592 Great Northern
Ashwell & Morden Cambridge line 2[19]: 239  21 October 1850[20]: 20  South Cambridgeshire 146 Great Northern
Baldock Cambridge line 2[19]: 238  21 October 1850[20]: 23  North Hertfordshire 527 Great Northern
Bayford Hertford Loop line 2[19]: 234  2 June 1924[20]: 30  East Hertfordshire 65.4 Great Northern
Biggleswade II[21][c] East Coast Main Line 4[19]: 210  7 August 1850[20]: 34  Central Bedfordshire 789 Great Northern
Bowes Park London Underground
2[19]: 233  1 November 1880[20]: 40  London Borough of Haringey 427 Great Northern
Brookmans Park East Coast Main Line 4[19]: 206  19 July 1926[20]: 46  Welwyn Hatfield 249 Great Northern
Cambridge II[22]
8[19]: 244 [23]: 203  30 July 1845[20]: 52  Cambridge 10,700 Greater Anglia
Cambridge North
3[23]: 205  21 May 2017[24] Cambridge 1,270 Greater Anglia
Crews Hill Hertford Loop line 2[19]: 234  4 April 1910[20]: 71  London Borough of Enfield 113 Great Northern
Cuffley Hertford Loop line 2[19]: 234  4 April 1910[20]: 74  Welwyn Hatfield 616 Great Northern
Downham Market II[25]
2[23]: 214  27 October 1846[20]: 82  King's Lynn and West Norfolk 400 Great Northern
Drayton Park Northern City Line 2[19]: 230  14 February 1904[20]: 82  London Borough of Islington 642 Great Northern
Ely
3 (facing 4 tracks)[23]: 208  30 July 1845[20]: 90  East Cambridgeshire 2,450 Greater Anglia
Enfield Chase[e] Hertford Loop line 2[19]: 233  4 April 1910[20]: 91  London Borough of Enfield 1,020 Great Northern
Essex Road Northern City Line 2[19]: 230  14 February 1904[20]: 92  London Borough of Islington 597 Great Northern
Finsbury Park London Underground
8 (facing 6 tracks)[19]: 202  1 July 1861[20]: 97, 208  London Borough of Islington 11,500 Great Northern
Foxton Cambridge line 2[19]: 242  24 February 1858[20]: 99  South Cambridgeshire 94.1 Great Northern
Gordon Hill Hertford Loop line 3[19]: 234  4 April 1910[20]: 106  London Borough of Enfield 1,040 Great Northern
Grange Park Hertford Loop line 2[19]: 233  4 April 1910[20]: 108  London Borough of Enfield 411 Great Northern
Hadley Wood East Coast Main Line 4[19]: 205  1 May 1885[20]: 111  London Borough of Enfield 325 Great Northern
Harringay London Overground East Coast Main Line

Suffragette line (LO)[f]

2 (facing 6 tracks)[19]: 203  1 May 1885[20]: 114  London Borough of Haringey 1,030 Great Northern
Hatfield East Coast Main Line 3 (facing 4 tracks)[19]: 206  7 August 1850[20]: 115  Welwyn Hatfield 2,320 Great Northern
Hertford North Hertford Loop line 3[19]: 234  1 March 1858[20]: 119  East Hertfordshire 972 Great Northern
Highbury & Islington London UndergroundLondon Overground
2 National Rail platforms (numbered 4 and 6)[19]: 230  26 September 1850[20]: 120, 128  London Borough of Islington 25,600 London Underground
Hitchin
2 (facing 4 tracks)[19]: 209  7 August 1850[20]: 121  North Hertfordshire 2,780 Great Northern
Hornsey East Coast Main Line 2 (facing 6 tracks)[19]: 203  7 August 1850[20]: 123  London Borough of Haringey 1,500 Great Northern
Huntingdon II[28] East Coast Main Line 3 (facing 5 tracks)[19]: 212  7 August 1850[20]: 125  Huntingdonshire 1,420 Great Northern
King's Lynn II[29]
2 (facing 4 tracks)[23]: 217  28 August 1871[20]: 134, 151  King's Lynn and West Norfolk 789 Great Northern
Knebworth East Coast Main Line 4[19]: 208  1 February 1884[20]: 136  North Hertfordshire 415 Great Northern
Letchworth Garden City II[30] Cambridge line 2[19]: 238  18 May 1913[20]: 142 [g] North Hertfordshire 1,600 Great Northern
Littleport
2[23]: 211  25 October 1847[20]: 144  East Cambridgeshire 204 Great Northern
London King's Cross[h] London Underground I[31] From London King's Cross railway station:

From King's Cross St Pancras tube station (OSI[12]):

From St Pancras railway station (OSI[12]):

From Euston railway station (OSI[12][i]):

11 National Rail platforms (numbered 0–10)[19]: 200  14 October 1852[20]: 123  London Borough of Camden 26,200[j] Network Rail
Meldreth Cambridge line 2[19]: 241  3 August 1851[20]: 157  South Cambridgeshire 230 Great Northern
Moorgate London UndergroundLondon OvergroundElizabeth Line II[32] From Moorgate station:

From Liverpool Street station (OSI[12][k]):

2 National Rail platforms (numbered 9 and 10)[19]: 230  23 September 1865[20]: 162 [l] City of London 8,770 London Underground
New Barnet East Coast Main Line 4[19]: 205  7 August 1850[20]: 27, 168  London Borough of Barnet 1,170 Great Northern
New Southgate East Coast Main Line 4[19]: 205  7 August 1850[20]: 66, 171, 215  London Borough of Enfield 809 Great Northern
Oakleigh Park East Coast Main Line 4[19]: 205  1 December 1873[20]: 176  London Borough of Barnet 814 Great Northern
Old Street London Underground Northern City Line

Northern line (LU)[36]

2 National Rail platforms (numbered 3 and 4)[19]: 230  17 November 1901[20]: 177  London Borough of Islington 6,380 London Underground
Palmers Green Hertford Loop line 2[19]: 233  1 April 1871[20]: 180  London Borough of Enfield 1,390 Great Northern
Peterborough
7 (facing 9 tracks)[19]: 214  7 August 1850[20]: 184  City of Peterborough 5,590 London North Eastern Railway
Potters Bar East Coast Main Line 4[19]: 206  7 August 1850[20]: 190  Hertsmere 2,380 Great Northern
Royston Cambridge line 2[19]: 240  21 October 1850[20]: 200  North Hertfordshire 1,310 Great Northern
Sandy East Coast Main Line 2 (facing 4 tracks)[19]: 210  7 August 1850[20]: 205  Central Bedfordshire 572 Great Northern
Shepreth Cambridge line 2[19]: 241  3 August 1851[20]: 210  South Cambridgeshire 98.8 Great Northern
Stevenage[m]
5[19]: 208, 236  23 July 1973[20]: 220–221  Stevenage 5,260 Great Northern
St Neots East Coast Main Line 4[19]: 211  7 August 1850[20]: 204  Huntingdonshire 959 Great Northern
Waterbeach
3[23]: 206  30 July 1845[20]: 242  South Cambridgeshire 332 Great Northern
Watlington
2[23]: 215  27 October 1846[20]: 243  King's Lynn and West Norfolk 119 Great Northern
Watton-at-Stone Hertford Loop line 2[19]: 235  18 October 1869[20]: 243  East Hertfordshire 159 Great Northern
Welham Green East Coast Main Line 4[19]: 206  29 September 1986[20]: 243  Welwyn Hatfield 224 Great Northern
Welwyn Garden City East Coast Main Line 4 (facing 6 tracks)[19]: 207  20 September 1926[20]: 244 [n] Welwyn Hatfield 2,350 Great Northern
Welwyn North II[1] East Coast Main Line 2[19]: 208  7 August 1850[20]: 244  Welwyn Hatfield 368 Great Northern
Winchmore Hill Hertford Loop line 2[19]: 233  1 April 1871[20]: 251  London Borough of Enfield 1,270 Great Northern

Future stations

[edit]

There are two stations that have been confirmed to have funded allocated to them: Cambridge South is under construction with an expected opening date in early 2026;[16] Tempsford was guaranteed in January 2025 to serve both the East Coast Main Line and East West Rail by Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor of the Exchequer.[39]

Station Station building Number of platforms Line(s)[o] Local authority Expected opening
Cambridge South 4[16][23]: 202 
Cambridge Early 2026[16]
Tempsford Unknown First East Coast Main Line, then also East West Rail.[15] Central Bedfordshire Unknown; five years before EWR to Cambridge.[39]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Italicised lines are those that are not constituent parts of the Great Northern route.
  2. ^ Annual usage calculated as the sum of entries, exits, and interchanges at the station. All values to three significant figures.
  3. ^ Only the platform building is listed.[21]
  4. ^ Out of station interchange (OSI) with Bounds Green tube station.[12]
  5. ^ The first Enfield railway station opened on 1 April 1871. When the Great Northern Railway extended the Hertford Loop line, they closed the station and built a new station—also called Enfield—on a different site. That station opened on 4 April 1910.[20]: 91 
  6. ^ Out of station interchange (OSI) with Harringay Green Lanes.[12]
  7. ^ Replacing an earlier, temporary station[20]: 142 
  8. ^ The first southern terminus of the Great Northern Railway was a temporary station at Maiden Lane, which has also been referred to as King's Cross. Despite their similar locations, this is a separate station from the London King's Cross that opened in 1852.
  9. ^ Out of station interchange with the National Rail station is permitted, but not with the London Underground station.[12]
  10. ^ Does not include usage figures for King's Cross St Pancras tube station or St Pancras railway station.
  11. ^ Out of station interchange with the National Rail station is permitted, but not with the London Underground station.[12]
  12. ^ Various stations and sets of platforms have existed at Moorgate; 23 September 1863 is the date the first company—the Metropolitan Railway—began services. The Great Northern & City Railway, whose services would become part of the Great Northern route, arrived on 14 February 1904.[20]: 162  Their platforms were connected to the other platforms at the station by escalator.[38]
  13. ^ The first railway station named Stevenage opened on 7 August 1850 on the original stretch of the Great Northern Railway between London and Peterborough. [20]: 220 . In 1973, it was replaced with another station of the same name 1 mi (1.6 km) south on the line. [20]: 220–221 
  14. ^ A temporary halt had operated since 1 September 1920.[20]: 244 
  15. ^ Italicised lines are those that are not constituent parts of the Great Northern route.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Historic England. "Welwyn North railway station and footbridge (1385391)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 12 July 2025.
  2. ^ Rabbitts, Paul; Jeffree, Peter (2021). "27. Digswell Viaduct". Welwyn & Welwyn Garden City in 50 Buildings. Amberley Publishing Limited. ISBN 978-1-3981-0248-4.
  3. ^ "Route revealed for planned new Overground line in north London". Ham & High. 4 June 2025. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  4. ^ "Makeover announced for First Capital Connect Class 365 Great Northern route trains". eversholtrail.co.uk. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  5. ^ Harman, R. (1980). Great Northern Electrics in Hertfordshire: A Case Study on the Role of Railway Modernisation in Suburban Development. Hertfordshire County Council.
  6. ^ "Route Plans 2010: Route Plan G East Coast & North East" (PDF). Network Rail. 31 March 2010. p.5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 September 2012. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
  7. ^ a b "Our Network". greatnorthernrail.com. Govia Thameslink Railway. 2 February 2025.
  8. ^ "GTR (Govia Thameslink Railway) Presentation" (PDF). Govia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 10 July 2014.
  9. ^ "Great Northern Timetables as of December 2024".
  10. ^ "All Stations Train Operator Route Map". National Rail. Project Mapping. May 2025.
  11. ^ Page, Luke (9 June 2025). "Mayor Paul Bristow says Cambridge South opening crucial to getting region moving". Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority. Retrieved 13 July 2025.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Out of Station Interchanges" (XLSX). Transport for London. 16 June 2020. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
  13. ^ Wakefield, Peter (June 2023). "Timetable Changes May–December 2023" (PDF). RailFuture (198): 17.
  14. ^ a b "Station information". Great Northern. Retrieved 13 July 2025.
  15. ^ a b "Big city fear for Tempsford villagers near East West Rail station". www.bbc.com. 30 January 2025. Retrieved 13 July 2025.
  16. ^ a b c d "Cambridge South station". Network Rail. Retrieved 13 July 2025.
  17. ^ "East West Rail | Route Update Announcement". East West Rail. Retrieved 13 July 2025.
  18. ^ "Estimates of station usage". Office of Rail and Road. 21 November 2024. Table 1410. Retrieved 12 July 2025.
  19. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av "London North Eastern Sectional Appendix" (PDF). National Electronic Sectional Appendix. Network Rail. 7 June 2025. Retrieved 12 July 2025.
  20. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh Butt, R. V. J. (October 1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199. OL 11956311M.
  21. ^ a b Historic England. "Railway platform building at Biggleswade railway station (1137769)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 12 July 2025.
  22. ^ Historic England. "Cambridge railway station (1343683)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 12 July 2025.
  23. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Anglia Sectional Appendix" (PDF). National Electronic Sectional Appendix. Network Rail. 7 June 2025. Retrieved 13 July 2025.
  24. ^ "Delayed £50m Cambridge North railway station opens". BBC News. 21 May 2017. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
  25. ^ Historic England. "Downham Market railway station (1171244)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 12 July 2025.
  26. ^ Table 59 National Rail timetable, May 2016
  27. ^ Table 178 National Rail timetable, May 2016
  28. ^ Historic England. "Huntingdon railway station (1128648)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 12 July 2025.
  29. ^ Historic England. "Kings Lynn railway station (1389399)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 12 July 2025.
  30. ^ Historic England. "Booking hall, public rooms, offices, and footbridge at Letchworth Garden City railway station (1174849)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 12 July 2025.
  31. ^ Historic England. "Kings Cross railway station (1078328)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 12 July 2025.
  32. ^ Historic England. "Moorgate underground station (1359213)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 12 July 2025.
  33. ^ "Circle and Hammersmith & City line WTT" (PDF). Transport for London. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 November 2016.
  34. ^ "Circle and Hammersmith & City line WTT" (PDF). Transport for London. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 November 2016.
  35. ^ "Metropolitan line WTT" (PDF). Transport for London. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 July 2016.
  36. ^ a b "Northern Line timetable". Transport for London. Select "Moorgate" plus another station to see timetables and frequencies. Retrieved 14 December 2017.
  37. ^ "Liverpool Street : Current Works". Crossrail. Archived from the original on 14 December 2017. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  38. ^ Day, John R (1979). The Story of London's Underground (6th ed.). London Transport. p. 58. ISBN 0-85329-094-6.
  39. ^ a b "New train station to be built five years early to support rail services". The Hunts Post. 5 February 2025. Retrieved 13 July 2025.
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