Station code ELS Fare zone 6 | DfT category E 2011–12 3.112 million Number of platforms 4 | |
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Similar Radlett railway station, West Hampstead Thamesli, Mill Hill Broadway railway st, Harpenden railway station, St Albans City railway station | ||
Elstree & Borehamwood railway station is on the Midland Main Line in England, serving the village of Elstree and the town of Borehamwood in Hertfordshire. It is 12 miles 35 chains (20.0 km) down-line from London St. Pancras and is situated between Mill Hill Broadway to the south and Radlett to the north. Its three-letter station code is ELS.
Contents
The station is served by Thameslink-operated trains on the Thameslink route. It is in Travelcard Zone 6.
History
In 1862:
"The London and Midland Junction Railway Bill is here referred to as providing for a new line of Railway into the metropolis. It commences from the Midland Railway at Hitchin, passes by St. Albans, Elstree, Edgware, Finchley and Highgate, and terminates by a junction with the Metropolitan Underground Railway at King's Cross, previously throwing out a Branch to the Cattle Market at Copenhagen Fields."On 22 June 1863, the Midland Railway (Extension to London) Bill was passed:
"An Act for the Construction by the Midland Railway Company of a new Line of Railway between London and Bedford, with Branches therefrom; and for other Purpose".Situated north of the Elstree Tunnels, it was built by the Midland Railway as simply "Elstree" in 1868 when it built its extension to St Pancras station. By the 1920s, it had been renamed Elstree and Boreham Wood station. It was modernised in 1959. The station was renamed from Elstree & Borehamwood to Elstree on 6 May 1974, but reverted to Elstree & Borehamwood by mid 1988.
A new footbridge and step-free lifts, installed under Network Rail's Access for All programme are due to open on 1 October 2014. The scheme, much delayed after originally being programmed to open in March 2014, has caused much angst within the community.
The "London LOOP" walk passes close to the station on its way from Stanmore to High Barnet.
The station has a PlusBus scheme where train and bus tickets can be bought together for a cheaper price.
Services
The typical off-peak service from the station is four trains per hour southbound to London, Wimbledon and Sutton, and four trains per hour northbound, of which two terminate at St Albans and two run on to Luton. On Sundays this is reduced to two trains per hour in both directions. Peak-hour services run on to Bedford. Night services operate to Gatwick Airport, Three Bridges and Brighton.
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 Airport Parkway or Luton and St Pancras International.
In March 2009, Southeastern and Thameslink began running some peak-hour trains from Sevenoaks to Luton, though in the off-peak these services turn back at Kentish Town.
Future
Additional trains from destinations across the larger Thameslink network may call at the station from 2015, although the existing Sutton Loop trains will continue even though they were originally to have been withdrawn.
In advance of the current franchisee taking on the route, a factsheet stated that from 2018 there would be an increase in stopping services to St. Albans on Sundays.